Wang H, Gao P, et al. BMC Public Health. 2022 Apr 12;22(1):723.

•The alcohol consumption pattern, alcoholic liver disease (ALD) prevalence and related risk factors among alcohol drinkers in Beijing haven't been fully elucidated. Hence, a cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate potential link among these factors.

•All participants were 25 years of age or older, possessed with medical insurance, and lived in Beijing for over 6 months.
•As part for this investigation, participants were asked to answer a questionnaire and undergo physical examination. The questionnaire included demographic information, alcohol intake, and medical history. The physical examination included physical and FibroTouch tests.

• Overall, 74,988 residents participated in our study. The proportion of current drinkers among all participants was 46.10%.
• ALD prevalence was 1.30% in participants over 25 years old. The differences in ALD prevalence between men and women, and among different age groups, were significant (P < 0.05). Based on our analysis, ALD risk factors in Beijing included: gender (male), age (older than 35 years), high waist circumference, high blood pressure, high BMI, high blood sugar level, and being heavy drinkers.

• Compared with other cities or regions in China, the level of alcohol consumption in Beijing is at an upper middle level. But the ALD prevalence is low likely because ethanol intake is relatively low. Our analysis revealed that heavy drinking is a major risk factor for ALD development. Hence, if alcohol consumption is unavoidable, we caution against heavy drinking.