Investigators may have established a dose-dependent model of alcohol consumption on the risks of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, according to a recent study published by Wu et al in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Hepatology. The quantitative effects of alcohol consumption on cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in HBV infections are currently unknown.
Study Methods and Results
In the systematic review and meta-analysis, investigators used PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and four Chinese databases to identify studies published from their inception to May 15, 2024. A random-effects model was used to pool the data on the incidence of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and a dose-dependent model of alcohol’s effect on the two diseases was established.
The investigators included 45 studies involving a total of 33,272 patients with HBV infection in their analysis. Compared with those who didn’t consume alcohol, the overall pooled odds ratio was 2.61 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.46–4.66, I2 = 94%, P < .001) for cirrhosis and 2.27 (95% CI = 1.50–3.43, I2 = 90%, P < .001) for hepatocellular carcinoma among those who consumed alcohol. Compared with low-level drinkers, the estimated pooled odds ratio was 2.34 (95% CI = 1.59–3.44, I2 = 87%, P < .001) for cirrhosis and 2.42 (95% CI = 1.90–3.09, I2 = 80%, P < .001) for hepatocellular carcinoma among high-level drinkers.
Further, a linear dose-dependent analysis showed that each daily consumption of 12 g of alcohol increased the risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma by 6.2% and 11.5%, respectively.
Conclusions
The investigators indicated that alcohol dose dependently increased the risks of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with HBV infections, and patients with daily alcohol consumption of more than 12 g should be strictly monitored.
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