The European Society for Liver Research and The Lancet presented the results of their commission to analyze the state of liver health in Europeans and suggest ways to improve it. Among the results presented a Decalogue for medical professionals and politicians. Some intriguing suggestions for people have also emerged, such as “taking a break” from alcohol at least three days a week.

EASL-Lancet commission.
The commission, created by the European Association for Liver Research (EASL) and The Lancet, recently presented the report detailing their work. The report highlights a shift in trends in kidney disease.

Because while progress has been made in diseases such as viral hepatitis, consumption habits have also caused a decline in other areas. Excessive alcohol consumption and obesity are among the risk factors they affect.

Change in the paradigm.
Experts note the need to predict the disease in advance. According to the report, liver health today is reactive, which means that diseases are already being treated in the late stages. Faced with this, they want more emphasis placed on early detection and prevention.

Three days of weekly rest and moderation.
This is where advice on alcohol consumption comes into play. It should always be remembered that there is a consensus on the recommended daily amount of alcohol: zero. It is true that there is a certain margin, but according to experts it is not very wide.

In statements gathered by EASL deputy general secretary El País, Aleksander Krag recommended as “rules” not to drink alcohol for at least three consecutive days, not to drink more than five units at a time. equivalent to half a bottle of wine) and ten units per week.

The usual advice.
The idea of ​​parking alcohol a few days a week is far from an idea. British officials have been making similar recommendations for years, yes a little more loosely. According to the British Liver Trust, it is recommended that you do not consume alcohol two or three days in a week and limit your consumption to 14 units.

Of course, their calculations are a little more conservative when estimating the units of alcohol we might find in our beverages. Thus, for example, a 75cl bottle of wine by foundation would contain 10.1 units of alcohol, while by other calculations it would be 10 units per liter of wine.

alcohol units.
This leads us to ask ourselves what the units of alcohol are. Standard Beverage Units (SDUs) are measured in grams of alcohol per drink contained in a beverage. Therefore, it varies depending on the strength and volume of the drink.

Therefore, it is not surprising that there is some variation in the SLUs each beverage represents. For example, in the case of wine bottles, it can vary depending on the degree of liquid, and if we are talking about glasses, it depends on the volume served. The precaution, yes, does not take into account the rate at which we consume alcohol, which may have to do with its toxicity.

Focus on prevention.
Hepatologists insist on the need for European policies to improve liver health, beyond individual strategies to reduce the damage caused by alcohol. Obesity, they remember, is a risk factor linked to alcohol consumption.

Another call to be aware of is the stigma associated with these diseases. “The change should also include revising how we talk about liver disease and how we talk about people with liver disease. Patrizia Burra explains that stigmatizing terms in naming liver diseases are pervasive.

One of the articles in the report of the association founded by Graham Cooke and Shevanthi Nayagam adds that “a sense of guilt or value may still be implicit in making decisions regarding the treatment of liver disease.”

In favor of price regulation.
As for these prevention policies, experts point out some policies that may affect us, such as greater regulation of prices. An example would be the introduction of a minimum price per unit of alcohol. The idea is that the higher the price, the greater the incentive to moderate consumption.

The severity of liver diseases in Europe.
According to EASL, the severity of liver diseases comes to the fore in Europe and becomes the second cause of loss of working life in Europe after heart diseases. Liver diseases, unlike cancer, for example, occur around 50 earlier in patients’ lives.

European countries are the countries with the highest alcohol consumption in the world. Although experts calculate that this is a conservative estimate, the substance was also linked to 40% of the 287,000 premature liver-related deaths in Europe.

Image | Kelsey Knight