Ewan Forrest

Alcohol-related liver disease: a doctor's view - Alcohol Health Alliance Deaths from alcohol related liver disease are rising. Find out about the human cost of alcohol harm and urgent need for action from a frontline doctor.

Alcohol related liver disease is rising.📈

In this new blog, Dr @ewanforrest.bsky.social, Consultant Hepatologist, shares his personal reflections on caring for patients with the condition — highlighting the human cost of alcohol harm and the urgent need for action.

ahauk.org/alcohol-rela...

Views on transplantation for alcohol related hepatitis from France USA and Canada.
❓ Time for the UK to catch up ❓

I have a few similar patients. Serology is specific, but I check circulating bile salts to confirm cholestatic pruritus. Rx with standard dose UDCA, however the biochemical endpoint has already been ‘achieved’ before you start. I then monitor and add adjunctive Rx if ALP rises. Other approaches?

Management of alcohol withdrawal syndrome in patients with coexistent alcohol-related liver disease Background and aims Treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is challenging, especially in those with alcohol-related liver disease (ArLD). Guidelines suggest using shorter-acting benzodiazepine...

Managing patients with advanced liver disease in alcohol withdrawal is challenging. See our published experience with symptom-triggered GMAWS favouring lorazepam use. Effective and safe. #liversky
emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com?url=http%3A%...

No, but I know someone who does…

Professor Sir Ian Gilmore said "We have the evidence, and we know the solutions. Now is the moment to show that we value human lives over profit. Without bold, decisive action, these preventable deaths will continue to climb."

🚨 A devastating 42% rise in alcohol deaths in just 4 years—England is facing a catastrophic public health crisis.

Together with our members, we've written to Health Secretary @rthonwesstreeting.bsky.social calling for immediate action to reduce alcohol harm.

Full letter👉 ahauk.org/news/ahalett...

Deaths from alcohol in England at record high Public-health experts are calling for minimum pricing to stop further rises in harmful drinking.

As seen on the BBC 📰

8274 lives were lost solely to alcohol in 2023 - a staggering 42% rise from 2019.

Tackling alcohol harm must be a top priority for 2025 to help stem the devastating preventable loss of life.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

📢 New report alert!
The Medical Council on Alcohol's new report 'The Need for a Health System Response to Alcohol-Related Harms' is out now.

It calls for:
-New alcohol strategy
-More funding for alcohol care teams
-Access to community treatment
-Improved care pathways
👉https://m-c-a.org.uk/policy/

Great to see a description of the work of the Scottish Hepatology Access Research Partnership published: an important step to improve liver care for patients. @
openresearch.nihr.ac.uk/articles/4-5...

Policy - Medical Council on Alcohol The Medical Council on Alcohol is not primarily a campaigning organisation but we do support other organisations active in the public health and policy spheres to reduce alcohol-related harm. The MC...

The Medical Council on Alcohol have just launched a new report calling for a new strategy for the health care response to rising levels of alcohol-related harm in the UK.

Lots of sensible ideas here, especially around integrated alcohol and mental health care.

m-c-a.org.uk/policy/

Keen to join the evolving #LiverSky community: can you add?
Thanks!

Pleased to see the publication of our paper showing effective management of alcohol withdrawal syndrome in patients with coexistent alcohol-related liver disease using GMAWS.
Great contributions by our medical students: Stroma Harcombe, Lujine Ibrahim, Georgia Smith and Alex Doyle.
t.co/fEjeZChSVI

Excellent study: the 40mg prednisolone for 28 days has been ripe for challenging for a long time now. Dose and duration established only by historical quirk rather than evidence. Need to assess targeted (I would argue NLR rather than severity based) tapered/short duration treatment.
#liversky