It Is Never Too Late To Stop Drinking
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Image by "Left-Hand"
Researchers from the UK’s University of Southampton are optimistic that alcoholic liver disease can be cured, even in the most severe cases. Since a quarter of people with alcoholism-related cirrhosis die before they get the chance to stop drinking the key is to keep the patient alive long enough for them to stop drinking, and to maximize their chances of continued abstinence with effective addiction treatment.
Dr Nick Sheron, senior lecturer at the University of Southampton and consultant hepatologist at Southampton General Hospital, used up-to-date mortality data from the UK’s NHS Strategic Tracing Service to find that the degree of cirrhosis found on a liver biopsy was less of a factor on survival. Abstinence from alcohol at one month after diagnosis of cirrhosis was a more important factor determining survival, with a seven-year survival rate of 72 per cent for patients who had given up drinking, against 44 per cent for the patients continuing to drink.
To stop drinking is clearly the single most important factor in curing alcoholism-related cirrhosis, and Dr Sheron’s findings illustrate the critical significance of stopping alcohol intake in alcohol-related cirrhosis.
If you or a loved one suffer from alcoholism, remember: "Where there is life there is hope and it is never too late to stop drinking!"
To talk to our addiction counselors about residential treatment options simply call 877 830 7020, now.
