ABSTRACT
Few parts of the body are immune to the deleterious effects of alcoholism. In general, chronic alcohol consumption alters health by one of the following mechanisms: 1) effects of alcohol oxidation on intermediary metabolism, effects mediated by toxic breakdown products such as acetaldehyde, 3) effects due to coexistent malnutrition, and 4) effects that are a secondary consequences of alcohol-induced organ injury per se. This review begins with a discussion of the liver and pancreas, as these organs are most likely to be injured by alcohol exposure and functional alterations in the digestive system have profound ramifications on other parts of the body.
