BBC journalist Hazel Martin shares her personal story of being diagnosed with severe alcohol-related liver fibrosis at 31, despite being a social drinker. Her experience highlights the dangers of binge drinking and the rising trend of alcohol-related liver disease among women under 45 in the UK. Martin's journey underscores the cultural normalization of alcohol consumption and the need for greater awareness of its health risks. Her condition improved after abstaining from alcohol, reflecting the potential for recovery with lifestyle changes.
A study presented at The Liver Meeting highlights that beer drinkers tend to have poorer diets and health behaviors compared to wine or liquor drinkers, which may contribute to increased risks of liver disease and other health issues. Beer drinkers scored lowest on the Healthy Eating Index and reported higher caloric intake and lower physical activity. The study suggests that the context in which alcohol is consumed, such as beer with low-fiber, high-carb foods, may influence these dietary patterns. Physicians are encouraged to consider the type of alcohol consumed when advising on lifestyle changes to prevent liver disease.
A biotech company, LyGenesis, has begun human trials for an experimental treatment that involves injecting a cocktail containing donated liver cells into patients with end-stage liver disease, aiming to transform a lymph node into a functional liver. If successful, this therapy could potentially allow one donated liver to treat many ESLD patients, addressing the current organ supply-demand imbalance. The treatment, which has shown promise in animal tests, could provide a lifeline for the thousands of people on the liver transplant waiting list by utilizing only a few cells from a liver to treat multiple patients.
