Despite the clinical importance of alcohol’s effects on the kidney, however, relatively few recent studies have been conducted to characterize them or elucidate their pathophysiology. It is hoped that future investigations will focus on this important subject area. One example of an alcohol-related acid-base disturbance already has been mentioned in relation to low levels of phosphate (i.e., respiratory alkalosis resulting from hyperventilation during alcohol withdrawal). Other acid-base disturbances are possible as a result of excessive alcohol consumption.
Some enzymes that are necessary for ethanol metabolism, such as alcohol dehydrogenase, CYP2E1, and CYP24A1, have been found in the kidneys [22,23]. Furthermore, approximately 10% of ingested ethanol is excreted by the kidneys in its original form [21]. Therefore, excessive alcohol consumption places a major strain on the normal metabolic processes of the kidneys. Excessive alcohol consumption can have profound negative effects on the kidneys and their function in maintaining the body’s fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base balance, leaving alcoholic people vulnerable to a host of kidney-related health problems.
Nutrition Information of Alcohol
Therefore, the effect of ethanol on the kidney is beyond our original understanding. Alcohol can not only directly damage the kidney, but also causes renal dysfunction by damaging other organs. In addition, some studies proved that alcohol consumption aggravates kidney injury in diabetic nephropathy rats [64]. Hepatorenal syndrome, which is secondary to alcoholic hepatitis [65], and acute kidney injury, secondary to rhabdomyolysis, also cannot be ignored [46].
- The rate of blood flow to the part of the body is kept at a constant level for it to filter blood.
- Experts say that having 4 to 7 drinks a day is the cause of this disorder.
- Indeed, liver transplantation is one of two options available today for treating hepatorenal syndrome.
- The impact of alcohol on kidney function has not been well investigated.
- Their analysis included 20 studies representing a total of 292,431 patients.
- However, previous studies have not revealed beverage-specific associations [28].
Furthermore, the cardiovascular-protective effects of estrogen [91,93] should not be overlooked. In addition, long-term alcohol consumption can lead to injuries of renal tubules [1,2,30,39,51]. Na+-K+-ATPase present on the proximal tubular epithelial membrane is important for tubular reabsorption. However, recent studies have demonstrated that its activity is decreased by ROS and lipid peroxidation with the consumption of ethyl alcohol [22,41,52].
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Baseline characteristics of 5729 participants according to groups defined by baseline alcohol consumption. • Kidneys are a special filter system for the human body and they remove waste products from the blood and produce urine. Kidneys control the levels of many substances in the blood most importantly help to control your blood pressure. If your lab tests show a decline in kidney function for more than three months in a row, you might be diagnosed with CKD and referred to a nephrologist.
The risk is even higher in people who drink heavily and also smoke. The association of baseline alcohol consumption and decline in kidney function over 12 years among 5729 participants. Points and bars represent beta coefficients and 95% confidence intervals, respectively. Hence, we sought to examine the association of alcohol consumption with the change and rapid decline in kidney function over 12 years in a South Korean population-based cohort study. The results showed no significant difference in risk between people who reported moderate versus low alcohol intake, regardless of whether they also were categorized as binge drinking.
Alcohol consumption and risks of more than 200 diseases in Chinese men
Chronic dehydration puts you at greater risk for these adverse effects. Although the mechanism of alcoholic myopathy is not fully understood, it is likely that disruption of mitochondria-related energy homeostasis is important in promoting muscle cell (myocyte) injury (Eisner et al. 2014). First, many studies are based on patients’ routine health checkups, as annual health examinations do not allow researchers to evaluate any fluctuation in serum creatinine and other biomarkers. Moreover, many patients were excluded from the long-term observational studies because they did not attend routine annual health checkups. Although the researchers do not analyze the reasons why people are lost to follow-up, we cannot ignore the possibility that some patients were diagnosed with CKD and had begun regular medical treatment in another medical center. We also realize that previous studies did not include an adequate number of heavy drinkers, especially female heavy drinkers.
Frequent urination that goes along with this flushing of the system can lead to dehydration. This can interfere with the functioning of the kidneys and other organs. When your kidneys don’t function the way they should, prescription and over-the-counter medications https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/13-actionable-tips-to-stay-sober-at-different-times/ can build up in your blood and may cause additional damage to your kidneys or other parts of your body… If you are living with diabetes and kidney disease, it is important to stay in control of your blood sugar so you can be your healthiest and avoid other…
Does Alcohol Affect Your Kidneys?
Therefore, the relationship between heavy alcohol consumption and CKD may be affected by this sampling bias [16,79,117]. Characteristics of the clinical studies on alcohol consumption and chronic kidney disease. The glomeruli are sensitive to fluctuations of systemic blood alcohol and kidneys pressure (BP), and the RAS is the most important BP control system in the kidneys. However, long-term alcohol consumption can activate the RAS and enhance sympathetic nervous activity, which elevates the systemic BP and destroys the normal structure of the glomeruli.
- Healthcare professionals generally define heavy drinking as consuming eight or more alcoholic drinks per week for females and 15 or more per week for males.
- In this article, learn more about the causes of kidney pain and how they might be related to drinking alcohol.
- However, clinical research shows the amounts and patterns of alcohol consumption both affect eGFR in patients with CKD [7].
