MINNEAPOLIS — In the United States, the most common reason a person needs a liver transplant is alcohol-associated liver disease, according to an annual report published in the American Journal of Transplantation.
The report, published in March of this year, analyzed numbers from 2020.
Dr. Nicholas Lim, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School and a liver specialist, said there are a few reasons which explain the findings.
First, there have been advances in treating Hepatitis C, which Lim says used to be a leading reason for liver disease and the need for a transplant.
Second, Lim points to a rise in alcohol-related medical problems.
"That's really come to the forefront with the onset of the pandemic," he said. "There's been a lot more drinking at home [and] social isolation. And certainly, at the hospital, we've been dealing with a lot more alcohol-related liver problems as a result of that."
Alcohol-associated liver disease isn't the only reason people need liver transplants. Obesity is a cause, too. But Lim said the cause of a person's liver damage can make a difference.
For example, he said, consider cirrhosis, which is scarring of the liver caused by liver damage.
"People can develop alcohol-related cirrhosis over 10-20 years, especially if you factor in other things. Fatty liver disease [being the cause] can take 30 or 40 years [to develop]," he said.
More cause for concern if you need a transplant: Dr. Lim said there aren't enough livers for people who need one.
"Unfortunately, we end up listing more people for transplant than we're able to actually do the transplants for," he said.
There is some good news. Dr. Lim said that the liver is resilient. If the underlying cause of a person's liver problems is turned around early enough, things can improve without a transplant... and even go back to normal.