Liver cirrhosis is a symptom of a larger disease—alcohol use disorder.

Deaths from alcohol-associated liver disease have increased 58% in last decade.

Patients with alcohol use disorder are less likely to seek help. Liver failure presents unique opportunity for medical intervention when patient seeks medical care.

Proactive, coordinated patient care for treatment of alcohol-associated liver disease is less disruptive for patient in recovery and more cost effective than repeated hospitalizations.

Untreated addiction can cause liver disease to return; simply telling patient to “stop drinking” does not recognize patient’s addiction as a disease.

Poor diet compounds complications of a compromised liver. Telling patients to diet without coaching is less likely to work.

Lack of understanding of disease progression lulls patient into false sense of good health once cirrhosis symptoms disappear.

Undetected health concerns, such as thrush, may be discovered during transplant assessment, threatening patient’s condition and complicating approval for waitlist. 

When liver disease returns, it can be at a more critical level and can result in an accelerated need for liver transplant.

While 6-month wait will end in August 2018 in Ontario, all other patients outside Ontario continue to face the 6-month wait. Holistic treatment could reduce pressure on liver transplant waitlists.