Why is It That Alcohol Use Medications are Not Given to Chronic Liver Disease Patients?

Alcohol use on various forms of the liver disease is being discussed and viewed in this study. The findings of this study are published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Liver-related mortality is increasing worldwide, due in large part to the increase in alcohol consumption. This review is very timely, as recent epidemiological studies have shown that alcohol consumption that does not reach the risky range is associated with increased morbidity and mortality.

‘Alcohol use disorder treatment should be expanded in everyday clinical practice to include patients with the advanced liver disease, concluded the authors’

Below is a summary of the review article:

Alcohol use is common among patients with liver disease and is associated with poor outcomes. In addition, the advanced liver disease can complicate the pharmacologic treatment of alcohol use disorder and alcohol withdrawal syndrome. In fact, medications approved for the alcohol use disorder are prescribed to a minority of patients, yet they could be used by patients with chronic liver disease.

Given that there is no safe threshold for alcohol consumption and, if it exists, it is likely very low, abstinence should be encouraged in patients with the chronic liver disease. In addition, liver transplantation could be considered for patients who abstain from alcohol and present with progressive liver failure.

The authors conclude that alcohol use disorder treatment should be expanded in everyday clinical practice to include patients with the advanced liver disease.

Source: Eurekalert