Binge drinking alcohol in one session is more likely to cause liver disease than a few drinks spread across the week, a study revealed on Thursday.
Scientists at University College London said that measuring the pattern of alcohol intake was more accurate than volume for predicting the risk of developing alcohol-related cirrhosis (ARC).
Liver disease is one of the major causes of premature death globally, with 2-3 per cent of the world’s population having cirrhosis or liver disease. Since the Covid pandemic began, alcohol-related deaths have risen by 20 per cent.
Researchers analysed data from 312,599 actively drinking adults in the UK Biobank, to assess the impact of pattern of drinking, genetic predisposition and type-2 diabetes on the likelihood of developing ARC.
Those who engaged in heavy binge drinking, which is categorised as having 12 units in a day at some point during a week, were three times as likely to develop ARC.
The risk for those with a high genetic predisposition was four times higher and the risk for type-2 diabetics was two times higher.
People who engaged in binge drinking while also having a genetic predisposition were six times more likely to develop ARC.
Dr Linda Ng Fat, a first author of the study from UCL Epidemiology and Public Health, said: “Many studies that look into the relationship between liver disease and alcohol focus on the volume of alcohol consumed.
“We took a different approach by focusing on the pattern of drinking and found that this was a better indicator of liver disease risk than volume alone. The other key finding was that the more risk factors involved, the higher the ‘excess risk’ due to the interaction of these factors.”
Dr Gautam Mehta, a senior author of the study from UCL Division of Medicine and the Royal Free Hospital, said: “Only one in three people who drink at high levels go on to develop serious liver disease. While genetics plays a part, this research highlights that pattern of drinking is also a key factor.
“Our results suggest, for example, that it would be more damaging to drink 21 units over a couple of sessions rather than spread evenly over a week. Adding genetic information, which may be widely used in healthcare over the coming years, allows an even more accurate prediction of risk.”
Pamela Healy, Chief Executive of the British Liver Trust said: “This research is important because it reveals that it’s not just how much you drink overall but the way that you drink matters. Drinking a lot, quickly, or drinking to get drunk can have serious consequences for your liver health.
“Over the last twenty years, as alcohol has become more accessible and affordable, there has been a disconcerting shift in the UK's drinking culture. The UK needs to tackle increased alcohol consumption through a joined up ‘alcohol strategy’ that includes taxation, stronger controls on alcohol advertising and marketing and improved awareness of the dangers of binge drinking.”
