Is nutrient intake a gender-specific cause for enhanced susceptibility to alcohol-induced liver disease in women?
Aim: Women have a higher susceptibility to alcohol-induced liverdisease (ALD) than men. Gender-related differences in food preferencewere described in previous studies for several populations,but not in alcohol abusers. As certain micronutrients are reportedto take influence on the development of ALD in animal experiments,the hypothesis of the present retrospective cross-sectionalstudy was that gender-dependent (micro-) nutrient intake inpatients with ALD may cause the higher susceptibility of womento this disease. Methods: In 210 patients (male: 158, female:52) with different stages of ALD (ALD1: mild stage of liverdamage; ALD2: moderately severe changes of the liver with signsof hepatic inflammation; ALD3: severely impaired liver function)and in 336 controls (male: 208, female: 128), nutrient intakewas determined by a computer-guided diet history, and relatedto the severity of ALD in dependence on the sex of the patients.Results: No significant differences between males and femaleswith ALD were calculated for the intake (per kg body weight/day)of protein, carbohydrates, fat, and the intake (per kg bodyweight/day) of most micronutrients. In females with ALD, higherintake was found for vitamin C (ALD3), calcium (ALD2), iron(ALD1 and ALD2), and zinc (ALD1), but the consumption of noneof these micronutrients seems to contribute to a higher susceptibilityto ALD in females. Conclusion: Though the present study confirmsthe higher susceptibility to ALD in women, the data of calculateddaily macro- and micronutrient intake do not suggest any explicitinfluence of gender-specific nutrition in the development ofALD.