Researchers at Washington State University (WSU) have found that an increase in alcohol-related liver illnesses is directly correlated to the COVID pandemic years.
“Severe liver disease seems to be rising over time, but it appears to have increased even more dramatically during the pandemic,” said Dr. Kris Kowdley, professor at Washington State University’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine and senior author of a study looking at alcohol-related liver illness during the pandemic.
Alcohol-related hepatitis typically impacts about one third of heavy, regular drinkers—those who consume more than four alcoholic drinks daily according to a WSU press release on the study. Symptoms can include abdominal pain, loss of appetite, vomiting and jaundice. The illness can lead to permanent liver damage, known as cirrhosis, and death.
The study of national hospitalization data published in the American Journal of the Medical Sciences found increasing cases of the alcohol-related liver illness from 2016 through 2020, but the rise was particularly pronounced the year COVID-19 arrived in the U.S. in 2020, which saw a 12.4% increase over 2019 levels.
“It’s likely that a variety of factors contributed to a much higher rate of alcohol consumption during the pandemic, such as being socially isolated and having fewer barriers to drinking excess alcohol,” said Dr. Kowdley.