Moderate Alcohol Consumption Might Prevent Steatohepatitis

Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and particularly those with steatohepatitis, are at increased risk for coronary heart disease. Although moderate alcohol consumption has been shown to reduce the risk for heart disease in the general population, whether it is safe for patients with NAFLD is unclear.

This cross-sectional study evaluated the potential association between moderate alcohol consumption and histological severity of NAFLD. All participants were part of the Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) Clinical Research Network — a well-characterized cohort of patients with NAFLD — and had completed validated alcohol consumption questionnaires. Patients were classified into two exposure categories: (1) those who had nev…