ANSWER TO QUESTION OF THE WEEK: (2/26/06)

While the liver is the organ most vulnerable to the toxic effects of alcohol, alcohol has the capacity to adversely affect almost any organ in the body. The following is a brief summary of the detrimental effects of excessive alcohol consumption on organs other than the liver:

• Alcohol may cause esophagitis—inflammation of the esophagus. Symptoms may include heartburn, chest pain, and hematemesis (vomiting of bright red blood).

• Alcohol may cause gastritis—inflammation of the stomach. Gastritis can cause abdominal pain, nausea, and bleeding.

• Alcohol’s toxic effects on the intestines may result in the malabsorption of many nutrients, most notably resulting in deficiencies of the vitamins folate, cobalamin (vitamin B12), and thiamine (vitamin B1).

• Excessive intake of alcohol may lead to lactose intolerance (intolerance to dairy products), which can contribute to diarrhea.

• Alcohol may cause pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). Symptoms of pancreatitis include severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Pancreatitis may result in decreased production of pancreatic enzymes, which are crucial for the digestion of fat and protein. Thus, alcoholic pancreatitis may lead to malnutrition.

• Altered mental function and nervous system disorders are common among people who abuse alcohol and can be due to a variety of causes.

• Alcohol can cause damage to the heart, resulting in alcoholic cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart), in which the heart can no longer effectively pump blood to other organs.

• Alcoholics commonly have high blood pressure (hypertension) due to the effect of alcohol on the blood vessels.

• Alcohol may cause muscles to become sore and swollen - a condition known as myopathy.

• Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, typically reducing a person’s inhibitions. Thus, while alcohol is thought of as a substance that enhances sexual experience, when abused over long periods of time it has the opposite effect. Alcoholic men often suffer from diminished sexual function and drive. Their testicles become smaller, their breasts become larger, and infertility is common among them. Alcoholic women also suffer from infertility, and their menses (menstrual cycles) may totally stop.

• Alcohol is directly toxic to the bone marrow. This causes a decreased platelet count, which increases an alcoholic’s risk of bleeding, and a decreased white blood cell count, which increases an alcoholic’s susceptibility to infection.

•            Alcohol increases cancer risk. Alcohol-related cancers often occur in the head and neck, as well as in the esophagus and stomach. It has been noted that female alcoholics have an increased risk of breast cancer

Dr. Palmer is an internationally renowned hepatologist who has been practicing medicine since 1985. She maintains perhaps the largest private medical practice devoted to liver disease in the United States. Dr. Palmer graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. and was trained in hepatology (as well as medical school) at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. She has authored numerous scientific publications in the field of hepatology in such peer-reviewed journals as Hepatology, Gastroenterology, Seminars of Liver Disease, Transplantation and Archives of Internal Medicine.

She is frequently called upon by the media for her opinion on various topics related to liver disease. Dr. Palmer has appeared many times on television as a liver disease expert and has been quoted in such publications as TIME magazine, Cosmopolitan magazine, Prevention magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and Newsday. She also has appeared in numerous videos and CD-Roms aimed at educating doctors and the public about hepatitis C and other liver diseases, such as primary biliary cirrhosis.Dr. Palmer lectures to the medical and general public on liver disease-related topics on a regular basis. She also serves as a liver consultant to five major pharmaceutical companies.

Dr. Palmer is a board member of the New York chapter of the American Liver Foundation, and she sits on the nutrition subcommittee of the national chapter of the American Liver Foundation, the medical advisory board of the Latino Organization for Liver Awareness (LOLA) and the medical advisory board of the Primary Biliary Cirrhosis Organization (PBCers). She has also been a member of the practice guidelines committee of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease(AASLD) and currently sits on the enduring educational materials committee of AASLD.

Dr. Palmer has performed trials on various experimental medication for the treatment of hepatitis. She is currently conducting research on new therapies for liver disease, specifically in the area of hepatitis C.

Her practice is located on Long Island, New York. (Main office located at: 1097 Old Country Road, Suite 104, Plainview, N.Y. 11803.

Satellite office located at 500 Portion Rd. Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y. 11779)

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If you are interested in arranging an appointment with Melissa Palmer, M.D., please call (516) 939-2626.

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