Published online Dec 28, 2017. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v9.i36.1315
Peer-review started: August 25, 2017
First decision: November 1, 2017
Revised: November 7, 2017
Accepted: December 4, 2017
Article in press: December 5, 2017
Published online: December 28, 2017
Liver transplantation (LT) has become a life-saving procedure for patients with irreversible liver diseases. One of the common causes of chronic liver disease for which LT is potentially life-saving is alcoholic liver disease (ALD).
Population-based studies have shown that there has been an increase in the prevalence of both heavy drinking and binge drinking.
Authors conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of transplant recipients in the United Network for Organ Sharing Standard Transplant Analysis and Research file.
Between 2002 and 2015, ALD was the third leading indication for transplant after HCV and hepatocellular carcinoma. The total number of transplants performed for ALD increased from 553 (12.8% of the annual total) in 2002 to 1020 (16.5%) in 2015.
A nationwide increase was noted in the number of transplants per year for ALD beginning in 2013, particularly in young and female patients. This comes in the setting of widespread and increasing alcohol use and hospital admissions for ALD.
Consideration should be given to the use of screening tools aimed at detecting alcohol use in the primary care setting to identify patients with problematic alcohol use and promote reduction in consumption in order to avoid harm.