Yoosoo Chang1,2,3, Yong Kyun Cho4, Yejin Kim1, Eunju Sung1,5, Jiin Ahn1, Hyun-Suk Jung1, Kyung Eun Yun1, Hocheol Shin1,5, Seungho Ryu1,2,3. 1. Center for Cohort Studies, Total Healthcare Center, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. 2. Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. 3. Department of Clinical Research Design & Evaluation, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea. 4. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. 5. Department of Family Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Abstract
The effect of modest alcohol consumption on fibrosis progression in the general population with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains unclear. We examined the association of nonheavy alcohol consumption with worsening of noninvasive fibrosis indices in a large-scale, low-risk population with NAFLD. A cohort study was performed in 58,927 Korean adults with NAFLD and low fibrosis scores who were followed for a median of 4.9 years. Non-, light, and moderate drinkers were defined as 0 g/day, 1-9.9 g/day, and 10-29.9 g/day (10-19.9 g/day for women), respectively. Progression from low to intermediate or high probability of advanced fibrosis was assessed using noninvasive indices including NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) and Fibrosis-4 Index (FIB-4). A parametric proportional hazards model was used to estimate the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). During 347,925.4 person-years of follow-up, 5,630 subjects with low FIB-4 progressed to intermediate or high FIB-4. The multivariable-adjusted HRs (95% CI) for worsening of FIB-4 comparing light and moderate drinkers with nondrinkers were 1.06 (0.98-1.16) and 1.29 (1.18-1.40), respectively. Similarly, using NFS, corresponding HRs (95% CI) comparing light and moderate drinkers with nondrinkers were 1.09 (1.02-1.16) and 1.31 (1.23-1.40), respectively. Furthermore, the association of moderate drinkers with worsening of either FIB-4 or NFS remained significant after introducing alcohol use and confounders treated as time-varying covariates. Conclusion: In this large-scale cohort of young and middle-aged individuals with NAFLD, nonheavy alcohol consumption, especially moderate alcohol consumption, was significantly and independently associated with worsening of noninvasive markers of fibrosis, indicating that even moderate alcohol consumption might be harmful.
The effect of modest alcohol consumption on fibrosis progression in the general population with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains unclear. We examined the association of nonheavy alcohol consumption with worsening of noninvasive fibrosis indices in a large-scale, low-risk population with NAFLD. A cohort study was performed in 58,927 Korean adults with NAFLD and low fibrosis scores who were followed for a median of 4.9 years. Non-, light, and moderate drinkers were defined as 0 g/day, 1-9.9 g/day, and 10-29.9 g/day (10-19.9 g/day for women), respectively. Progression from low to intermediate or high probability of advanced fibrosis was assessed using noninvasive indices including NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) and Fibrosis-4 Index (FIB-4). A parametric proportional hazards model was used to estimate the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). During 347,925.4 person-years of follow-up, 5,630 subjects with low FIB-4 progressed to intermediate or high FIB-4. The multivariable-adjusted HRs (95% CI) for worsening of FIB-4 comparing light and moderate drinkers with nondrinkers were 1.06 (0.98-1.16) and 1.29 (1.18-1.40), respectively. Similarly, using NFS, corresponding HRs (95% CI) comparing light and moderate drinkers with nondrinkers were 1.09 (1.02-1.16) and 1.31 (1.23-1.40), respectively. Furthermore, the association of moderate drinkers with worsening of either FIB-4 or NFS remained significant after introducing alcohol use and confounders treated as time-varying covariates. Conclusion: In this large-scale cohort of young and middle-aged individuals with NAFLD, nonheavy alcohol consumption, especially moderate alcohol consumption, was significantly and independently associated with worsening of noninvasive markers of fibrosis, indicating that even moderate alcohol consumption might be harmful.
Authors: Mohammed Eslam; Shiv K Sarin; Vincent Wai-Sun Wong; Jian-Gao Fan; Takumi Kawaguchi; Sang Hoon Ahn; Ming-Hua Zheng; Gamal Shiha; Yusuf Yilmaz; Rino Gani; Shahinul Alam; Yock Young Dan; Jia-Horng Kao; Saeed Hamid; Ian Homer Cua; Wah-Kheong Chan; Diana Payawal; Soek-Siam Tan; Tawesak Tanwandee; Leon A Adams; Manoj Kumar; Masao Omata; Jacob George Journal: Hepatol Int Date: 2020-10-01 Impact factor: 6.047