Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0278080 (physical dependence)
 1,658 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

It has long been known that people with alcohol use disorder (AUD) not only may develop physical dependence but also may experience devastating long-term health problems. The most common and identifiable alcohol-associated health problems include liver cirrhosis, pancreatitis, cardiomyopathies, neuropathies, and dementia. However, the lung also is adversely affected by alcohol abuse, a fact often overlooked by clinicians and the public. Individuals with AUD are more likely to develop pneumonia, tuberculosis (TB), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Increased susceptibility to these and other pulmonary infections is caused by impaired immune responses in people with AUD. The key immune cells involved in combating pulmonary conditions such as pneumonia, TB, RSV infection, and ARDS are neutrophils, lymphocytes, alveolar macrophages, and the cells responsible for innate immune responses. Researchers are only now beginning to understand how alcohol affects these cells and how these effects contribute to the pathophysiology of pulmonary diseases in people with AUD.
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PMID:Alcohol's Effects on Lung Health and Immunity. 2669 45

Between 14%-30% of the world's population is affected by alcohol use disorder (AUD), and excessive alcohol consumption represents the most common cause of liver disease in the western world. The clinical picture of alcoholic end-stage liver disease is rendered extremely complex, as manifestations such as alcohol withdrawal syndrome, craving and physical dependence, as well as extrahepatic alcohol-related diseases merge with the complications of advanced cirrhosis. This makes AUD recognition and assessment difficult and its management arduous as many drugs commonly used to treat complications such as alcohol withdrawal syndrome are often contraindicated by the presence of hepatic encephalopathy or hepatorenal syndrome. Reaching and maintaining abstinence represents the mainstay of managing patients with AUD and end-stage liver disease. Psychosocial interventions are an essential component of treatment to reach these goals. However, these interventions alone often prove insufficient in AUD patients and even more frequently in those with end-stage liver disease because of inadequate adherence due to poor functional and physical status. Pharmacological treatments need to be associated, but the available options are greatly limited in end-stage liver disease because many GABA-Ergic drugs can favor the development of hepatic encephalopathy, whereas drugs undergoing extensive liver metabolism should be avoided or used with the greatest caution. Because of these limitations, the management of end-stage AUD is extremely challenging and requires an integrated multidisciplinary approach.
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PMID:Diagnosis and Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder in Patients With End-Stage Alcoholic Liver Disease. 3077 42