Wanzhu Tu, PhD, explains why it is so important to focus on prevention for children of alcoholics.
Transcript:
This is why I believe the current study is particularly important, because when a patient comes in, and they share the information that one of the parents died of liver disease, that is not just background information. It’s a red flag that basically indicates maybe a greater susceptibility, and that’s what our data show. People, when they are eligible, we treat them with corticosteroids, which basically reduce the liver inflammation. But the problem is that the drug also increases the risk of infection. So you’re between a rock and a hard place. I mean, they could die of liver disease itself, or they could die of infection. That’s why we think it is a high priority to focus on this vulnerable population.
