Liver diseases—including alcohol-induced liver problems—disrupt this function and can contribute directly or indirectly to a wide range of acid-base disturbances. Several alcohol-related mechanisms can result in hypomagnesemia. Studies historically have shown that alcohol consumption markedly increases magnesium excretion in the urine and may affect magnesium levels in other ways as well. For example, when rats are given alcohol, they also require significant magnesium in their diets, suggesting that alcohol disrupts absorption of this nutrient from the gut. Investigators have speculated that alcohol or an intermediate metabolite directly affects magnesium exchange in the kidney tubules (Epstein 1992). Although fluid overload—not alcohol itself—is considered the major contributor to beer drinkers’ hyponatremia, alcohol does appear to directly influence the kidney’s handling of sodium and other electrolytes, potentially resulting in hypernatremia.
Drinks to Limit or Avoid
Hepatorenal syndrome may appear in patients afflicted with any severe liver disease, but in the United States, studies most often have identified alcoholic cirrhosis as the underlying disorder. Major clinical features of hepatorenal syndrome include a marked decrease in urine flow, almost no sodium excretion and, usually, hyponatremia and ascites. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels and serum concentrations of the waste product creatinine are somewhat elevated, but rarely to the degree seen in patients with end-stage kidney failure when kidney disease is the primary disorder. Judgments based on such relatively modest BUN and serum creatinine increases often underestimate kidney dysfunction in patients with hepatorenal syndrome, however, because malnourished cirrhotic patients tend to have low levels of urea and creatinine. As an example, Puddey and colleagues (1985) evaluated the effects of hormones that regulate kidney function.
Short-Term Damage
- But it can also happen if you have other health conditions, including a kidney infection.
- Based on the age-related physiological changes in the way people respond to alcohol, some experts believe the criteria should be changed for older adults—perhaps limiting intake to no more than one drink per day after age 65.
- They will be moved to the kidneys where they will be excreted in the urine.
- Future research will hopefully explore these hypotheses to provide a better understanding of alcoholic kidney injury.
- The areas around your kidneys may feel sore after you drink alcohol.
The World Health Organization estimates that more than 55% of adults consume alcohol, and 140 million people worldwide have alcoholism [1,2]. In fact, alcoholism is a serious problem in Asia, where 10.6–23.67% of men and 1.84–5.3% of women have a history of excessive alcohol consumption [3–9]. Evidence also exists that alcohol-related damage to the liver, in particular advanced liver cirrhosis, leads to hepatorenal syndrome (HRS)—a deterioration in renal function related to impaired circulation. The underlying mechanisms involved in the development and progression of HRS are incompletely understood, although it is plausible that the altered balance between vasoconstrictor and vasodilator factors plays a significant role (Lenz 2005). Like the kidneys, the liver plays an important role in maintaining acid-base balance.
Effect of alcohol consumption on kidney function: population-based cohort study
Drinking can lead to alcoholic dehydration even with just a few drinks. The right treatment option for kidney pain related to alcohol depends on the cause. The kidneys are the body’s primary tool for filtering out dangerous substances, so issues affecting the kidneys can quickly affect the rest of the body, potentially causing problems in multiple organs. A person is at risk of different complications depending on the underlying cause of the kidney pain.
Treatments for chronic kidney disease
People with high blood pressure and on blood pressure medication are also affected by alcohol. As mentioned, the kidneys ecstasy addiction and abuse will work to stabilize acid-base balance. The more alcohol consumed the higher the risk of elevated blood pressure.
Acute kidney injury
This article describes how alcohol may harm the kidneys and considers the level of alcohol consumption necessary to cause harm. Check with your doctor, especially if you take medications that might be affected alcoholics anonymous by using alcohol. “If we are not exercising during the weight loss journey, ultimately our metabolism can suffer because patients will lose a significant amount of muscle mass too,” Glickman says.
The few studies focusing on alcohol’s direct effects on perfusion in human kidneys suggest that regulatory mechanisms retain control over this component of kidney function despite alcohol consumption. Even at high blood alcohol levels, only minor fluctuations were found in the rates of plasma flow and filtration through the kidneys (Rubini et al. 1955). Additional studies are needed to confirm these observations, however.
For example, almost 30 years ago, Koppel and colleagues (1969) demonstrated that kidneys transplanted from patients with hepatorenal syndrome are capable of resuming normal function in recipients without liver disease. In addition, Iwatsuki and colleagues (1973) and Gonwa and Wilkinson (1996) documented the return of normal kidney function in hepatorenal syndrome patients who receive liver transplants. The association between increased blood pressure and alcohol consumption has been recognized at least since 1915, when Lian reported the prevalence of high blood pressure (i.e., hypertension) in relation to the drinking habits of French army officers. People who drink too much are more likely to have high blood pressure. And medications for high blood pressure can be affected by alcohol. More than two drinks a day can increase your chance of developing high blood pressure.
For example, in an early study on dogs (Chaikoff et al. 1948), investigators observed several striking alterations after chronic alcohol administration. The basement membrane of the glomerulus (see sidebar figure) became abnormally thickened and was characterized by cell proliferation. Further changes included enlarged and altered cells in how does alcohol affect blood pressure the kidney tubules. In another study, Van Thiel and colleagues (1977) compared kidney structure and function in alcohol-fed and control rats. Drinking heavily can increase the risk of high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes, for example. Both of those conditions are the most common causes of chronic kidney disease in the United States.
Rather than the type of beverage, it is the amount of alcohol that affects the kidneys, with binge or excessive drinking having the most impact. Alcohol is a toxic substance that can damage the body’s organs and tissues. There are mixed conclusions about whether or not alcohol causes kidney failure specifically. Ask your healthcare provider if it is safe for you to drink, especially if you have a medical condition or take medicines that might be affected by using alcohol. Women, older people, and those with smaller bodies should be especially careful. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average adult in the United States consumes 41 ounces of water per day (or roughly 5 cups).
However, we should be aware that alcohol also can contain harmful substances. Sanoff et al. found that consumption of a homemade alcohol, prepared by an unregulated process in Nicaragua, may be related to kidney injury among the local residents, which may related to pesticides or heavy metals contamination [114]. Genetic and individual differences sometimes need to be taken into account [78]. As known, alcohol tolerance varies greatly from person to person, and some nations consume more alcohol than others. Although studies on individual differences in alcohol consumption and CKD are limited, existing studies have found that individual variation in an alcohol dehydrogenase gene may play a role [98], but more studies are needed to confirm these findings.
In addition, hydrogen ion concentration (i.e., acid-base balance) influences cell structure and permeability as well as the rate of metabolic reactions. The amounts of these substances must be held within very narrow limits, regardless of the large variations possible in their intake or loss. The kidneys are the organs primarily responsible for regulating the amounts and concentrations of these substances in the extracellular fluid. Similarly, there’s minimal evidence to suggest that alcohol increases the risk of kidney stones or kidney infections.
The investigators noted increased plasma and extracellular fluid volume 1 week after chronic alcohol ingestion, and these volume expansions persisted for the remaining 7 weeks of the study. Similar alterations have been found in body fluid volumes among chronic alcoholic patients. Meanwhile, the chances of developing many chronic diseases increase as people get older, and alcohol consumption can amplify some of these risks.