Table of contents
Alcohol-related liver disease
What's new
Updated 2024 ACG guidelines for the diagnosis and management of alcohol-related liver disease.
Background
Overview
Definition
ALD encompasses a spectrum of disorders that may take an acute form (alcoholic hepatitis) or present as a chronic disease (steatosis, steatohepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis).
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Pathophysiology
ALD is caused by heavy alcohol use.
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Disease course
Alcohol abuse results in steatosis followed by steatohepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis, and liver cirrhosis due to inflammation, hepatocellular damage, and liver fibrosis. Disease progression may also cause liver decompensation and HCC.
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Prognosis and risk of recurrence
The 1-year mortality of ALD as a single group is around 20%.
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Guidelines
Key sources
The following summarized guidelines for the evaluation and management of alcohol-related liver disease are prepared by our editorial team based on guidelines from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD 2024,2020), the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG 2024,2022,2018), the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL 2023,2018), the French Society of Alcohology (SFA/AFEF 2022), and...
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Screening and diagnosis
Screening for alcohol abuse: as per ACG 2024 guidelines, Implement standardized screening practices for alcohol use disorder at every medical encounter across diverse clinical settings, including primary care, with attention to conducting screening in a nonbiased manner.
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Screening for ALD
Diagnosis
Classification and risk stratification
Risk factors: as per ACG 2024 guidelines, Recognize that:
the amount and duration of alcohol use are the primary risk factors for the development of alcohol-associated liver disease
daily heavy alcohol use and binge alcohol use increase the risk of advanced liver disease in patients with liver disease other than alcohol-associated liver disease, such as MASLD and viral hepatitis
insufficient evidence to determine whether binge drinking without daily heavy use predisposes to advanced forms of alcohol-associated liver disease
all types of alcohol increase the risk of liver disease; however, limited data suggest that risk may be higher with liquor as opposed to beer or wine
genetic variants of α-1 antitrypsin, PNPLA3, TM6SF2, and MBOAT7 have been associated with risk of alcohol-associated liver disease.
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Prognostic scores
Diagnostic investigations
Initial evaluation
As per ACG 2024 guidelines:
Obtain noninvasive blood and/or imaging studies to assess the severity of fibrosis in patients with asymptomatic ALD. Use the Fibrosis-4 score, a blood-based marker, and hepatic transient elastography for fibrosis detection in patients with ALD.
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Counsel patients with heavy drinking with evidence of ALD detected with noninvasive tests regarding the risk of progressive liver disease and refer them to a hepatology specialist for further management.
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Assessment of liver fibrosis
Evaluation for advanced disease
Screening for infection
Screening for cognitive impairment
Diagnostic procedures
Medical management
General principles
As per ACG 2024 guidelines:
Manage patients with ALD cirrhosis similar to cirrhosis due to other causes.
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Manage patients with severe alcohol-associated hepatitis (MELD > 20) preferably in a hospital setting because of a high short-term mortality.
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Management of alcohol use disorder
Management of alcohol withdrawal
Corticosteroids
N-acetylcysteine
Antibiotic prophylaxis
Pentoxifylline
G-CSF
Microbiome-based therapy
Nonpharmacologic interventions
Alcohol abstinence: as per AFEF/SFA 2022 guidelines, Advise patients with cirrhosis and/or HCC to completely and permanently stop all alcohol consumption in order to limit the risk of excess mortality.
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Brief behavioral intervention
Smoking cessation
Weight loss
Nutritional support
Perioperative care
Surgical interventions
Specific circumstances
Pregnant patients: as per EASL 2023 guidelines, Advise delaying conception until abstinence is achieved in female patients with ALD.
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Patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure
Preventative measures
Follow-up and surveillance
Monitoring of abstinence: as per EASL 2018 guidelines, Consider obtaining hair or urine ethyl glucuronide for accurate monitoring of abstinence in patients with ALD.
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Monitoring of transplant recipients