Nephrologist Cautions Hepatitis C Patients Against Alcoholism

A Nephrologist, Dr Dorcas Angbazo, has advised that patients with hepatitis C should abstain from alcohol in order not to cause more injury to the liver.

Angbazo told newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday that hepatitis was the inflammation of the liver due to an injury.

“It is known that alcohol causes an insult (injury) to the liver; the liver is one of the main organs that help in the detoxification of breaking down the metabolism of most of the drugs we ingest.

“An alcohol is more or less a drug and when it gets into the liver it metabolises into a product that causes inflammation of the liver cells.

“When you have a high amount of alcohol in your system for a prolonged period that means you are maintaining persistent insult or injury to the liver.’’

She cautioned that any person with liver problem should not worsen it by taking alcohol of any quantity.

“In fact one of the treatment modalities or lifestyle modification is that a patient that has hepatitis is to stop taking alcohol.’’

The doctor on a general note said, “everything in moderation is advisable but when you do anything in excess that is when the problems come to play.’’

She advised that women should not take more than 21 units of alcohol per week, while the men should not take more than 28 units of alcohol per week. Angbazo said a unit has to do with the type of alcoholic drink, adding that meant the percentage of alcohol in the drink.

“When we talk of beer for example, which is one of the commonest alcoholic drinks people take, it means half a litre can be taken on a daily basis for up to one week.

“So moderation is the key, but if you already have a liver problem abstain from alcohol.’’

She said that most people did not know they had hepatitis C, until they want to donate blood, adding that not everyone, who has the infection, would fall ill.

Angbazo explained that “although one peculiar thing about hepatitis C is that there was a high likelihood that when you get exposed to it, you come down with chronic hepatitis.

“Unlike those with hepatitis B, you can be exposed to it but then eventually your immune system clears the virus, so some do not come down with chronic hepatitis.’’

She said awareness of hepatitis B had increased, noting that when people were confirmed negative, they relax and do not bother to go for the vaccine. The doctor said vaccine for hepatitis B was available, and that hepatitis B was more infectious than HIV. “Because the infectivity rate of hepatitis B is very high and of course it lasts longer on instrument and contaminated devices than HIV.’’