Research advances in risk factors for alcoholic liver disease

Abstract

Only a small number of people may develop severe alcoholic liver disease after continuous or excessive drinking, which is different from the harm caused by smoking, and some people may even develop alcoholic liver disease associated with inflammation, liver cirrhosis, or primary liver cancer. There are complex risk factors for liver injury in these people; besides ethnic and genetic factors, drinking volume, and drinking duration, more important factors are involved in the pathophysiological changes of the liver, such as the type and quality of alcohol, drinking pattern, socioeconomic status, and government public policy, which may be the determining factors for the development of alcoholic liver disease. On the basis of literature review, this article proposes the concept that "liquor does not equal to alcohol" , which has important guiding significance for healthy drinking and the prevention of alcoholic liver disease.