Digestive System

Accessory Organs

How does alcohol affect the liver?

Excessive alcohol use damages the liver. Since the liver is the chief organ responsible for metabolizing alcohol, it is especially vulnerable to alcohol-related injury. Alcoholic liver disease includes three conditions: 1) fatty liver (steatosis), 2) alcoholic hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), and 3) cirrhosis. The only effective treatment is to stop drinking.