LIVER HEALTH IS OVERLOOKED BY ALCOHOL DRINKERS IN BRAZIL.

Background: Chronic excessive use of alcohol is an important risk factor for several health and social conditions.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey, in a sample representative of the Brazilian population,was conducted to evaluate the frequency of consumption of alcoholic beverages and behaviors concerning liver diseases. Participants were prospectively interviewed using a questionnaire regarding alcohol consumption and actions toward liver health. The study accepted at most one sampling error of ±2 percentage points and considered a 95% confidence interval.

Results: One thousand nine hundred ninety-five subjects (1.048 women, mean age 44 years) from all Brazilian regions were interviewed. Most of the Brazilian subjects believe that alcohol abuse (63-87%) is the leading cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer, however, most responders (56%) had never been screened to assess liver damage related to alcohol consumption. A total of 55% of Brazilians drink alcoholic beverages. Among Brazilians who drink alcoholic beverages, 44% consume three or more drinks at a time, 11% consume more than 10 doses a day. Among those who consume 1 to 2 drinks a day, women (42%) consume more than men (32%) and more than the national average (37%).

Conclusion: There is a high frequency of alcohol consumption, especially among young people, and individuals from lower social classes, with frequent consumption among women. Despite the knowledge of its adverse impact on liver health, less than half of the Brazilians have been evaluated at least once for liver disease. Education and prevention strategies need to be implemented to reduce theharmful use of alcohol.