Advances in the pharmacological management of alcoholic liver disease
Keywords:
ADMINISTRACIÓN DEL TRATAMIENTO FARMACOLÓGICO; ALCOHOLISMO; HEPATOPATÍAS ALCOHÓLICAS; TERAPÉUTICA.; MEDICATION THERAPY MANAGEMENT; ALCOHOLISM; LIVER DISEASES, ALCOHOLIC; THERAPEUTIC.; CONDUTA DO TRATAMENTO MEDICAMENTOSO; ALCOOLISMO; HEPATOPATIAS ALCOÓLICAS; TERAPÊUTICA.Abstract
Introduction: alcoholic liver disease is one of the leading causes of chronic liver disease worldwide, associated with high morbidity and mortality and limited pharmacological therapeutic options, representing a major clinical and public health challenge.
Objective: to analyze recent advances in the pharmacological management of alcoholic liver disease, evaluating the available evidence on efficacy, mechanisms of action, and therapeutic limitations.
Methods: a bibliographic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Specialized scientific databases were consulted, including PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar, using descriptors related to alcoholic liver disease and pharmacological treatment. Systematic reviews, meta-analyses, observational studies, and clinical trials published in recent years were included, and relevant findings were analyzed qualitatively.
Development: the literature shows that conventional therapies, such as corticosteroids and pentoxifylline, provide modest and mainly short-term clinical benefits, with an adverse effect profile that limits their prolonged use. New pharmacological strategies have generated interest, including quercetin for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and S-adenosylmethionine, which has demonstrated hepatoprotective effects in experimental models. In addition, regulation of super-enhancers involved in chemokine production opens innovative perspectives for controlling hepatic inflammation. Recent clinical trials are evaluating immunomodulatory agents and non-absorbable antibiotics, with promising preliminary results.
Conclusions: pharmacological management of alcoholic liver disease is evolving toward more specific and safer therapies. Although current treatments are limited, new alternatives show therapeutic potential, improving patients’ quality of life.
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References
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