Parental liver disease mortality is associated with unfavorable outcomes in patients with alcohol-associated hepatitis.

BACKGROUND

How parental alcohol use disorder and liver disease-related mortality influence the risk and the outcomes of alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH) in the offspring is unknown.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 2 prospective observational studies of AH cases and heavy drinking controls (HDCs). Family history of parental alcohol use disorder and liver disease mortality was assessed at the study entry. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the influences of family history on AH development and outcome.

RESULTS

Data from 1356 participants in two prospective cohorts (926 AH cases and 430 HDC) were combined and analyzed. Parental alcohol use disorder was found in 56.9% of AH cases and 61.1% of HDC; parental death due to liver disease was reported in 7.5% of AH cases and 5.7% of HDC. Multivariable logistic regression showed that parental liver disease-related mortality was associated with more than a doubled risk of AH development in the offspring after controlling for their demographic characteristics and drinking behavior (OR=2.26, 95% CI: [1.22, 4.20]). Moreover, among the AH cases, having a parent die of liver disease significantly increased the 90-day mortality of study participants after adjusting for the effects of other risk factors (HR=2.26, 95% CI: [1.05, 4.86]).

CONCLUSIONS

The study highlights the influences of parental death due to liver disease on AH development and mortality. Identifying patients at risk of AH through family history might help facilitate discussions on reducing alcohol consumption.

Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.