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Current Hepatology Reports
Published in: Current Hepatology Reports 2/2017

Open Access 01-06-2017 | Management of the Cirrhotic Patient (A Cardenas and N Reau, Section Editors)

Alcohol Consumption in Concomitant Liver Disease: How Much is Too Much?

Author: Hannes Hagström

Published in: Current Hepatology Reports | Issue 2/2017

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Abstract

Purpose of Review

High consumption of alcohol can lead to cirrhosis. The risk of a low to moderate consumption of alcohol in the setting of a concurrent liver disease is less clear. The aim of this review is to sum the evidence on the risk of adverse outcomes in patients with liver diseases other than alcoholic liver disease who consume alcohol.

Recent Findings

High alcohol consumption is strongly associated with adverse outcomes in most liver diseases. For hepatitis C, some evidence points to an increased risk for fibrosis progression also with low amounts. For non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, most studies indicate an inverse association between fibrosis and alcohol consumption, but methodological limitations reduce inference.

Summary

High alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of fibrosis progression and other adverse outcomes, while less is clear regarding low to moderate consumption. Obtaining high-level evidence on this topic ought to be the objective of future studies. Currently, an individual risk profile should be obtained in patients with liver disease who consume alcohol.
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Metadata
Title
Alcohol Consumption in Concomitant Liver Disease: How Much is Too Much?
Author
Hannes Hagström
Publication date
01-06-2017
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Current Hepatology Reports / Issue 2/2017
Electronic ISSN: 2195-9595
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11901-017-0343-0

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