Liver disease & cirrhosis
Factors that swing liver disease deaths
Factors that swing liver disease deaths
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Where you sit
0 of 11 answered
Answer the 11 factors above to see which ones raise your own risk, which sit at the reference, and which the studies have no number for.
Relative risk versus each factor’s reference group; above the line is lower risk, below it higher.
Sources (13)Llamosas-Falcón L, Probst C, Buckley C, et al., Hepatol Int 2024 · Roerecke M, Vafaei A, Hasan OSM, et al., Am J Gastroenterol 2019 · Liu B, Balkwill A, Reeves G, Beral V (Million Women Study Collaborators), BMJ 2010 and 10 moreShow allHide
- [1]L. Llamosas-Falcón et al. How does alcohol use impact morbidity and mortality of liver cirrhosis? A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. Hepatol Int, 18(1):216-224, 2024. doi:10.1007/s12072-023-10584-z Evidence: High
- [2]M. Roerecke et al. Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Liver Cirrhosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Am J Gastroenterol, 114(10):1574-1586, 2019. doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000000340 Evidence: Moderate
- [3]B. Liu et al. Body mass index and risk of liver cirrhosis in middle aged UK women: prospective study. BMJ, 340:c912, 2010. doi:10.1136/bmj.c912 Evidence: Low
- [4]N. D. Freedman et al. Association of meat and fat intake with liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma in the NIH-AARP cohort. J Natl Cancer Inst, 102(17):1354-65, 2010. doi:10.1093/jnci/djq301 Evidence: Low
- [5]H. B. El-Serag, T. Tran, and J. E. Everhart. Diabetes increases the risk of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. Gastroenterology, 126(2):460-8, 2004. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2003.10.065 Evidence: Low
- [6]M. K. Dam et al. Smoking and risk of liver cirrhosis: a population-based cohort study. Scand J Gastroenterol, 48(5):585-91, 2013. doi:10.3109/00365521.2013.777469 Evidence: Low
- [7]B. Liu et al. Separate and joint effects of alcohol and smoking on the risks of cirrhosis and gallbladder disease in middle-aged women. Am J Epidemiol, 169(2):153-60, 2009. doi:10.1093/aje/kwn280 Evidence: Low
- [8]L. Zhao et al. Sugar-Sweetened and Artificially Sweetened Beverages and Risk of Liver Cancer and Chronic Liver Disease Mortality. JAMA, 330(6):537-546, 2023. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.12618 Evidence: Low
- [9]T. G. Simon et al. Physical activity compared to adiposity and risk of liver-related mortality: Results from two prospective, nationwide cohorts. J Hepatol, 72(6):1062-1069, 2020. doi:10.1016/j.jhep.2019.12.022 Evidence: Moderate
- [10]O. J. Kennedy et al. Systematic review with meta-analysis: coffee consumption and the risk of cirrhosis. Aliment Pharmacol Ther, 43(5):562-74, 2016. doi:10.1111/apt.13523 Evidence: Moderate
- [11]Y. Li et al. Association of Sugar-Sweetened, Artificially Sweetened, and Unsweetened Coffee Consumption with Chronic Liver Disease and Liver-Related Events: A Large Prospective Cohort Study. J Nutr, 155(3):975-984, 2025. doi:10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.01.009 Evidence: Low
- [12]L. Zhao et al. Specific botanical groups of fruit and vegetable consumption and liver cancer and chronic liver disease mortality: a prospective cohort study. Am J Clin Nutr, 117(2):278-285, 2023. doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2022.12.004 Evidence: Low
- [13]A. Andreasson et al. Waist/Hip Ratio Better Predicts Development of Severe Liver Disease Within 20 Years Than Body Mass Index: A Population-based Cohort Study. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol, 15(8):1294-1301.e2, 2017. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2017.02.040 Evidence: Low
Every factor, one by one
One quick question each. The charts above follow your answers, and so does every other What Matters page that asks the same question.
#2Body weight[3]≈+168%
In 1.2 million middle-aged UK women, every 5 extra BMI units above 22.5 went with 28% more cirrhosis (hospital admission or death), after accounting for alcohol, smoking and activity; about one in six cirrhosis cases was put down to excess weight.
How would you describe your weight?
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#3Red meat[4]+159%
In 495,006 US adults, the fifth who ate the most red meat had 2.59 times the chronic liver disease deaths of the fifth who ate the least, and saturated fat showed an even stronger link; white meat went the other way, with about half the risk.
How often do you eat red meat?
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#4Past drinking[2]+156%
The alcohol pill compares current drinking with lifetime abstainers, so someone who drank for years and then stopped would otherwise sit at its reference.
Did you use to drink alcohol regularly, and then stop?
Not answered yet. Tap an option to save your answer. This answer does not change your life estimate.
#5Diabetes[5]+98%
In 824,263 US veterans with no liver disease at the start, those with diabetes developed chronic nonalcoholic liver disease at 1.98 times the rate of those without it over up to 15 years, and the excess grew with longer follow-up.
What’s your blood sugar like?
Same number, 2 answers: The study compared diabetes with no diabetes; it did not split by how well it was controlled.
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#7Sugary drinks[8]+68%
In 98,786 postmenopausal women followed for about 21 years, one or more sugar-sweetened drinks a day went with 1.68 times the chronic liver disease deaths of three or fewer a month; diet drinks showed no link.
How often do you drink sugary drinks?
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#8Physical inactivity[9]−54%
In 125,264 US nurses and health professionals followed for 26 years, liver-related deaths fell step by step with more weekly activity: 30% fewer in the second fifth of activity, 41% fewer in the middle fifth, and 54% fewer in the most active fifth, compared with the least active.
How many days a week do you get 30+ minutes of exercise?
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Across nine studies and 432,133 people, each two extra cups of coffee a day went with 44% less cirrhosis and 45% fewer cirrhosis deaths.
What does your daily caffeine mostly look like?
Same number, 2 answers: No cohort has studied energy drinks, sugared or sugar-free, against cirrhosis, so both share one small, labeled bridge rather than two guesses.
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#10Few vegetables[12]−39%
In 485,403 older US adults followed for about 15 years, the highest vegetable eaters had 39% fewer chronic liver disease deaths than the lowest; lettuce, sweet potatoes, cruciferous vegetables, legumes and carrots stood out, while fruit showed no link.
How many servings of vegetables and fruit do you eat a day?
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#11Waist size[13]
In 27,617 Swedes followed for about 20 years, waist-to-hip ratio was the best body measure for predicting severe liver disease: each standard deviation higher went with 30% more in women and 46% more in men, independent of BMI.
How’s your waistline?
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