Women and youth facing surge in alcohol-linked deaths: New study
A new study by researchers from Harvard, Stanford, and the University of Southern California (USC) has revealed a disturbing rise in alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) deaths—particularly among women and young adults in the United States. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, attribute this sharp increase to heavier alcohol consumption during the Covid-19 pandemic, along with worsening health factors like obesity and high blood pressure.
Between 2018 and 2022, ALD deaths increased by nearly 9% annually—a dramatic jump from the 3.5% yearly rise recorded between 2006 and 2018. While men continue to have the highest overall death rates from ALD (17 per 100,000 people), the study noted that women's death rates are climbing faster.
In 2022, eight out of every 100,000 women died due to ALD, compared to three per 100,000 earlier in the study period. This represents an annual increase of about 4.3% for women—nearly double the rate of men.
Researchers pointed out that women's bodies process alcohol less efficiently, making them more susceptible to liver damage over time, even with lower alcohol intake.
'Young adults between the ages of 25 and 44 saw the most rapid increase in deaths from alcohol-related hepatitis between 1999 and 2022,' added Dr. Robert Wong, a liver specialist at Stanford. 'Alcohol-related cirrhosis takes time to develop. The full impact of today's drinking habits may not be seen for another five to ten years.'
Dr. Nasim Maleki, a psychiatry professor at Harvard Medical School, stressed that while the pandemic has waned, its psychological and social aftereffects continue to influence risky behaviors like excessive drinking. 'The pandemic itself came under control, but the disparities that came with it continued and lingered,' she noted.
Adding to the concern, data from the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2025 conference showed that alcohol-related cancer deaths have also doubled—from 11,896 in 1990 to 23,207 by 2021—highlighting a broader health crisis tied to alcohol use.
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