[Alcohol consumption in a hospital population. Relationship of dose and liver damage]

We have performed a prospective study on 291 male non alcoholic-patients admitted in the General Hospital of Arezzo, drinkers of more than 100 ml of alcohol for day. We have evaluated the toxic effects on the liver and we found a direct correlation between dose and hepatic lesions. The factors body weight, period of drinking, way of drinking (during eating or not) seem to have no value to determinate the hepatic damage. The Authors think that this kind of investigation is important to elaborate preventive program not only for the "psichiatric" alcoholism, but for the danger of the excessive amount of wine normally consumed in the diet from high percentage of Italian people.