Heavy drinking is killing people in their 20s and 30s, warns top liver specialist

• Dr Mark Aldersley says young adults are developing chronic liver disease after years of drinking at home
• Warns people in their 20s and 30s are dying as a result
• Alcohol related admissions to hospitals have doubled between 2003 and 2009

By Daily Mail Reporter

A top doctor has issued an urgent warning that heavy drinking is killing people in their 20s.
Liver specialist Dr Mark Aldersley says many young adults, who are not classed as alcoholics, are developing chronic liver disease after years of drinking at home. It has resulted in alcohol related admissions to hospitals doubling between 2003 and 2009.
The consultant hepatologist works at St James's Hospital and the Spire Hospital in Leeds, West Yorkshire, which has the highest rate of hazardous drinking in the country.

Many young adults are developing chronic liver disease after years of drinking at home

He said: 'As people are drinking more and drinking younger, we are seeing people dying from alcoholic liver disease in their 20s and 30s.
'Twenty years ago this was rare.'
His warning comes as figures from the Department of Health revealed many drinkers are grossly underestimating their alcohol consumption.

 

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People who said they were moderate drinkers consumed up to 40 per cent more alcohol than they thought, exceeding daily safe guidelines of three to four units for men (a pint and a half of four per cent beer) and two to three units for women (a 175ml glass of wine).
The research also revealed 80 per cent of those that drink too much acknowledge the health risks but think of themselves - at most - as moderate drinkers.
More than 60 per cent of these ‘moderate’ drinkers have no intention of cutting down.

Dr Aldersley warns people are drinking at younger ages than ever

Now Dr Aldersley warns he is seeing a worrying rise in liver disease cases in his region as a result.
Just under a quarter of people in Leeds are drinking at damaging levels and new figures show less than 30 per cent of Yorkshire residents admit they drink more than the recommended amount.
Dr Aldersley said: 'All the common causes of death are decreasing, while deaths from liver disease are increasing.
'People are starting to drink at a younger age and are drinking larger
quantities.'
GP Dr Jason Broch, Chairman of NHS Leeds North Clinical Commissioning Group, stated that within a population of 200,000 there a communities suffering hardship, which can lead to problems related to alcohol.
He said: 'What we are also beginning to see is a rise in the numbers of people living in more affluent parts of the city drinking more than the recommended limits of alcohol.
'This might be a bottle of wine after work or drinking lots of alcohol at the
weekends.
'Any excessive drinking can lead to liver disease, mental health problems,
weight gain, hypertension, some types of cancer, and domestic violence.'