Diet modifies the association between alcohol consumption and severe alcohol-related liver disease incidence

Fanny Petermann-Rocha, Ziyi Zhou, John C. Mathers, Carlos Celis-Morales, David Raubenheimer, Naveed Sattar, Jill P. Pell, Ewan Forrest & Frederick K. Ho

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Summary

A recent study published in Nature Communications highlights how diet significantly modified the association between alcohol consumption and the risk of severe alcohol-related liver disease (ALD). A group of researchers (among them Fanny Petermann-Rocha, Carlos Celis-Morales and Naveed Sattar from our School) found that a poor diet along with higher alcohol consumption simultaneously confers to 2.44 times (95% CI: 1.06-3.83) higher risk (relative excess risk) than the sum of excess risk of each factor. The findings advocate for dietary guidelines tailored to individuals at risk of heavy alcohol consumption, potentially reducing ALD cases.

Call to Action:
Further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms of these dietary effects. However, in the meantime, public health strategies should incorporate dietary advice for heavy drinkers to prevent liver disease.


First published: 19 August 2024