The logic of disease

Yesterday’s Inside Health on Radio 4 dealt with liver disease.

Two thirds of deaths from liver disease in this country do not involve people who have drunk to excess.

Only 1 in 6 of those who do drink to excess fall victim to fatty liver disease.

Pathologists & clinicians cannot tell the difference between alcoholic & non-alcoholic fatty liver disease on the basis of signs & symptoms alone; the distinction depends on the patient’s story.

So there must be at least a logical possibility that alcohol is not necessarily the cause of liver disease even in a heavy drinker

Link
BBC Radio 4 Inside Health: Liver disease