Alcoholic fatty liver disease will develop in nearly 90% of individuals who
consume alcohol heavily (on average, >6 drinks per day), and some individuals
develop the more severe conditions of alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic
cirrhosis. Nearly 50% of the patients with alcoholic hepatitis have preexisting
cirrhosis (Chapter 156), and individuals who do not yet have cirrhosis are at
high risk for developing it, especially if they continue to consume alcohol.