Alcohol consumption and the risk of developing liver cirrhosis: implications for future research.

Studies of the association of alcohol consumption and liver cirrhosis were reviewed, focusing on possible biases of study design. Daily alcohol consumption (as opposed to intermittent binge drinking), amount of alcohol consumed, longer duration of alcohol abuse, and being female were associated with the increased risk of cirrhosis. Follow-up studies reviewed failed to take full advantage of the study design and added little information to existing literature. Retrospective studies were relatively free of bias and are valuable tools in estimating the risk of cirrhosis. Future research needs to take the following variables into consideration: better ascertainment of alcohol consumption, consumption patterns, changes in alcohol consumption, gender, and body weight.