Liver Transplant Wait List Soars Past Projections as Alcohol Sales Climb During Pandemic

The national waiting list for individuals seeking liver transplants has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic far more than predicted pre-pandemic, exceeding projections by 50%, according to research published this week by the University of Michigan.

Findings were published by JAMA Network Open.

The increase in people seeking a liver transplant coincided with an increase in alcohol sales during the same timeframe. The study compared the number of individuals put on the national organ transplant list from March 2020 to January 2021 with pre-pandemic projections. National monthly sales of beer, wine, and liquor between January 2016 and 2021 were reviewed.

“While we cannot confirm causality, this disproportionate increase in association with increasing alcohol sales may indicate a relationship with known increases in alcohol misuse during COVID-19,” the UM researchers wrote.

In October 2020, a study by RAND Corp. found that overall alcohol consumption by adults over 30 was up 14% in the spring of 2020 vs. the same time a year earlier, with women increasing heavy drinking—defined as having 4 or more drinks within a couple hours—by 41%.