More Americans are getting liver diseases from alcohol

More and more Americans are developing serious liver diseases like cirrhosis and liver cancer due to their drinking habits, new research has found.
The study, published on Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, adds to mounting evidence showing that liver problems due to alcohol are becoming a more serious problem in the U.S. Studies from the past few years have shown that more young people are dying of liver failure, liver disease is becoming a leading cause of death, and that alcohol-related problems are the number one reason for liver transplants in America, NBC News reported.
Now, with evidence that serious liver diseases are becoming more common, researchers set out to determine just how big a role alcohol plays in those diseases. The study's lead author, Robert Wong, saw "a lot of patients with advanced alcoholic fatty liver disease," which led him to start investigating — and binge-drinking is a huge indicator.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
There are some concerns that binge-drinking is "part of the culture for the American millennial," said Elliot Tapper, a liver disease specialist who has conducted other studies on alcohol-related liver damage. Younger adults are especially seeing a rise in severe liver diseases, and their drinking habits have "no historical precedent," Tapper said.
Further research will need to be done in order to determine the best way to combat this trend, but for now, this study gives "more attention to a very serious problem," said Sammy Saab, a professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. Learn more at NBC News.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Shivani is the editorial assistant at TheWeek.com and has previously written for StreetEasy and Mic.com. A graduate of the physics and journalism departments at NYU, Shivani currently lives in Brooklyn and spends free time cooking, watching TV, and taking too many selfies.
-
Depleted FEMA struggling as hurricane season begins
speed read FEMA has lost a third of its workforce amid DOGE cuts enforced by President Donald Trump
-
June 3 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Tuesday's political cartoons include RFK Jr. and the CDC, Elon Musk's DOGE exit, and Donald Trump versus academic freedom
-
Gaza Humanitarian Foundation: the group behind Gaza's controversial new aid programme
The Explainer Deadly shootings and chaotic scenes have been reported at aid sites after US group replaced UN humanitarian organisations
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read