Alcoholism Treatment Before, After Liver Transplant Helps Prevent Relapse

New research shows that liver transplant recipients who receive substance abuse treatment before and after transplantation have much lower alcohol relapse rates than those untreated or only treated prior to transplantation. A second study also shows that continued alcohol abuse following liver transplantation decreases graft survival and further highlights the importance of preventing alcohol relapse.

Statistics from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) show that nearly 23 percent of women 42 percent of men who are 18 years or older in the United States drank alcohol at least once a week or more during the previous year. It also shows that 51.5 percent of Americans 18 and over are regular drinks and have consumed at least 12 alcoholic beverages in the past year alone.

Medical evidences suggests that alcoholic liver diseases (ALD) is the second most common reason for liver transplantation in the United States and Europe. Prior researchers also shows that survival rates following transplantation for ALD are comparable to patients without. However, relapse for substance abuse can range from 10 to 90 percent and often results in serious health issues.

Lead study author of the Transplant Institute at Beth Israel deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Mass, James Rodrigue, Ph.D., led 118 liver transplant recipients with a history of alcohol and alcohol abuse who received substance abuse treatment prior to their transplant. Findings indicate that alcohol relapse was 16 percent among ALD recipients who had substance abuse before and after transplantation. In patients who received pre-transplant or no substance abuse treatment, the relapse rates were 45 and 41 percent.

"While many transplant centers require candidates with a history of alcohol abuse to attend substance abuse treatment prior to transplantation, our findings emphasize the importance of continued therapy after the transplant to prevent alcohol relapse," said Dr. Rodrigue, via the release.

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More information regarding the study can be found via the journal Liver Transplantation.