Title:Epidemiology and Natural History of Alcoholic Liver Disease
Volume: 11
Issue: 3
Author(s): Mario Masarone, Valerio Rosato, Marcello Dallio, Ludovico Abenavoli, Alessandro Federico, Carmela Loguercio and Marcello Persico
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Alcoholic Liver Disease, epidemiology, natural history.
Abstract: Alcohol represents the oldest substance of abuse known, existed at least as early as the Neolithic
period. In the present era, almost half of the world’s population consumes alcohol and it represents
the third largest risk factor for disease and disability and the most prevalent cause of advanced
liver disease worldwide. In fact, when alcohol consumption reaches “unsafe quantities” an Alcoholic
Liver Disease (ALD) is very likely. ALD comprises a large spectrum of diseases, ranging from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis
with fibrosis and cirrhosis. Alcohol related cirrhosis is responsible of almost 50% of all cirrhosis-related and 1%
of all-cause deaths worldwide. Even if ALD and alcoholic cirrhosis represent a large part of liver diseases, to know exactly
the global burden of these phenomena is very difficult. This is mostly due to diagnostic and nosological issues, being
ALD represented by several types of diseases and the diagnosis very often based on voluntary questionnaires. Also the
natural history of ALD is somewhat difficult to predict, since there is not a definite evolution between the various stages
of the disease and, indeed, they may coexist in a single subject. In this brief review we will report on the global burden
of ALD, the principal factors influencing its prevalence among populations and the different presentations of its natural
history.
