Liver disease due to alcohol is the leading cause of liver transplants in the U.S.

Alcohol-associated liver disease is now the top cause of liver transplants in the U.S., according to a new analysis. In 2002, transplants for ALD accounted for 24 percent of live transplants. By 2016, they made up 37 percent of live transplants. Several factors could be at play: declining hepatitis C rates due to new treatments; rising rates of harmful drinking; and a shift away from the “six-month rule,” which requires transplant candidates to abstain from alcohol and drug use for at least six months before a transplant. The practice has become less common after a 2011 study showed liver transplants could be successful in patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis without the six-month sobriety period.