Excessive alcohol consumption: a driver of metabolic dysfunction and inflammation

Abstract

With the increasing prevalence of alcohol-related diseases, expanding our understanding of the toxic effects of excessive alcohol consumption is critical for prevention and treatment of metabolic and inflammatory pathology. This review summarizes current knowledge on the metabolic dysfunction and inflammation caused by alcohol and their impact on the pathogenesis of alcohol-related liver disease (ALD), type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity, and neurological damage. It highlights recent evidence that alcohol induces a cascade of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated lipid peroxidation and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) depletion, triggering mitochondrial dysfunction and metabolic imbalances in the liver, heart, pancreas, and brain. By integrating these mechanistic insights with emerging data on how disrupted lipid and glucose metabolism amplify immune dysregulation, the review underscores the interplay between metabolic and inflammatory pathways in exacerbating tissue injury across these organs. A deep understanding of these metabolic and inflammatory disruptions is therefore essential for developing novel therapeutic strategies, including metabolic and nutritional interventions, aimed at mitigating the health risks of excessive alcohol consumption.