[Early detection of alcohol-related liver disease]

Alcohol-related liver disease is the most common cause of cirrhosis, and patients are diagnosed at late stages of disease, with high mortality and limited treatment options. However, we have plenty of opportunities to detect alcohol-related liver disease earlier, as most patients have prior contacts with the healthcare system, as discussed in this review. Growing evidence supports algorithms of routine liver blood tests as first-line risk stratification tools, to select which patients could be referred to secondary care for accurate diagnostic testing with liver stiffness measurements or the enhanced liver fibrosis test.