The true prevalence of alcoholic liver disease is not known, but nearly 1% of
North American adults are believed to have alcoholic liver disease. Even this
figure is considered an underestimation because milder forms of alcoholic
liver disease are asymptomatic and often unrecognized. It has been estimated
that alcoholic liver disease accounts for 40% of deaths from cirrhosis and 28%
of all deaths from liver disease. It is the second most common indication for
liver transplantation in the United States once abstinence from alcohol has
been established.