How to Decrease Your Risk of Liver Disease

September 25, 2026/District Medical Group

Did you know cirrhosis of the liver is the ninth leading cause of deaths overall in United States (U.S.)? According to the National Institutes of Health, cirrhosis and chronic liver disease account for 52,000 to 57,000 deaths annually in the U.S. Roughly 50% of all cirrhosis deaths are alcohol-related, spiking as high as 80.3% among young adults aged 25 to 34.

Common liver diseases and risk factors

While cirrhosis is a widely known liver disease, it is one of several conditions affecting the liver. The most common liver diseases and their risk factors are:

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, also known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, is the most common liver disease. Risk factors include:
- Obesity/excess body weight
- Type 2 diabetes
- High cholesterol or high triglycerides
- High blood pressure
Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver caused by a viral infection (hepatitis A, B or C) or alcohol. Risk factors differ based on the type of hepatitis.
- Hepatitis A risk factors: Spreads through contaminated food or water or exposure to an infected person. Traveling can increase the risk of being infected if a person travels to a country with unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation infrastructure or high rates of infection. Illicit injectable drug use also increases the risk of infection, especially if needles used are not sanitized or are shared.
- Hepatitis B and C risk factors: Illicit use of injectable drugs; being in a healthcare environment where you can be accidently stuck with a needle; unprotected (e.g., condomless) sex; being born to a mother who has the infection; long-term kidney dialysis; being incarcerated; having received a blood transfusion before screening protocols were established (1992)
- Non-viral hepatitis: Associated with alcohol abuse, toxins, some medications and supplements taken in high or sensitive doses and certain autoimmune conditions
Alcohol-associated liver disease: From long-term heavy/excessive drinking

Who is at risk of liver disease?

According to the National Institutes of Health, rates of liver diseases are higher among:

Hispanic adults
American Indian
Alaska Native populations
Men

However, according to research published in the Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology Journal, alcohol-related liver disease rates are increasing faster among young women, including White and Hispanic women. As well, death rates from liver disease are generally higher in the Western and Southern regions of the U.S. and rural areas.