Diet and alcohol in liver cirrhosis: a case-control study

A retrospective case-control study on alcohol and dietary habits was conducted over 3 years in a Gastroenterology Department on 152 male patients with liver cirrhosis. The study also included 304 hospital controls, selected within the same age range (32-83 years). Alcohol consumption and dietary habits were assessed from a standardized questionnaire by a highly trained dietician. The variations of the relative risk (RR) of liver cirrhosis as a function of the estimated mean daily intakes of alcohol, fats, carbohydrates and proteins were studied using stratified conditional logistic regression models. Obviously the relative risk of liver cirrhosis was found to be strongly and positively correlated with alcohol consumption but, in addition, this study has been able to show a significant and positive association with the mean daily fat intake and negative associations with the mean daily carbohydrate and protein intakes. Whereas in the control group, the calorie percentage from fats was 33.8 (87.11 g/d), it was 39.6 in the cirrhotic group (102.1 g/d). These findings indicate that in addition to alcohol consumption, dietary habits and in particular, high mean daily fat intake, should be considered.