Young men's drinking tied to later liver disease risk

Young men's drinking tied to later liver disease risk
Last Updated: 2018-02-22
By Lisa Rapaport (Reuters Health)

Men who drink alcohol in late adolescence are more likely to develop severe liver disease decades later than young people who don't drink at all, a Swedish study suggests.

Researchers examined data on alcohol consumption for 43,296 men entering military service in 1969 and 1970 when they were 18 to 20 years old.

After an average follow-up of almost 38 years, a total of 383 men were diagnosed with severe liver disease, including 208 who died.

Each daily gram of alcohol men typically consumed in their youth was associated with a 2% increase in the risk of severe liver disease, even after researchers accounted for other independent risk factors for liver damage like obesity, smoking and cardiovascular disease.

Continue reading: http://www.chronicliverdisease.org/reuters/article.cfm?article=20180222Other1195795296