Drink again after liver transplant...Alcoholic liver disease emergency in 40s and 50s
Aug 12, 2025
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One day, he visited the hospital with sudden abdominal pain and was diagnosed with 'cirrhosis'. Since then, his health has worsened, and eventually, he has to consider liver transplantation, but Kim has not been able to stop drinking.
Patients with liver disease are increasing in their 40s and 50s, who are relatively young. Cirrhosis and liver cancer, which were once considered post-middle-aged diseases, are now increasing to the age group, where social activities are in full swing, and experts are raising their voices that it is time to be alert to liver disease.
"In Korea, excessive drinking is often started in the 20s, so the incidence of cirrhosis is high among the relatively young age group," said Jeon Yong-joon, head of the internal medicine department at Dasarang Central Hospital. "The reality is that alcoholic liver disease that has reached its end is difficult to recover, and there is no other way than liver transplantation."
In fact, according to Dasarang Central Hospital, 54 out of 236 inpatients were diagnosed with cirrhosis in July this year. In particular, 19 patients in their 40s and 50s were diagnosed with cirrhosis, accounting for a high proportion.
Director Jeon Yong-joon said " Liver cancer is still classified as a high-risk cancer because it has a 5-year survival rate of less than 40% and a high risk of recurrence."For prevention, abstaining from alcohol is essential, and regular liver tests are the key to treatment" he advised.
Alcoholic fatty liver tends to be left unattended because it has few self-awareness symptoms, and if treatment is missed, it can progress to hepatitis and cirrhosis.
Once advanced cirrhosis is difficult to recover from due to the poor ability of the liver to regenerate, and causes serious complications such as ascites, jaundice, and hepatic coma. If the condition gets worse, it can lead to liver cancer and lose your life.
In addition, hepatitis B and C can lead to cirrhosis if it progresses to chronic hepatitis, so early diagnosis and treatment are of paramount importance.
Director Jeon Dong-joon said, "Hepatitis B is a disease that can prevent infection only by vaccination. Vaccines should be vaccinated on time, and hepatitis holders should check their condition periodically through regular blood tests and liver function tests." he advised.
The former director then said "There are patients who go to the hospital after drinking again even after receiving a liver transplant from their family."Quitting alcohol is not just a matter of will, but an area that requires professional treatment and active family intervention, and the best way is to seek counseling and professional treatment before your health condition worsens."
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
