Liver Health How Long Can I Live With Alcoholic Liver Disease? By Buddy T Buddy T Facebook Twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial process Updated on November 09, 2021 Medically reviewed by Robert Burakoff, MD, MPH Medically reviewed by Robert Burakoff, MD, MPH LinkedIn Robert Burakoff, MD, MPH, is board-certified in gastroentrology. He is the vice chair for ambulatory services for the department of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, where he is also a professor. He was the founding editor and co-editor in chief of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Causes Symptoms Mortality Treatment Frequently Asked Questions If you've been diagnosed with alcoholic liver disease, you may wonder how long you have to live. It's not a simple question to answer, though. Life expectancy for people with alcoholic liver disease is different for everyone. Discuss your concerns with your doctor. A person's prognosis is based on many different factors, such as: Your physical conditionTest resultsSeverity of symptoms This article looks at the causes of alcoholic liver disease, its symptoms, and its treatment. It also discusses survival rates after diagnosis. Verywell / Emily Roberts Causes of Alcoholic Liver Disease Many years of heavy drinking causes inflammation of the liver. This is also called alcoholic hepatitis. Note that "hepatitis" is a term used to describe any inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis can have both viral and non-viral causes. Hepatitis and Cirrhosis Similarities and Differences You do not need to drink every day to develop alcoholic hepatitis. A few days a week of heavy drinking over many years can also cause liver disease. You are at risk whether or not your drinking makes you feel drunk. Inflammation of the liver can lead to scarring. Extensive scarring is called cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is the final phase of alcoholic liver disease. How long you have to live after your diagnosis depends on your health and how far the disease has progressed. Of all the things you can do to increase your lifespan, the most important may be to quit drinking. Why Cirrhosis of the Liver Threatens Heavy Drinkers Risk Factors Only some heavy drinkers will develop alcoholic liver disease. Your rate of risk depends on: The amount you drinkHow many years you've been drinkingThe history of alcoholic liver disease in your family Symptoms and Warning Signs If you're worried you might have alcoholic liver disease, see a doctor right away. A variety of factors can affect your symptoms, including: Pre-existing conditionsDisease progression In the early stages, you may not have any symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they may seem to worsen after a period of heavy drinking. The three main categories of symptoms are: Digestive problems: This includes abdominal swelling, dry mouth, and bleeding from enlarged veins in your esophagus. The esophagus is the tube that connects your throat to your stomach. Skin issues: This can include yellowing of the skin, red spider-like veins, and redness on your feet. Brain and nervous system problems: This may include memory problems, numbness in extremities, and fainting. Recap In the early stages of alcoholic liver disease, you may have no symptoms. Later symptoms may include digestive problems, skin problems, and problems related to the brain and nervous system. Mortality and Survival Rates For alcoholic hepatitis, the percentage of people who are expected to die within the first 30 days after diagnosis is difficult to predict. The number can range from 0% to 50% and is dependent on how advanced the disease is at the time of diagnosis. If you have alcoholic liver disease, your healthcare providers will try to predict your short-term prognosis. Different scoring models can be used to predict each person's prognosis. The MELD system is an example of a scoring system for people with liver disease. It is often used to identify liver transplant candidates. It is a calculation that includes a person's results on various lab tests of liver function. Scoring works like this: People who have a MELD score of less than 9 have a 1.9% to 3.7% risk of dying within the first three months.People who have a MELD score of 10 to 19 have a 6% to 20% risk of dying within the first three months.People who have a MELD score of 20 to 29 have a 19.6% to 45.5% risk of dying within the first three months.People who have a MELD score of 30 to 39 have a 52.6% to 74.5% risk of dying within the first three months.People who have a MELD score of over 40 have a 71% to 100% risk of dying within the first three months. People with alcoholic liver disease who stop drinking have a much better chance of long-term survival. Overall, the five-year survival rate is 60% for those who stop drinking and less than 30% for those who don't. Recap Your prognosis is based on your individual lab results. Your chances of survival will go up if you stop drinking. Treatment for Alcoholic Liver Disease If you do not yet have cirrhosis, your liver may heal if you stop drinking alcohol. If you are alcohol dependent, you may need professional treatment to break your addiction. If you have cirrhosis, your doctor will talk with you about how to manage your specific complications. At this stage, some patients need a liver transplant. Summary Alcoholic liver disease is caused by many years of drinking. Cirrhosis of the liver is the final stage. People with alcoholic liver disease may have digestive problems, skin problems, and/or brain and nervous system problems. Prognosis is calculated based on your lab results. Each person's prognosis is unique. One of the best ways to improve your prognosis is to stop drinking. Patients with cirrhosis may need a liver transplant. Frequently Asked Questions What is the life expectancy of someone with cirrhosis of the liver? It depends on many factors. Your doctor will score your liver disease based on number of factors, including:BilirubinProtein in the bloodHow long it takes blood to clotFluid build-upHepatic encephalopathy, a nervous system disorder caused by toxins building up in your bodyYour healthcare provider will estimate your two-year survival rate based on these scores. Learn More: How Liver Disease Is Diagnosed Are the late stages of cirrhosis painful? Yes. Pain increases as the disease progresses. About half of those with the disease say the pain becomes chronic. You may have an overall sense of discomfort and a recurrent throbbing or stabbing feeling in the abdomen. You may also feel pain in other areas as the cirrhosis causes inflammation throughout the body. Learn More: What You Should and Should Not Eat with Cirrhosis 4 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Singal AK, Bataller R, Ahn J, Kamath PS, Shah VH. ACG clinical guideline: alcoholic liver disease. Am J Gastroenterol. 2018;113(2):175-194. doi:10.1038/ajg.2017.469 Aiello FI, Bajo M, Marti F, Gadano A, Musso CG. Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score and liver transplant: benefits and concerns. AME Medical Journal. 2017; 2:168. doi:10.21037/amj.2017.10.10 Morgan TR. Treatment of alcoholic liver disease. Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017;13(7):425. Cleveland Clinic. Cirrhosis of the liver. Additional Reading Fairbanks KD. Alcoholic liver disease. Cleveland Clinic. MedlinePlus. Alcoholic liver disease. By Buddy T Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit