People with hepatitis C virus (HCV) should avoid drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes as this can cause further damage to the liver ,according to Taiwanese research published in the 13 April 2002 edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
The researchers looked at levels of the liver enzyme alanine aminotransferase (ALT) to evaluate liver damage caused by alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking in nearly 7000 people aged 35 and above in an area with high prevalence rates of HCV and hepatitis B (HBV). The investigators also asked the study participants to complete detailed questionnaires about their cigarette and alcohol consumption.
Elevated levels of ALT were detected in nearly 4% of people who were free from infection with both HCV and HBV. However, 11% of people with HBV and 31% of people with HCV had high levels of the ALT enzyme.
People with HCV who drank alcohol were twice as likely to have increased ALT levels, and smoking almost doubled this risk. Furthermore, people with HCV who smoked 20 or more cigarettes a day and frequently drank alcohol, were seven times more likely to have elevated ALT levels.
However, the researchers did not find the same impact of drinking and smoking on the ALT levels of people with HBV.
The study concludes by strongly advising people with HCV “not to smoke or drink to reduce the possible risk of aggravating liver dysfunction.”
Wang CH et al. Smoking and alanine aminotransferase levels in hepatitis C virus infection: implications for prevention of hepatitis C virus progression. Archives of Internal Medicine 161:811-815, 2002.