With the introduction of effective antiviral therapy for HCV, there is a paradigm shift in liver disease with a decline in HCV but a parallel increase in NASH related cirrhosis in adults. It is unclear if this trend is similar in the younger adult population. Therefore the Aim of this study is to determine the liver disease trend in young adults (18 – 34 years). Method: Using the UNOS database, we performed a retrospective analysis of young adults (18-34 years) added to the liver transplant waiting list over a 10-year period (2007 – 2016). Data extracted included age, gender, ethnicity/race, liver disease etiology, MELD score, UNOS region and Primary health insurance. Results: A total of 6143 candidates (18-34 years) were added to the liver transplant list during the study period. Overall, 563 (9.2%) had Alcohol liver Disease (ALD), but there was a significant increase from 5.5% (2007) to 17.4% (2016) (p<0.05). The study population was predominantly male (65%) and at the time of listing, candidates with ALD had a higher proportion with MELD > 35 (29%) compared to 10 % in patients without ALD (p<0.05). Conclusion: Alcohol Liver Disease is the most common liver disease accounting for wait list additions among young adults (18 – 34 years) in USA. In addition to a 3-fold increase in the last decade, the proportion listed with a MELD > 35 is about 3-fold higher than those without ALD. This study highlights the evolving trends in liver disease specifically the increase in ALD (young adults) in comparison to increase in NASH ( older adults), both reflecting the public health implications of preventable life style related liver diseases.

CITATION INFORMATION: Kemmer N., Bozanich N., Agrawal S., Albers C., Syed R., Alsina A. Transplant Trends in Young Adults: Silent Alcohol Epidemic Am J Transplant. 2017;17 (suppl 3).

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