Medical experts urge systematic alcohol screening for liver disease patients

Medical experts are calling for a more systematic evaluation of alcohol consumption in patients with fatty liver disease to improve the diagnosis of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MetALD). The Spanish Association for the Study of the Liver (AEHH) emphasized that MetALD represents a complex spectrum where metabolic factors and alcohol consumption intersect.

Javier Ampuero, head of the Hepatology and Liver Transplant Unit at Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, noted that between 30% and 35% of the adult population presents some form of steatotic liver disease. He warned that alcohol consumption is often undervalued when clinical focus remains solely on metabolic factors. Experts recommend using screening tools like AUDIT-C to identify patients requiring deeper assessment.

Alcoholic liver disease typically progresses through three stages: hepatic steatosis (fatty liver), which is often reversible; alcoholic hepatitis, characterized by severe inflammation; and alcoholic cirrhosis, where healthy tissue is replaced by permanent scarring. This progression can lead to serious complications, including portal hypertension and liver cancer.