JHEP reports : innovation in hepatology
July 2, 2026 · via Europe PMC
Changes in alcohol use following a diagnosis of alcohol-related liver disease: A clinical cohort study.
Kann AE, Madsen LG, Rønn JH, Shawcross DL, Kalk N, Bergmann ML, Jepsen P, Askgaard G.
AI summary — for doctors, generated from the abstract only
After a new diagnosis of alcohol-related liver disease, about half of patients reported abstinence after years of escalating drinking, but PEth confirmed abstinence in only 37% and early relapse was common.
What was studied
Danish single-center clinical cohort of 104 patients newly diagnosed with ALD (2021-2025), with interviews on alcohol use and motivation, PEth measurement, and 90-day follow-up.
Key findings
- 30% had decompensated cirrhosis; median age 64; 76% men
- 76% drank ≥20 drinks/week in the 5 years before diagnosis vs 24% shortly after
- 56% reported abstinence, but PEth indicated abstinence in only 37%
- Relapse risk within 90 days among abstinent patients was 37%
- Motivation, confidence, and lower baseline PEth predicted abstinence; liver severity and AUDIT score did not
Clinical relevance
This suggests diagnosis is a window for behavior change and supports integrating structured alcohol use disorder treatment into liver clinics, with objective biomarkers like PEth to complement self-report.
Who should care
Limitations
Small single-center observational cohort with short follow-up and self-reported alcohol use.
An ALD diagnosis prompts many to cut back, but self-report overstates abstinence and relapse comes quickly without support.
This is an AI-generated summary of the published abstract, not a clinical recommendation. It may not reflect the full text or subsequent updates — verify against the original source before acting on it.
Abstract
Background & aims
Alcohol use is the primary driver of disease progression in alcohol-related liver disease (ALD). We aimed to describe changes in alcohol use following a diagnosis of ALD.
Methods
Between 2021 and 2025, we screened 299 consecutive patients newly diagnosed with ALD at Zealand University Hospital, Denmark. At baseline, patients were interviewed about their current and lifetime alcohol use and their motivation to reduce alcohol consumption, and the alcohol biomarker phosphatidylethanol (PEth) was measured. Patients were followed for 90 days to assess changes in alcohol use and predictors of abstinence at 90 days. One standard drink was defined as 12 g of alcohol.
Results
Of the 104 patients newly diagnosed with ALD, 30% had decompensated cirrhosis, the median age was 64 years, and 76% were men. Patients reported progressively increasing alcohol consumption during the 30 years preceding their ALD diagnosis, with 76% consuming ≥20 drinks/week during the 5 years before diagnosis. Shortly after diagnosis, only 24% reported consuming ≥20 drinks/week, and 56% reported abstinence, whereas PEth indicated abstinence in only 37% of patients. Approximately 60% of patients reported high motivation and high confidence in achieving abstinence at diagnosis. Among patients who were abstinent at baseline, the risk of relapse within 90 days was 37% (95% CI 26-52). Higher motivation to change, greater confidence in achieving abstinence, and lower baseline PEth concentrations predicted abstinence at 90 days, whereas liver disease severity and AUDIT score were not significantly associated with abstinence.
Conclusions
A diagnosis of ALD leads to a profound change in alcohol use, with approximately half of patients reporting abstinence after years of escalating alcohol consumption. However, early relapse remains common.
Impact and implications
Our study demonstrated a window for behavioural changeshortly after a diagnosis of alcohol-related liver disease, during which many patients reduced alcohol use or achieved abstinence. These findings highlighted early behavioural change in alcohol consumption but also a considerable risk of relapse after diagnosis. The results support integrating structured treatment for alcohol use disorder into liver clinics, although the observational design, self-reported alcohol use, and small sample size should be considered when interpreting the findings.
DOI
10.1016/j.jhepr.2026.101935
PMID
42392507
PMCID
PMC13487678
Research metadata (titles, abstracts, authors, publication dates) is sourced from Europe PMC, which aggregates content from PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and other providers under the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM/NCBI). NLM does not claim copyright on abstracts; the original journal publishers or authors may hold rights to the full articles. AI-generated summaries are derived only from the abstract, never the full text, and are always labeled as AI-generated.
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