Alcohol use in patients with chronic liver disease

Copyright © 2018 Massachusetts Medical Society. Globally, alcohol consumption is the seventh leading risk factor for both death and the burden of disease and injury.1 Alcohol use accounts for 6.8% of age-standardized deaths in men and 2.2% in women, with a disproportionate effect on young people.1 The overall costs associated with alcohol use represent more than 1% of the gross national product in high-and middle-income countries, with the costs of social harm (e.g., violence and road accidents) being far greater than health costs alone.2 In short, except for tobacco, alcohol accounts for a higher burden of disease than any other drug.3 In this review, we discuss the effects of alcohol use on various forms of liver disease, as well as the assessment and treatment of alcohol use in patients with chronic liver disease.