Alcohol Misuse and Kidney Injury: Epidemiological Evidence and Potential Mechanisms Alcohol Research: Current Reviews

One of the main responsibilities of the kidneys is to sift out harmful substances from the blood, and alcohol is one such substance. Small amounts of alcohol can be easily filtered and disposed of, but too much alcohol affects how the kidneys work, impairing them to the point of not being able to properly purify the blood of the alcohol content. Alcohol is capable of undoing the kidneys’ ability to filter out toxins, and while this is not usually a problem with normal drinking, it becomes a serious problem when the drinking is abusive or excessive. Binge drinking, or drinking numerous drinks in just a few hours, can cause an acute kidney injury. However, it is important to note that alcohol-induced kidney damage may not always cause kidney pain. Without adequate blood flow, the kidneys struggle to remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood.

• In addition to prescription medications, losartan may interact with certain supplements and herbal remedies.
• Among the most important substances contributing to these conditions are water, sodium, potassium, calcium, and phosphate.
• Individuals who are concerned about their drinking habits can also consult a doctor for guidance on professional help and support.

Effect of body mass index on the association between alcohol consumption and the development of chronic kidney disease

One possible mechanism is oxidative stress resulting from increased production of reactive oxygen species, which leads to an excessive amount of free radicals, which in turn trigger tissue injury and increase inflammation. In addition, AUD’s effect on other major organs (liver, heart, intestines, and skeletal muscle) appears to promote unfavorable pathological processes that are harmful to the kidneys. Notably, these mechanisms have not yet been validated experimentally in the kidney. Additional research is needed to clarify if alcohol does indeed promote kidney injury and the mechanisms by which alcohol-induced kidney injury may occur.

Influence of alcoholism on the prognosis of patients with CKD

This leads to impaired function of the kidneys and increases the risk of developing kidney stones. Chronic dehydration puts you at greater risk for these adverse effects. Liver disease makes you susceptible to pain or discomfort after drinking alcohol.

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Alcohol digestion produces toxic compounds that damage many essential organs including the kidneys. Both short- and long-term drinking can cause many kidney-related problems like structural changes, dehydration, high blood pressure, along with imbalances of fluids, does alcohol affect your kidneys electrolytes, and acid-base balance. According to the National Kidney Foundation, regular heavy drinking can double the risk of getting chronic kidney disease (CKD). Hypertension and high blood pressure are common among people who drink more than two drinks a day.

• A 26-year-old man presented with severe abdominal pain at the emergency department.
• Finally, if you want to drink alcohol, please discuss this with your pharmacist as some medications do interact with alcohol.
• As the rate of glucose breakdown increases, profound hypophosphatemia potentially can result.
• However, some studies have found that ethanol can directly cause kidney damage, independent of liver damage [28,30,31].

The symptoms and severity of a UTI may get worse after drinking alcohol. They filter waste from your blood, regulate the balance of water and minerals in your body and produce hormones. Although hand sanitizers are mainly composed of ethanol, they may also contain isopropanol, methanol, or acetone. Methanol poisoning can cause abdominal pain, visual disturbances, central nervous system damage, and death. Other alcohols such as ethylene glycol, commonly found in antifreeze, can distort blood values (lactate) and complicate a correct diagnosis. For people with diabetes and CKD, alcohol may be safe to drink if you have your blood sugar level under control.

• Over time, this can cause damage to your kidneys and result in CKD.
• In the kidneys, ROS is generated via both enzymatic and non-enzymatic processes [22,23,27,32,36,37].
• Like the kidneys, the liver plays an important role in maintaining acid-base balance.
• While this is by means no recommendation to drink more alcohol or to start drinking, they do suggest that light to moderate drinking has not been shown to increase the risk of developing CKD.
• This article describes how alcohol may harm the kidneys and considers the level of alcohol consumption necessary to cause harm.

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