Federal Focus

Alcohol abuse is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the US, approximately 18 million people abuse alcohol, and alcoholic liver disease (ALD) affects over 10 million people. Alcohol‘s deleterious effects on the liver lead to pathologically distinct entities: steatosis, alcoholic hepatitis (AH), fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. AH, characterized by progressive necro-inflammation, is a particularly serious form of liver disease, with a very high short term mortality rate of ~40%. Survivors are at an increased risk for the development of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. Presentations by basic, translational and clinical investigators will provide updates and insights into recent research that continues to improve our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms for disease progression and the identification of rationally-designed prevention and treatment strategies. Federal support for research on alcoholic liver disease has primarily been through the National Institutes of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA). The Department of Defense and the Federal Drug Administration also have ongoing interests in programs related to alcoholic hepatitis. Representatives from these federal agencies will discuss their focus and roles for federal support in the management of alcoholic liver disease, as well as in the development of novel diagnostic, therapeutic and management strategies for patients with alcoholic liver disease.