State policies targeting alcohol use and obesity could reduce liver disease numbers

The impact of minimum unit pricing on alcohol, a sugar-sweetened beverage tax, and a tax based on alcohol volume was modelled by experts working in 10 sites across Europe. They found these policies had an important impact on liver disease levels.

State policies targeting alcohol use and obesity could reduce the number of people in Europe who develop chronic liver disease or liver cancer by up to 7% before 2030, new international research shows.

The impact of minimum unit pricing (MUP) on alcohol at various rates, a sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax, and a tax based on alcohol volume was modelled by scientists and health experts working in 10 sites across Europe.

They found these policies had an important impact on liver disease levels, indicating “reductions in annual incidence ranging from 2% to 7% by 2030”, as presented during UEG (United European Gastroenterology) Week 2023 in Copenhagen on Sunday.

The study, using United Nations population data on France, Holland, and Romania, modelled the impact of these policies against the impact of taking no action.

It said an MUP of €1 had the largest predicted impact, resulting in 11,550 fewer cases of chronic liver disease and 7,921 fewer cases of liver cancer compared with the inaction scenario in the three countries combined, by 2030.

Combining policies

However, they also found combining policies was effective in targeting levels of these serious conditions.

“The combined policy intervention of a €0.7 MUP, an SSB tax, and a volumetric tax on alcohol would prevent nearly as many cases: resulting in 7,317 fewer cases of chronic liver disease and 5,390 fewer cases of liver cancer compared with the inaction scenario by 2030 in the three countries combined,” the study states.

Led by Lisa Retat and Laura Webber at HealthLumen in London, the study also involved nine academic sites such as Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark, University of Lisbon, and University of Barcelona.

Their findings indicate the importance of targeting drivers of obesity and high alcohol consumption simultaneously to reduce liver disease numbers in Europe, they concluded.

Their work is against a background of studies showing high levels of alcohol intake, ultra-processed food consumption, and obesity in the region are drivers of liver disease-related mortality.

In Ireland, the Health Research Board reported in August that alcohol-related liver disease has increased across the majority of counties over the last five years.

Hospital data shows Dublin, Cork, and Galway account for the greatest number of cases, with hospitalisations jumping by 16% in Cork.