Liver damage, alcohol use, and diagnosis

This study examined the degree of liver damage, reflected by standard laboratory tests, in a group of male veterans in regard to their self-reported histories and diagnosis of alcoholism. Fifty-two percent of the patients were diagnosed as alcoholic. The correlation between liver damage, judged by a physician reviewing the tests, and diagnosis of alcoholism was r =.33. Although liver damage does not develop in some alcoholics, this minimal correlation suggests the need to look for other nutritional and genetic factors that may interact with alcoholism in development of liver damage.