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Increased Prevalence of Alcohol-Related Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Savan Kothadia1, Waihong Chung2, May Min2
1Department of Internal Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI.
Insights
The COVID-19 pandemic saw a rise in alcohol-related gastrointestinal and liver diseases (ARGLDs), particularly among younger patients. This trend persisted even as restrictions eased, highlighting the need for continued alcohol use disorder screening and treatment.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Hepatology
- Public Health
Background:
- Anecdotal reports suggested an increase in alcohol-related gastrointestinal and liver diseases (ARGLDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Limited published evidence exists to support these observations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and severity of ARGLDs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To compare ARGLD cases during pandemic lockdown and reopening phases with pre-pandemic data.
Main Methods:
- A healthcare system audit of inpatient gastrointestinal (GI) consults was conducted.
- Data from the pandemic's lockdown (March-May 2020) and reopening (June-July 2020) phases were compared to the same periods in 2019.
Main Results:
- Consult volume decreased by 27.7% during lockdown, but the proportion of ARGLDs increased by 59.6%.
- This trend continued during reopening, with increased disease severity and need for endoscopic intervention.
- Patients with alcoholic hepatitis during reopening were younger than during lockdown.
Conclusions:
- The study confirms an increased prevalence and severity of ARGLDs in younger individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The rise in ARGLDs began during lockdown and worsened despite eased restrictions.
- Post-pandemic recovery necessitates enhanced systems for screening and treating alcohol use disorder.
Background:
Higher prevalence of alcohol-related gastrointestinal (GI) and liver diseases (ARGLDs) were anecdotally reported during the COVID-19 pandemic, but little published evidence exists.
Methods:
A healthcare system audit of inpatient GI consults was performed during the pandemic's lockdown phase (3/23/2020-5/10/2020, n=558) and reopening phase (6/1/2020-7/19/2020, n=711) with comparison to those timeframes in 2019.
Results:
Consult volume decreased by 27.7% during the lockdown, but the proportion of ARGLDs increased by 59.6% (p=0.03). This trend continued during reopening, with potentially more severe disease as more patients required endoscopic intervention. Patients with alcoholic hepatitis during reopening were younger compared to the lockdown.
Conclusions:
Our study demonstrates increased prevalence and severity of ARGLDs amongst younger individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. This increase started during the lockdown but worsened despite relaxation of restrictions. Systems to increase screening for and treatment of alcohol use disorder as society recovers from the pandemic remain imperative.
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