Persistent binge drinking tied to advanced fibrosis, death in MetALD

In patients with metabolic dysfunction and alcohol-related liver disease (MetALD), persistent binge drinking history is a risk factor for advanced fibrosis and mortality, according to a study.

Researchers used data from NHANES 1999–2016, including adults with MetALD. Persistent binge drinking was defined as having had a history of drinking amounting to ≥4 or 5 alcoholic beverages almost every day in women and men, respectively, based on ALQ150/151 questionnaires. Advanced fibrosis was defined as a score of >2.67 on the Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index, while data on mortality outcomes were obtained from the National Death Index.

The associations between persistent binge drinking and both liver fibrosis and all-cause mortality outcomes were analysed using multivariable logistic and Cox regression models, with adjustments for alcohol intake and other confounders.

A total of 865 adults with MetALD were included in the analysis, of which 326 (37.7 percent) reported a history of persistent binge drinking.

Compared with controls who had no such history, those with persistent binge drinking had twofold greater odds of advanced fibrosis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.23, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.12–4.45; p=0.023), as well as a 48-percent increased risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.48, 95 percent CI, 1.03–2.13; p=0.035).

Finally, persistent binge drinking was associated with greater odds of overnight hospitalization (aOR, 1.88, 95 percent CI, 1.15–3.06; p=0.012).