The new guideline of the American college of gastroenterologists on alcoholic liver disease: the hepatitis is in the spotlight

Authors of the guideline have defined the heavy alcohol-use or alcohol-use disorder as consumption of more than 42 g of alcohol per day in males and more than 28 g of alcohol per day in females. These doses during 5 years should be counseled that they are at increased risk for alcoholic liver disease. It is believed that alcoholic hepatitis is layered on any stage of liver disease, i.e. on existing alcoholic steatosis with fibrosis or on cirrhosis of the liver. Clinical diagnosis of alcoholic hepatitis is determined in a patient with rapid development or worsening of jaundice and liver-related complications, with serum total bilirubin >3 mg/dL (51.3 μmol/l); alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase elevated >1.5 times the upper limit of normal but <400 U/L with the aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio >1.5; documentation of heavy alcohol use until 8 weeks prior to onset of symptoms; and exclusion of other liver diseases. Specific pharmacological therapies with proven efficacy for management of alcoholic hepatitis include nutritional supplementation and corticosteroids.

alcoholic liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, steatosis of the liver, liver fibrosis, liver cirrhosis, treatment of alcoholic hepatitis, alcohol abuse, steatohepatitis