As many Coloradans wrap up Dry January and prepare for Super Bowl Sunday, UCHealth is warning about a troubling trend.
AURORA, Colo. — As many Coloradans wrap up Dry January and prepare for Super Bowl Sunday, UCHealth is warning about a troubling trend. Alcohol-related liver disease is rising, and it now accounts for nearly half (45%) of all liver transplants in the hospital system.
Doctors say the increase has been particularly pronounced since the pandemic, and women appear to be disproportionately affected.
Dr. James Burton, medical director of UCHealth’s Liver Transplant Program, estimates 30-40% of liver transplant patients at UCHealth today are women. He said that is up from what was estimated as less than 10% before the pandemic.
“I haven’t seen it start coming down, and it is still a major problem in the United States,” Burton said.
He noted that the youngest patient he has treated for complications of alcohol-related liver disease was just 20 years old.
“Now we’re seeing young women who might have children, living functional lives, but consuming too much alcohol. Women are more susceptible to the effects of alcohol than men,” Burton said.
For some patients, the consequences are life-threatening. Jenn Jones, a Colorado woman, was diagnosed with severe alcohol-associated liver disease in 2018. She recalled noticing physical changes that indicated something was wrong.
“My feet were still so big I couldn’t fit them into workout shoes, or anything,” she said. “I knew I had a problem with alcohol.”
Jones said she began drinking to cope with anxiety, depression and past trauma. She experienced a seizure at home and spent nearly a month in the hospital and a physical rehab center.
“I only had like a 30% chance of living,” she said. “This could kill you and it’s killed way too many of us.”
While she has now been sober for more than seven years, Jones said the battle is ongoing. She must be tested every six months for liver cancer, a risk stemming from her past drinking.
“It’s better to not do it alone and find people who are also dealing with the complex condition,” she said.
Jones has since started a support organization called Sober Livers to help others facing similar struggles.
Doctors say severe liver disease can be difficult to detect early. Common symptoms include jaundice, or yellowing of the skin, as well as swelling and fluid retention.
Burton said liver disease from alcohol can be managed if caught early.
“If you quit drinking, the liver has the ability to recover and regenerate, and can improve dramatically,” Burton said. “These months when people take time off from alcohol, they might see some benefits in their sleep, their overall well-being … I think it’s important to maybe take a look at that every once in a while, self-reflect on how much one might be drinking and realize that it could be a problem in one’s life.”
