TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Alcohol and Alcohol Use Disorders A1 - Schuckit, Marc A. A2 - Jameson, J. Larry A2 - Fauci, Anthony S. A2 - Kasper, Dennis L. A2 - Hauser, Stephen L. A2 - Longo, Dan L. A2 - Loscalzo, Joseph Y1 - 2018 N1 - T2 - Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 20e AB - Alcohol (beverage ethanol) has diverse and widespread effects on the body, and impacts directly or indirectly on almost every neurochemical system in the brain. A large majority of patients in most clinical settings consume alcohol, with the highest proportions of drinkers of at least modest levels of alcohol seen in more educated and affluent patient groups. At even relatively low doses, this drug can exacerbate most medical problems and affect medications metabolized in the liver, and at higher doses can temporarily mimic many medical (e.g., diabetes) and psychiatric (e.g., depression) conditions. The lifetime risk for repetitive serious alcohol problems (e.g., alcohol use disorders as described below) in patients is about 20% for men and 10% for women, regardless of a person’s education or income. Although low doses of alcohol might have healthful benefits, greater than three standard drinks per day enhances the risk for cancer and vascular disease, and alcohol use disorders decrease the life span by about 10 years. Unfortunately, most clinicians have had only limited training regarding identifying and treating alcohol-related disorders. This chapter presents a brief overview of clinically useful information about alcohol use and associated problems. SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/03/28 UR - accesspharmacy.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1156510479 ER -