When you think of the medical problems that many individuals faced during COVID-19, liver problems might not be obvious. However, a study in Detroit recently indicated that cases of alcoholic liver disease spiked in medical facilities during the pandemic.

And that surge makes sense when considering that alcohol-related hepatitis admissions increased by 50 percent during the first months of the pandemic in the U.S. A recent study recorded alcoholic hepatitis admissions to the Henry Ford Health System between the months of May and September of 2020. It compared these results against the admissions made during the same months between 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

During the five months in 2020 when the study took place, 93 patients were admitted to the hospital with alcoholic hepatitis. This was a greater than 50 percent increase than the same months analyzed between 2016 and 2019. During that time period, only 12.2 patients were admitted for the same disease.

In addition to alcoholic hepatitis, individuals who indulge in too much alcohol are at higher risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and cancer, among other potential issues, according to the CDC. The recommended intake of alcoholic beverages in the U.S. is no more than seven drinks per week for women and no more than 14 drinks per week for men, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

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