Which two conditions are commonly linked to chronic excessive alcohol use affecting bones and nutrition?

• A. Myopia and glaucoma.
• B. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and osteoporosis.
• C. Tuberculosis and malaria.
• D. Asthma and COPD.

Answer: (B)

Chronic excessive alcohol use disrupts nutrition and bone metabolism, making deficiencies and weakened bones common consequences. One linked condition is Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a brain disorder caused by severe thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency. Alcohol interferes with thiamine absorption, storage, and usage, so prolonged heavy drinking raises the risk of this deficiency and the associated cognitive and coordination problems.

Another linked condition is osteoporosis, where bone mineral density decreases and the risk of fractures increases. Alcohol can impair calcium balance and vitamin D metabolism, damage the liver’s handling of nutrients, and contribute to poor nutrition and reduced physical activity—all of which weaken bones over time.

The other options involve conditions that aren’t typically connected to the nutritional and bone-health effects of long-term heavy drinking (eye diseases, infectious diseases, or respiratory conditions).