Alcohol

Exposure Definition

Ethanol consumption from alcoholic beverages. Includes beer, wine, spirits. Dose-dependent effects on liver, cardiovascular system, cancer risk, and neuropsychiatric outcomes. Moderate vs heavy use has different risk profiles.

Proxies

NameUnitMeasurementData source
Drinks per weekstandard drinksSelf-report questionnaireAUDIT or similar
Blood alcoholg/dLAssayBiomarker

Biological Systems Affected

hepatic

Steatosis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma

cardiovascular

J-shaped curve; moderate may have different effects than heavy

Sensitive Developmental Windows

adolescence (10-24)

Alcohol initiation; brain development; addiction risk

GxE Highlights

No GxE highlights recorded.

Tissue-Specific Notes

livermetabolism

References

  1. 1.Rehm J, et al. (2017). Alcohol and global health. The Lancet. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32366-9