August 12, 2014
Alcohol impacts many parts of your body, including your kidneys. Occasional drinking, one or two drinks now and then, usually doesn't harm kidney function. Excessive drinking, more than four drinks a day, can seriously affect your health, especially if you have kidney disease.
Join the NKF Blog Newsletter
Get inspirational stories and kidney disease resources delivered to your inbox every month. You'll gain practical insights and expert advice to help you better understand and manage your kidney health no matter where you are on your kidney journey. Subscribe today.
Alcohol Use in America
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that nearly two-thirds of American adults drink alcohol. A concerning portion—about 1 in 4 drinkers—binge drink at least once per year, consuming five or more drinks within a short time frame. Binge drinking can lead to acute kidney injury (AKI), a sudden drop in kidney function that can sometimes lead to lasting damage.
How Alcohol Affects Kidney Health Long Term
Your kidneys filter harmful substances, including alcohol. The more you drink, the harder the kidneys work.
Heavy drinking is considered more than three drinks in a day (or more than seven per week) for women and those assigned female at birth, and more than four drinks in a day (or more than 14 per week) for men and those assigned male at birth.
Heavy drinking doubles the risk of developing kidney disease, a long-lasting condition that does not improve over time. It causes the kidneys to work harder, weakening their filtering ability. Alcohol also disrupts the kidneys' ability to balance fluids and electrolytes in the body, leading to dehydration. Dehydration impairs the normal function of cells and organs, including the kidneys.
Even those who only have two drinks per day may have a higher risk of high blood pressure, a leading cause of kidney disease.
