Study Shows Alcohol-Related Liver Disease Increasing Among Millennials

A study published in the British Medical Journal reveals that deaths pertaining to liver disease have increased over the last decade.

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The British Medical Journal has published a report claiming that deaths related to liver disease among people ages 25 to 34 have increased over the last decade. The study suggests that the rise in that particular demographic is mainly due to alcohol consumption, the Chicago Tribune reports. Deaths related to Cirrhosis have reportedly increased 65 percent between 1999 to 2016. Liver cancer deaths doubled. 

Elliot Tapper, lead author and assistant professor at the University of Michigan who specializes in the study of the liver, suggests that a new generation of Americans are being afflicted "by alcohol misuse and its complications." Tapper notes that the ones at risk of life-threatening cirrhosis are those who have several drinks a night or engage in binge drinking on multiple nights per week. 

Tapper claims that anyone with alcohol-related disease who stops drinking has “an excellent chance your liver will repair itself.” He adds that while "many other organs have the ability to regenerate to some degree, but none have the same capacity as the liver." There have, however, been instances where Tapper has seen patients go from being in dire straits to "living well, working and enjoying their life." Tapper believes that the problem related to this issue lies in the fact that "we do not yet have a highly effective treatment for alcohol addiction."

Head here to check out the full study. 

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