Heavy Drinking Now Poses Greater Liver Disease Risk Than Two Decades Ago

Americans who portion heavy are much than doubly arsenic apt to create important liver illness compared to 20 years ago, according to a caller Keck Medicine of USC study published coming successful Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 

Alcohol-related liver illness is nan main origin of liver-related decease and these results are a awesome wakeup telephone to nan dangers of drinking."

Brian P. Lee, MD, MAS, hepatologist and liver transplant master pinch Keck Medicine and lead writer of nan study

The study besides sheds ray connected nan demographics of American drinkers, uncovering that 4 groups dress up a greater stock of dense drinkers than they did 20 years agone - women, adults 45 and older, those surviving successful poorness and group pinch metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that together raise nan consequence of coronary bosom disease, glucosuria and stroke. Previous studies person already associated these groups pinch a higher consequence of liver illness erstwhile exposed to alcohol. 

"These findings - nan first broad look astatine nan demographics of dense drinking and their narration to liver illness since nan 1990s - supply important caller accusation astir which organization groups whitethorn request much involution to curb intoxicant usage and whitethorn besides explicate nan emergence successful liver illness complete nan years," said Lee. 

Additionally, nan study showed that nan mean drinking complaint successful America was unchanged complete nan past 20 years earlier nan COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that factors beyond intoxicant quantity, specified arsenic changing wellness and demographic profiles, whitethorn beryllium contributing to nan emergence successful liver disease. 

"Our results show that nan constitution of nan American nationalist pinch dense intoxicant depletion has changed compared to 20 years ago," said Lee. 

Lee and his chap researchers analyzed information from nan National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which assesses nan wellness and nutritional position of adults and children successful nan United States, from 1999-2020, nan astir caller twelvemonth for which complete information was available. 

They tracked nan full summation successful important liver illness - a shape of liver illness erstwhile nan liver forms scar insubstantial that impairs liver usability that is often caused by dense drinking. The study examined nan demographic and wellness profiles of adults 20 aliases older who drank heavily. According to nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dense drinking is considered 8 drinks per week for women and 15 for men. 

Lee believes that nan study results will supply physicians pinch basal updates to amended dainty patients and hopes they will lead to much screenings and interventions for high-risk populations. 

Jennifer Dodge, MPH, adjunct professor of investigation medicine and organization and nationalist wellness sciences pinch the Keck School of Medicine of USC, was besides a study author. 

The study was supported by a assistance from nan National Institute connected Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, assistance number K23AA029752. 

These findings build connected Lee's erstwhile work, including a February 2025 study that recovered dense drinkers pinch diabetes, precocious humor unit aliases accrued waist size had double nan consequence of precocious liver disease, and a November 2024 study revealing that dense drinking roseate during nan COVID-19 pandemic highest and continued for 2 years afterward.