title: Alcoholic liver disease: treatment.
abstract: The excess consumption of alcohol is associated with alcoholic liver diseases (ALD). ALD is a major healthcare problem, personal and social burden, and significant reason for economic loss worldwide. The ALD spectrum includes alcoholic fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. The diagnosis of ALD is based on a combination of clinical features, including a history of significant alcohol intake, evidence of liver disease, and laboratory findings. Abstinence is the most important treatment for ALD and the treatment plan varies according to the stage of the disease. Various treatments including abstinence, nutritional therapy, pharmacological therapy, psychotherapy, and surgery are currently available. For severe alcoholic hepatitis, corticosteroid or pentoxifylline are recommended based on the guidelines. In addition, new therapeutic targets are being under investigation.
authors.affiliation: Ki Tae Suk, Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon 200-704, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ki Tae
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Suk
authors.affiliation: Ki Tae Suk, Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon 200-704, South Korea.
authors.forename: Moon Young
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Ki Tae Suk, Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon 200-704, South Korea.
authors.forename: Soon Koo
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Baik
mesh_terms: D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Alcoholic; Liver disease; Treatment