Why does chronic alcohol consumption increase the risk of hypoglycemia even when glycogen stores are present?

💡 Explanation

Chronic alcohol consumption increases the risk of hypoglycemia because ethanol metabolism in the liver increases the NADH/NAD+ ratio, inhibiting gluconeogenesis, a process critical for glucose production. Therefore, the liver can't synthesize glucose, rather than increased receptor sensitivity compensating or glycogenolysis being severely impaired.

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