3 ms·

> Very many people (especially in the UK) do not drink alcohol in moderation. Liver disease and cirrhosis is seen more commonly in young people than it used to

> Very many people (especially in the UK) do not drink alcohol in moderation. Liver disease and cirrhosis is seen more commonly in young people than it used to be. The British problem is more of a social problem of really, really overdoing it on the weekend - Everything2 has a lovely writeup on the "vertical drinking establishment". If you substitute benzos for alcohol you may have less vomiting in the streets, but just as much fighting at chuck-out time. There seem to be more cases of liver diseases in Britain than in other European nations. Since binge-drinking does not affect the liver quite as much as drinking smaller amounts more often, it seem that these are due to alcoholism. If you substitute benzodiazepines for alcohol, this wouldn't be much of an improvement, instead of a whiny, angry alcoholic whose life revolves around his stash you'd have a whiny angry benzo addict whose life still revolves around their stash. Their liver would be in better shape, though. (Full disclosure: I have alcoholic family members and am deeply suspicious of quick cures)

a8da6b0c91d 13y ago
Are we sure alcohol alone explains increases in liver problems? People are also increasingly fat and have poor diet related problems that would impact the liver.
- HarryHirsch 13y ago
  The main risk factors for cirrhosis are alcohol and hepatitis B and C. The UK doesn't have a worse drug problem than the rest of Western Europe, consequently it must be the drinking.
  - DanBC 13y ago
    The UK does have worse obesity problems than the rest of western europe, so parent asks a reasonable question. Is obesity a factor in greater rates of liver disease?
    - HarryHirsch 13y ago
      Here is an analysis of the risk factors: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/AnnualReports/Browsable/DH_4903444 http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/www.dh.gov.uk/en... This report from the British government says that virus hepatitis and alcohol are the biggest risk factors and that a strategy needs to be devised against these to fight chronic liver disease.

a8da6b0c91d 13y ago

Are we sure alcohol alone explains increases in liver problems? People are also increasingly fat and have poor diet related problems that would impact the liver.

HarryHirsch 13y ago
The main risk factors for cirrhosis are alcohol and hepatitis B and C. The UK doesn't have a worse drug problem than the rest of Western Europe, consequently it must be the drinking.
- DanBC 13y ago
  The UK does have worse obesity problems than the rest of western europe, so parent asks a reasonable question. Is obesity a factor in greater rates of liver disease?
  - HarryHirsch 13y ago
    Here is an analysis of the risk factors: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/AnnualReports/Browsable/DH_4903444 http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/www.dh.gov.uk/en... This report from the British government says that virus hepatitis and alcohol are the biggest risk factors and that a strategy needs to be devised against these to fight chronic liver disease.