C3G causes damage to the tiny filters in the kidneys, making it especially important to protect kidney function. Alcohol may complicate that goal by affecting blood pressure, fluid balance, and other factors involved in kidney health.
Alcohol Can Raise Blood Pressure
Keeping blood pressure under control is an important part of C3G treatment.High blood pressure can damage the blood vessels that filter waste from your blood, which can further reduce kidney function, allowing the disease to progress faster.
An alcoholic beverage may temporarily lower blood pressure, but drinking regularly can gradually raise it, says Michael Klein, MD, a board-certified nephrologist and an associate professor of medicine at New York Medical College.
In one analysis of studies, people who consumed about one alcoholic drink a day had a slightly greater increase in blood pressure over five years than nondrinkers. The same research found that blood pressure increase was greater among people who had about four drinks a day. Even small, sustained increases in blood pressure can affect long-term heart and kidney health.
Fluid balance is your body’s ability to maintain the right amount of water, without holding on to too much or losing too much. Your kidneys help manage this balance by adjusting how much water leaves the body in urine.
Alcohol can increase urination, causing the body to lose more water. The resulting dehydration can reduce how much blood reaches the kidneys, which can negatively affect kidney function, Dr. Klein says.
Fluid retention can also occur. When the kidneys aren’t working well or if you have heart disease, your body may not effectively remove excess fluid, Diaz says. Drinking larger amounts of alcohol can make fluid management more difficult and worsen existing swelling in the feet, ankles, or legs, she notes, although alcohol itself doesn’t generally cause swelling.
Heavy Drinking May Lead to Proteinuria
Heavy and binge drinking may increase the risk of kidney injury and worsen chronic kidney disease. Binge drinking generally means four or more drinks for women or five or more for men within about two hours.
Studies have also found an association between drinking large amounts of alcohol and proteinuria (excess protein in the urine). Still, they haven’t proved that alcohol directly causes proteinuria, and the research wasn’t specific to people with C3G.
Proteinuria is important in C3G because the condition damages the kidneys’ filters. This allows protein that should stay in the blood to leak into the urine. Nephrologists monitor these levels because protein that remains high or continues to rise can indicate ongoing kidney damage.
Diaz advises limiting heavy or binge drinking, which could place additional stress on kidneys already affected by C3G.
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