Daijiworld Media Network – Copenhagen

Copenhagen, Jul 19: A diagnosis of alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) prompts many patients to significantly reduce or stop drinking, but more than one-third relapse within three months, according to a new observational study.

The findings highlight a crucial opportunity for doctors to encourage behavioural change soon after diagnosis while underscoring the need for structured long-term support.

Alcohol-related liver disease is caused by prolonged harmful alcohol consumption, with continued drinking being the primary factor driving disease progression.

Researchers found that although many patients reported reducing alcohol intake immediately after diagnosis, blood biomarker testing showed actual abstinence rates were lower than those indicated through self-reporting.

The study, conducted between 2021 and 2025 at Zealand University Hospital in Denmark, screened 299 newly diagnosed ALD patients, of whom 104 met the study criteria.

Participants underwent interviews regarding their current and previous alcohol consumption, motivation to reduce drinking and confidence in remaining abstinent. Researchers also measured phosphatidylethanol (PEth), a blood biomarker used to assess alcohol consumption, before monitoring participants for 90 days.

The participants had a median age of 64 years, with 76 per cent being men, while 30 per cent had decompensated cirrhosis.

In the five years before diagnosis, 76 per cent reported consuming at least 20 alcoholic drinks a week after nearly three decades of increasing alcohol use. Following diagnosis, that proportion fell to 24 per cent, while 56 per cent reported complete abstinence.

However, PEth testing indicated that only 37 per cent of patients were actually abstinent.

Among those who had stopped drinking at the start of the study, 37 per cent resumed alcohol consumption within 90 days.

Researchers found that patients who maintained abstinence were generally more motivated to change, had greater confidence in their ability to avoid alcohol and recorded lower baseline PEth levels. The severity of liver disease and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores did not significantly predict abstinence after three months.

The researchers said the findings indicate that the period immediately after an ALD diagnosis offers a critical opportunity for intervention, as many patients are willing to change their drinking habits.

However, the high relapse rate also suggests that motivation alone may not be sufficient to maintain long-term abstinence. The study recommends integrating structured treatment for alcohol use disorder into liver care services.

The researchers noted that the study was observational, relied partly on self-reported alcohol consumption alongside biomarker testing and involved a relatively small sample size.