
Liver Transplants Soar as Some Americans Drink Their Way Through the Pandemic
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 27, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Demand for liver transplants among heavy drinking Americans surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study shows.
It found that the number of people with alcoholic hepatitis who received a new liver (32,320) or were put on a liver transplant waiting list (51,488) between March 2020 and January 2021 was 50% higher than what was expected based on pre-pandemic patterns, CNN reported.
There was little change in the number of people without alcoholic hepatitis who needed a liver transplant, according to the study published Oct. 26 in the journal JAMA Network Open.
Alcoholic hepatitis often develops after years of heavy drinking, but can also develop after a short period of excessive alcohol use, CNN reported. With alcoholic hepatitis, the liver stops processing alcohol and instead creates highly toxic chemicals that trigger inflammation. The inflammation can kill off healthy liver cells, creating irreversible damage to the liver.
The University of Michigan study also found a sharp rise in alcohol sales from March 2020 until the end of that year.
"While we cannot confirm causality, this disproportionate increase [in liver transplant need] in association with increasing alcohol sales may indicate a relationship with known increases in alcohol misuse during COVID-19," the study authors wrote.
They added that the research "provides evidence for an alarming increase in [alcoholic hepatitis] associated with increasing alcohol misuse during COVID-19 and highlights the need for public health interventions around excessive alcohol consumption."
More information
Visit the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for more on alcoholism.
Related Articles
Search Allergy Articles
Are You Ruining Your Child's Chance To Avoid Food Allergies?
FDA Approves First Nasal Spray to Curb Anaphylaxis, An Alternative to Injections
Many Kids Unnecessarily Hospitalized Following Allergic Reactions
Athletes Can Expect High Ozone, Pollen Counts for Paris Olympics
Seasonal Allergies Likely To Grow Worse Under Climate Change
App Helps Asthma Patients Track Symptoms
Race-Neutral Formulas Improve Asthma Detection in Black Children
Antibiotics Might Increase Risk of Childhood Asthma, Allergies
Most Americans Keep Chronic Health Conditions Hidden at Work: Poll
Could OTC Nasal Sprays Ease Colds & Flu and Cut Antibiotic Use?
This Season's Flu Vaccine Cuts Risk of Hospitalization by Almost 35%
Obesity Raises Risk of Severe Infection, Especially in People With Diabetes
Flu and Stomach Bugs Are Spreading Fast—Are You Prepared?
Severe Flu Season Raises Concerns About Brain Complications in Kids