Alcohol and the progression of liver disease

In this longitudinal study of 1,156,189 American veterans, researchers evaluated the effect of alcohol consumption on the risk of cirrhosis in the context of fatty liver. Veterans with hepatic steatosis and high levels of alcohol consumption had a 43% higher incidence of cirrhosis, compared with veterans reporting no alcohol consumption. Veterans who reduced their alcohol consumption had a 39% reduced risk of developing cirrhosis in the long term, compared with veterans who continued to drink heavily. Of the study participants, 1 in 9 with hepatic steatosis reported consuming large quantities of alcohol, despite their liver disease.