Rosh Internal Medicine EOR Practice Exam 2025 – Full Prep Guide

Chronic alcohol use is well-documented as a significant risk factor for the development of cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is the end stage of various liver diseases, resulting from the progressive replacement of healthy liver tissue with scar tissue (fibrosis). With continued alcohol consumption, the liver is unable to regenerate effectively, leading to increased fibrosis and ultimately resulting in cirrhosis.

In the context of chronic alcohol use, cirrhosis is primarily attributed to alcoholic liver disease, which encompasses several stages of liver damage, including fatty liver (an early stage) and alcoholic hepatitis. As the disease progresses without cessation of alcohol intake, it can lead to cirrhosis, characterized by the loss of liver function and potential complications such as portal hypertension and liver failure.

While conditions like fatty liver disease can occur as precursors to cirrhosis, cirrhosis itself represents a more advanced and serious stage of chronic liver injury due to ongoing alcohol use. Chronic pancreatitis is indeed associated with alcohol consumption as well, but it primarily affects the pancreas rather than leading to liver damage. Hepatitis B is a viral infection that affects the liver, but it is not directly caused by alcohol use.

In summary, cirrhosis specifically encaps