Alcohol flush reaction
Alcohol flush reaction is the result of an accumulation of acetaldehyde. It is caused by an aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 deficiency. Heat flush is common in East Asians, with approximately 30 to 50% of Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans showing characteristic responses to drinking alcohol.
About Alcohol flush reaction in brief
Alcohol flush reaction is the result of an accumulation of acetaldehyde. It is caused by an aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 deficiency. This syndrome has been associated with lower than average rates of alcoholism. However, it has also been linked to an increased risk of esophageal cancer in those who do drink. Heat flush is common in East Asians, with approximately 30 to 50% of Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans showing characteristic physiological responses to drinking alcohol. The most obvious symptom is flushing on a person’s face and body.
Other effects include nausea, headaches and a fast heart rate. Disulfiram, a drug sometimes given as treatment for alcoholism, works by inhibiting acetaldehyde dehydrogen enzyme, causing a five to tenfold increase in acetaldehyde in the body. The idea that acetaldehyde is the cause of the flush is also shown by the clinical use of disulfirAM, which blocks the removal of acetalde from the body via ALDH inhibition.
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This page is based on the article Alcohol flush reaction published in Wikipedia (as of Oct. 30, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
