Lieber has helped to fill a long-existing void by preparing a one-volume summary of current knowledge on the pathogenesis and treatment of alcohol-related disorders. Lieber has had a distinguished and highly productive career and has contributed much to our present knowledge about the adverse health effects of alcohol. Various sections of the book have been collaboratively written with other experts in the field.
The book begins with two chapters reviewing the present knowledge about the metabolism of alcohol and its biochemical products—acetaldehyde and acetate. These topics are much more complicated than was believed to be the case only a few years ago.
Further chapters discuss the effects of alcohol on the endocrine system and on lipid disorders, including the development of fatty liver, hyperlipidemias, and atherosclerosis. A review of studies relating alcohol consumption to the development of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease is included, as is an extensive discussion of