KUSA-TV (Denver) | Alcohol-related liver disease now drives nearly half of UCHealth liver transplants
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.