UEG: Disability Burden for Alcohol-Related Cirrhosis, Heart Failure Identified

THURSDAY, Oct. 22, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Western Europe has the highest disability burden associated with alcohol-related cirrhosis complicated by heart failure, according to a study presented at UEG Week, the annual meeting of United European Gastroenterology, held from Oct. 17 to 20 in Barcelona, Spain.Elena Alupei, from the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest, Romania, and colleagues analyzed Global Burden of Disease data for cirrhosis due to alcohol use with heart failure complications, evaluating years lived with disability (YLD) attributed to this dual burden.The researchers found that Western Europe maintained the highest burden between 1990 and 2023, with YLD rates increasing from 0.787 to 1.012 per 100,000 (28.6 percent increased). The most dramatic relative increase was seen for Central Europe (0.394 to 0.720 per 100,000; 82.9 percent). Across all regions, pronounced age gradients were evident, with 10- to 16-fold higher YLD rates for those aged 70 years and older versus 15 to 49 years. For those aged 70 years and older, YLD rates reached 1.855, 1.140, 1.090, and 0.713 per 100,000 in Western Europe, Central Europe, the United States, and Eastern Europe, respectively, in 2023. Four distinct trajectory patterns were identified, with unique non-monotonic trends peaking in 2005 in Western Europe men aged 70 years and older. In the United States, Central Europe, and Eastern Europe, forecasts to 2050 projected continued increases (+65.4, +49.6, and +66.6 percent), while a decline was projected for Western Europe (–19.0 percent)."Older adults and men are particularly affected, and the marked differences between regions show why a one-size-fits-all approach to prevention and health care planning is unlikely to be enough," coauthor Ashesh Das, M.B.B.S., from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, said in a statement.More Information.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

UEG: Disability Burden for Alcohol-Related Cirrhosis, Heart Failure Identified

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