February 2018 Meeting

Medical Consultant Prof. Marsha Morgan

 

A presentation by  Medical Consultant Prof. Marsha Morgan of University College London was the theme at the February meeting of Chelmsford and District Welsh Society. She was born in south Wales and first met the Society President, Brian Farmer, at Cefn Fforest Junior School, where they shared a desk at the age of eight. They lost touch at Grammar School, and although they both went to Manchester University never met there either. Their link was their mothers, who attended the same church, and years later they met again when Brian and Marion were married. The President is responsible for arranging the monthly meetings of the Society, and confident that Marsha would be an excellent speaker, he invited her to be guest speaker at the February meeting. We were certainly not disappointed! The audience were not aware beforehand what the topic of her presentation would be, but came away aware that they had been privileged to hear an excellent and dedicated researcher talk about her research into the effects alcohol has on health. It appears that 80 per cent of adults in the UK drink alcoholic beverages, 1 in 3 males and 1 in 5 females, above the recommended limits. Intoxication, dependence and liver damage result. It is the 5th greatest cause of deaths. Whilst 40 per cent of heavy users become dependent, fewer than 20 per cent develop cirrhosis. Her research in conjunction with medics in several parts of the world was aimed at understanding the  complex factors which govern alcoholic reactions. The factors considered included the pattern of drinking, the types of drink consumed, (particularly beers versus wines) diet, (British beer drinkers tend to have a lower fat intake and to drink more sugary drinks than continental wine drinkers) gender, (female bodies have a lower water content than males) body mass index, (a high BMI increases likelihood of death) and genetics (the less responsible members of the press have a poor record when reporting on genetics). Genes are important in determining overall risks, but the picture is highly complex. Eleven are related to cirrhosis, with three highly significant. Many inhabitants of South Asia have a gene which causes them to feel very unwell and turn bright red when tasting alcohol, with the result that they avoid it; this gene therefore indirectly guards against the development of cirrhosis. The picture is clearly highly complex and the use of gene therapy to guard against alcohol induced diseases not yet available. In answer to a member who enquired about the effects of coffee consumption, the professor said that coffee intake  was fine – to the relief of many who were present. The writer hopes that this report does not contain errors! At the conclusion, Prof. Morgan received enthusiastic applause for her brilliant delivery.