Relationship between mean self-reported alcohol consumption (SRAC) prior to the diagnosis of hepatits C virus (HCV) infection (expressed in grams per week*) and the severity of fibrosis (i.e., scarring of liver tissue, which indicates an early stage of liver disease). The severity of fibrosis was assessed using the Knodell index, which measures changes in the tissue’s structure and chemical composition (i.e., histological changes). The data show that greater alcohol consumption was associated with more severe fibrosis (i.e., greater liver damage) by the time the HCV infection was diagnosed, and therefore with more rapid disease progression.