The Rise of Cirrhosis in Women

Here’s a common scenario: A woman in her late 30s starts having a glass or two of wine every evening. Ten years pass. She notices she's more tired than usual, her stomach seems bloated, and her skin looks a little yellow. She finally goes to her medical clinician expecting to hear that she's just overworked. Instead, she's diagnosed with cirrhosis, or permanent scarring of the liver. She didn't think she drank that much. She had no idea her liver was even in danger.In recent years, more women are being diagnosed with serious liver conditions, including cirrhosis, which can be life-threatening. Much of the increase is related to increased alcohol intake, which has resulted in rising rates of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) (formerly called alcoholic liver disease). Rising rates of steatotic liver disease (formerly called fatty liver disease) also are increasing the number of women diagnosed with liver conditions, and these trends are expected to continue. What is cirrhosis? The liver is one of your hardest-working organs. It filters toxins from your blood, helps digest food, and makes proteins your body needs to clot blood and fight infection. When the liver is injured over a...