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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffRisk factors for alcoholic hepatitis include:
- Alcohol use. Consistent heavy drinking or binge drinking is the primary risk factor for alcoholic hepatitis, though it's hard to precisely define what constitutes heavy drinking because people vary greatly in their sensitivity to alcohol. Moderate drinking is generally defined as no more than two drinks a day for men and one for women. Binge drinking is usually defined as more than four alcoholic drinks in one sitting for women, and more than five drinks in one sitting for men. Also a matter of debate is whether certain types of alcohol cause more harm than others. Some experts believe that wine is less damaging than hard liquor or beer, but this has yet to be proven.
- Your sex. Women have a higher risk of developing alcoholic hepatitis than men do. This disparity may result from differences in the way alcohol is absorbed and broken down.
- Genetic factors. Researchers have discovered a number of genetic mutations that affect the way alcohol is metabolized in the body. Having one or more of these mutations may increase the risk of alcoholic hepatitis.
References
- O'Shea RS, et al. Alcoholic liver disease. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2010;105:14.
- Carithers RL, et al. Alcoholic liver disease. In: Feldman M, et al. Sleisinger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/linkTo?type=bookHome&isbn=978-1-4160-6189-2&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6189-2..X0001-7--TOP&uniq=200844987-3. Accessed July 14, 2010.
- Alcohol-induced liver disease. American Liver Foundation. http://www.liverfoundation.org/abouttheliver/info/alcohol/. Accessed July 14, 2010.
- Hacker JF, et al. Alcoholic liver disease. American College of Gastroenterology. http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/cgp/cgpvol2.asp#Alcoholic%20Liver. Accessed July 14, 2010.
- Cirrhosis. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/cirrhosis/index.htm. Accessed July 14, 2010.
- Milk thistle. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed July 20, 2010.
- SAMe. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed July 20, 2010.
- Hepatitis C FAQs for the public. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/C/cFAQ.htm. Accessed July 20, 2010.
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