New Delhi: A new study has found that deaths from alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) are increasing rapidly in the United States, particularly among women and young adults. Researchers from Harvard University, Stanford University, and the University of Southern California analyzed death certificates and discovered a significant rise in ALD deaths between 2018 and 2022.
The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, revealed that ALD deaths increased by nearly 9% each year during this period. In comparison, the annual increase between 2006 and 2018 was around 3.5%. Experts believe that higher alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with rising rates of obesity and high blood pressure, are contributing factors.
“The pandemic itself came under control, but the disparities that came with it continued and lingered,” said Dr. Nasim Maleki, a psychiatry professor at Harvard Medical School.
Men continue to have the highest number of ALD deaths—about 17 per 100,000 people in 2022. However, the death rate among women is growing faster. In 2022, eight out of every 100,000 women died from ALD, compared to three per 100,000 earlier in the study period. Women’s ALD death rates rose by approximately 4.3% per year—nearly double the rate of increase seen in men.
Researchers pointed out that biological differences in how men and women process alcohol may be a factor. Women tend to break down alcohol less efficiently than men, making them more vulnerable to alcohol-related organ damage even with lower levels of consumption.
The study also highlighted a troubling trend among younger adults. Those between the ages of 25 and 44 showed the most significant yearly increase in deaths from alcohol-related hepatitis between 1999 and 2022.
“Alcohol-related cirrhosis takes time to develop,” said Dr. Robert Wong, a liver specialist at Stanford. “So we may not see the full extent of these health impacts for another five to ten years, which is very concerning.”
Adding to the concern, recent research presented at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology conference showed that alcohol-related cancer deaths in the U.S. more than doubled—from 11,896 in 1990 to 23,207 in 2021.
The findings serve as a warning about the long-term health risks of alcohol use, especially for groups that may have previously been considered lower risk.