Excessive Alcohol Intake Is Linked to HCV Risk

Former and current excessive alcohol drinkers are more likely to have hepatitis C virus (HCV) than people who do not drink or those who drink occasionally, according to a new study.

To better understand how alcohol use influences HCV risk, the researchers collected demographic data, HCV status, and alcohol use from 20,042 participants in the 2003-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
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Participants were categorized based on their alcohol use: lifetime abstainers, former drinkers, nonexcessive current drinkers, and excessive current drinkers.

After analyzing the data in 2014, the researchers found that former and excessive current drinkers are more likely to be infected with HCV than never or nonexcessive current drinkers.

In addition, those with HCV were 3.3 times more likely to have drank 5 or more drinks per day every day at some point in their lifetime than those who did not have HCV.

“Chronic HCV infection is associated with both former and excessive current drinking,” the researchers concluded. “Public health HCV strategies should implement interventions with emphasis on alcohol abuse, which negatively impacts disease progression for HCV-infected individuals.”

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Taylor AL, Denniston MM, Klevens RM, McKnight-Eily LR, Jiles RB. Association of hepatitis C virus with alcohol use among US adults: NHANES 2003–2010 [published online May 10, 2016]. Am J Prev Med. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2016.02.033.