According to some reports, cirrhosis does not develop below a lifetime alcohol consumption of 100 kg of undiluted alcohol[8]. This amount corresponds to an average daily intake of 30 grams of undiluted alcohol for 10 years.
It is estimated that alcohol-related fatty liver disease develops in 90% of people who drink more than 40g of alcohol (or four units) per day. That's roughly the equivalent of two medium (175ml) glasses of 12% ABV wine, or less than two pints of regular strength (4% ABV) beer.
The risk of disease was twice as high in women than men, but only in the dose range 3–8 drinks/day. Only 4% of individuals consuming more than 6 drinks daily had cirrhosis and only 10% had any evidence of liver disease at all.
Consumption of 1 drink per day in comparison to long-term abstainers showed an increased risk for liver cirrhosis in women, but not in men. The risk for women was consistently higher compared to men.
If you do not have liver disease, an occasional alcoholic drink probably won't cause cirrhosis. However, heavy drinking (defined as having 8 or more drinks per week for women and 15 or more for men) is known to cause cirrhosis. 3 This can develop into alcoholic liver disease.
But how much alcohol does it take to cause liver cirrhosis? For cirrhosis to develop in men, a person must drink more than about 3 ounces of alcohol a day for more than 10 years. These 3 ounces include drinking 6 cans of beer, 5 glasses of wine, or 6 shots of liquor.
Do all alcoholics get alcoholic hepatitis and eventually cirrhosis? No. Some alcoholics may suffer seriously from the many physical and psychological symptoms of alcoholism, but escape serious liver damage. Alcoholic cirrhosis is found among alcoholics about 10 to 25 percent of the time.
In fact, some data suggest that “binge” drinking is less likely to lead to cirrhosis or alcoholic hepatitis compared to continuous drinking (9–11) (Table 1). As the underlying mechanisms of binge drinking remain elusive, further research is needed to clarify the role it plays in increasing the risk of advanced ALD.
This can lead to liver failure. Usually the damage cannot be reversed. Between 10 to 20 percent of heavy drinkers develop cirrhosis typically after 10 or more years of drinking.
In conclusion, wine, as with other alcoholic beverages, can lead to alcoholic cirrhosis when consumed heavily.
"Hard liquor contains more alcohol than beer or wine, making it more dangerous for your liver," continues Coleman. "A single shot of 80-proof hard liquor contains about 15 grams of alcohol and most shots contain even more alcohol than this." Another alcoholic beverage also takes a considerable toll on your liver.
Heavy Alcohol Use:
For men, consuming more than 4 drinks on any day or more than 14 drinks per week. For women, consuming more than 3 drinks on any day or more than 7 drinks per week.
According to the NIAAA, consuming seven or more drinks per week is considered heavy drinking for women, and 15 drinks or more per week is determined to be excessive or heavy drinking for men.
Blood tests used to assess the liver are known as liver function tests. But liver function tests can be normal at many stages of liver disease. Blood tests can also detect if you have low levels of certain substances, such as a protein called serum albumin, which is made by the liver.
Heavy drinkers and alcoholics may progress from fatty liver to alcoholic hepatitis to cirrhosis, and it is estimated that 10 percent to 15 percent of alcoholics will develop cirrhosis.
Cirrhosis often has no signs or symptoms until liver damage is extensive. When signs and symptoms do occur, they may include: Fatigue. Easily bleeding or bruising.
It takes upwards of ten years for alcohol-related liver disease to progress from fatty liver through fibrosis to cirrhosis to acute on chronic liver failure.
Vaca says. “You can be sure that repeated binge drinking and extreme binge drinking are not good for your liver,” Dr. Vaca adds. “In fact, a condition called acute alcoholic hepatitis can cause severe liver inflammation initially, without any scarring at all.
People who drink outside of meal times and those who binge drink have an increased risk of developing liver disease. A weekly binge drinking session increases the risk of decompensated liver disease, particularly in those who are overweight and they are nearly seven times more likely to develop liver disease.
What do you mean by heavy drinking? For men, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming 15 drinks or more per week. For women, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming 8 drinks or more per week.
The short answer is yes: blood testing can show heavy alcohol use. However, timing plays a significant role in the accuracy of blood alcohol testing. In a typical situation, blood alcohol tests are only accurate six to 12 hours after someone consumes their last beverage.
Cirrhosis is a stage of ARLD where the liver has become significantly scarred. Even at this stage, there may not be any obvious symptoms. It's generally not reversible, but stopping drinking alcohol immediately can prevent further damage and significantly increase your life expectancy.
Even after years of heavy alcohol use, the liver has a remarkable regenerative capacity and, following alcohol removal, can recover a significant portion of its original mass and function.