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Is Alcohol-Related Liver Disease Increasing?

Is Alcohol-Related Liver Disease Increasing?

Liver2

According to a study conducted by the British Medical Journal, the number of deaths caused by liver diseases in the United States has risen sharply in the past two decades. Researchers found that cirrhosis-related deaths went up 65 percent between 1999 and 2016; the same period saw the number of deaths resulting from liver cancer double. Significantly, the report attributes this sharp rise in deaths due to liver disease to alcohol-induced conditions.

Concerning Trends For Liver Damage

Elliot Tapper, a liver specialist from the University of Michigan and the lead author of the study, said that his team’s results suggest something unsettling: that an entirely new generation of young Americans are being plagued “by alcohol misuse and its complications.” Indeed, the study’s researchers pointed out that the demographic group that saw the largest increase of cirrhosis-related deaths (at about 10.5 percent each year) were 25- to 34-year-olds.

The study also revealed that although alcohol-related liver disease deaths were declining among many groups between 1999 and 2008, a sharp rise in the death rate across demographic groups occurred in 2009. Researchers think that the economic crisis in 2008 and the related jump in unemployment may have contributed to this increase in alcohol-related deaths, as related studies have found that job loss is linked to greater alcohol intake (for men).

Overall, men were found to die from cirrhosis twice as often as women, with liver cancer in men leading to death four times as often. Whites, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans saw an increase in cirrhosis-related deaths over the study period, as did residents of Arkansas, Kentucky and New Mexico.

Understanding the Risk Factors for Alcohol-Related Liver Disease

So, what puts someone at risk of developing alcohol-related liver disease? The threshold may be lower than you think. Tapper stated that life-threatening cirrhosis can develop if a person drinks several alcoholic drinks per night or engages in binge drinking (defined as over four to five drinks in a session) several nights a week. The limits may be lower for the average woman, as women tend to have lower alcohol tolerances and their livers are usually more sensitive to alcohol-related damage.

The Steps You Can Take to Avoid Life-Threatening Liver Conditions

Luckily, there is a way to repair alcohol-related liver disease, even if it isn’t always easy: stop drinking. Tapper notes that even if you already have damage to your liver from alcohol-related disease, “there’s an excellent chance your liver will repair itself…many other organs have the ability to regenerate to some degree, but none have the same capacity as the liver.” He pointed out that he has personally seen patients with alcohol-related liver disease go “from the sickest of the sick to living well, working and enjoying life” just by cutting out alcohol.

However, heavy drinkers should be careful, as liver disease can develop silently and without symptoms. Cirrhosis symptoms can arise “all of a sudden,” with initial symptoms including a swollen abdomen and jaundice. The safest bet for heavy drinkers is to cut out their alcohol consumption before symptoms arise.

Source

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/07/18/alcohol-related-liver-deaths-have-increased-sharply/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.a5d48009ed01

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Learn More About Our Rehab Programs

If you or your loved one is ready to get sober, give us a call today and speak with one of our qualified professionals. This is not a sales call, our team is here to help and answer all of your questions. Regardless if you are ready to come in today or next month. We are here to help.

When you call, our team will guide you and explain which addiction treatment program is best for you, and how they help addicts achieve long term sobriety. Call us now or fill out a contact form and we’ll be in touch to answer your questions.