Surge In Alcohol-Related liver Transplants Strains UC Health, Young Women Increasingly Affected
USA: A disturbing rise in alcohol-associated liver disease has pushed liver transplantation to the forefront of clinical concern at UC Health, where clinicians report that nearly half of liver transplants in 2025 were linked to heavy alcohol use. Hospital data show 45% of its liver transplants were tied to alcohol-related liver failure, a sharp increase that accelerated during and after the pandemic and has reshaped the caseload for transplant teams.
Physicians describe a striking demographic shift: women now account for a far larger share of alcohol-related transplant referrals than before the pandemic. Prior to COVID-era disruptions, female patients represented under 10 percent of such cases; that proportion climbed to between 30 and 40 percent afterward, with a notable number of patients in their 20s and 30s. Clinicians report the youngest transplant candidate seen for alcohol-associated liver disease was 20 years old, underscoring a worrisome trend of severe liver injury in a much younger cohort.
Clinically, patients present with classic signs of end-stage liver disease—jaundice, abdominal swelling, and fluid retention—symptoms that often prompt urgent transplant evaluation. Transplantation is becoming an increasingly common and critical intervention for those who progress to irreversible liver failure, intensifying demand on surgical teams, inpatient services, and organ allocation systems. Medical staff emphasize early recognition of liver disease and expanded access to addiction and liver-care services as essential to preventing progression to transplantation.
UC Health leaders are sounding an alarm about the intersection of substance use and organ failure, urging heightened public awareness and stronger pathways to treatment. The surge in alcohol-related liver transplants spotlights both a clinical crisis and a window for intervention to reduce future need for transplantation.
Video originally published on 2026-02-02 21:13:08
