Study Reveals Why Some Heavy Drinkers Develop Advanced Liver Disease, While Others Don't - Video

A new study found that heavy drinkers with either diabetes, high blood pressure or a high waist circumference are as much as 2.4 times more likely to develop advanced liver disease. The findings are published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Diabetes, high blood pressure and a high waist circumference (35 inches for women; 40 inches for men), which is associated with obesity, belong to a cluster of five health conditions that influence an individual’s risk for heart attack and stroke known as cardiometabolic risk factors.

Cardiometabolic risk factors have been linked to the buildup of fat in the liver (also known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease), which can lead to fibrosis, or scarring of the liver.

Researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey looking at the intersection of heavy drinking, individual cardiometabolic risk factors and the incidences of significant liver fibrosis. Significant liver fibrosis refers to liver scarring that can lead to liver failure.

For the study, heavy drinking was characterized as 1.5 drinks a day for women (20 grams) and two drinks a day for men (30 grams).

Researchers discovered that heavy drinkers with either diabetes or a high waist circumference were 2.4 times more likely to develop advanced liver disease and those with high blood pressure 1.8 times more likely. They found that the other two cardiometabolic risk factors — high triglycerides and low HDL had less significant correlations to liver disease.

Author emphasize that the study does not imply it is safe for those without these three cardiometabolic risks to consume large amounts of alcohol. “We know that alcohol is toxic to the liver and all heavy drinkers are at risk for advanced liver disease,” said Brian P. Lee, MD, MAS, a hepatologist and liver transplant specialist with Keck Medicine and principal investigator of the study.

Reference: Association of Alcohol and Incremental Cardiometabolic Risk Factors with Liver Disease: A National Cross-Sectional Study, Lee, Brian P. et al.Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Volume 0, Issue 0