Alcoholic Liver Disease

Alcohol-associated liver disease encompasses all forms of liver injury related to the consumption of alcohol, one of the most common hepatotoxic agents in the world. The spectrum of this disease ranges from steatosis, which is present in everyone who drinks alcohol in excess, to cirrhosis, which occurs in approximately 10 to 15% of individuals with alcohol abuse and conveys an annual risk of 1 to 2% for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite the prevalence of alcohol-associated liver disease and its profound impact on health, questions remain surrounding its pathogenesis and management. This review of alcohol-associated liver disease addresses the epidemiology, etiology and genetics, pathophysiology and pathogenesis, diagnosis, differential diagnosis and comorbidities, treatment, complications, measures of quality of care, and prognosis and outcome measurements. This review contains 6 highly rendered figures, 6 tables, and 50 references. Keywords: Alcohol-associated Liver Disease (ALD), alcohol, cirrhosis, liver injury, Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), alcohol-associated hepatitis, substance abuse