In recent times, the occurrence of alcohol-related liver disease has been increasing distressingly in India with late presentation and short survival. Better identification of factors affecting mortality is warranted for better utilization of constrained resources like liver transplantation. Alcohol-related disorders constitute one of the noteworthy health problems globally of which liver cirrhosis is the key contributor and overwhelming health costs are sustained on it all over the world.

A study was conducted which included standard data of 395 patients with alcohol-related liver disease including age, clinical presentation, alcohol parameters (amount, duration, type), laboratory parameters for detecting organ failure. The prognostic scores were contrasted between survivor and deceased groups. Additional subgroup analysis of deceased patients was done to recognise factors correlated with early mortality in acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) and cirrhosis groups by multivariate analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. All patients were given the best supportive medical therapy.

The outcome suggested that 80 (20.3%) patients had alcoholic hepatitis (without cirrhosis) and all of them were recovered completely with abstinence.

The trial thus, concluded that alcohol-related liver disease exhibits severe consequences with high short-term mortality. Although it has early identifiable, has typically irreversible factors. Moreover, urgent methods are required to be taken to stop this rising epidemic.

Source: Inflamm Intest Dis. 2019 Aug;4(3):104-114.