A single night of binge-drinking is more prone to cause liver disease than just a few drinks spread across the week, a study revealed.
In line with a study done by the University College London, first reported by the London Standard, measuring the pattern of alcohol intake was more accurate than volume for predicting the danger of developing alcohol-related cirrhosis (ARC).
In line with Johns Hopkins Medicine, ARC is a stage of liver disease where the liver has turn out to be significantly scarred and will cause the liver to stop working appropriately.
The scientists analyzed data from 312,599 lively alcoholic drinkers in the UK to evaluate the impact of the pattern of drinking, genetic predisposition and type-2 diabetes on the likelihood of developing ARC.
Dr Linda Ng Fat, a primary writer of the study from UCL Epidemiology and Public Health, said that the study’s approach was a “higher indicator of liver disease risk than volume alone.”
“We took a distinct approach by specializing in the pattern of drinking and located that this was a greater indicator of liver disease risk than volume alone,” Dr. Fat told the London newspaper. “The opposite key finding was that the more risk aspects involved, the upper the ‘excess risk’ because of the interaction of those aspects.”
Dr. Fat said the study revealed that those that engaged in heavy binge-drinking, which is defined as having 12 units of alcohol in a day, were thrice as prone to develop ARC.
The chance for those with a high genetic predisposition was 4 times higher and the danger for type-2 diabetics was two times higher.
Individuals who engaged in binge-drinking while also having a genetic predisposition were six times more prone to develop ARC, the study found.
Pamela Healy, Chief Executive of the British Liver Trust told the London Standard that this study revealed that the best way people drink alcohol is significant and that excessively drinking can have “servious consequences.”
“This research is significant since it reveals that it’s not only how much you drink overall but the best way that you just drink matters,” Healy said. “Drinking lots, quickly, or drinking to get drunk can have serious consequences to your liver health.”