Liver transplant linked to significantly extended survival for alcohol-associated disease yet access is not equitable
People with alcohol-associated liver disease who received a liver transplant survived years longer than those who did not, but there are disparities in which patients receive a transplant. A large study published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research found that liver transplantation was associated with significantly longer survival in both the short term and longer term. Yet, women and…
A study published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research reveals that liver transplantation significantly extends survival for patients with alcohol-associated liver disease. Despite this clear benefit, disparities persist in access to life-saving transplants. The research, which analyzed national insurance claims data from 2017 to 2024, found that patients who received a liver transplant lived, on average, about 7.1 years after diagnosis, compared to 4.9 years for those who did not receive a transplant.
This represents a 63% lower adjusted risk of death for transplant recipients over the first eight years following diagnosis. However, women and African Americans had lower odds of receiving a transplant, even though they did not have a higher risk of death compared to men or white patients. The study highlights the need for policies and practices that ensure equitable access to liver transplantation, a treatment that has substantial survival benefits for people with alcohol-associated liver disease.
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