STAT July 22, 2024
People under 45 have been driving an increase in liver-related deaths, especially those caused by alcohol. But a sliver of that young adult population is being hit disproportionately hard by alcohol-associated liver disease: transgender people.
Although trans adults make up less than 1% of the United States population, a study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology last month shows they face double the risk of severe liver disease, and a higher share of cirrhosis from heavy drinking.
The paper’s authors looked back on 15 years of health data from 330,000 cirrhosis patients on commercial insurance plans. They found that alcohol-driven disease was higher among trans people, begging the need for better, more timely interventions. Viral infections, including hepatitis...