Alcohol is muscling its way into the top spot on Colorado’s transplant charts, and not in a good way. Transplant specialists say alcohol-related liver disease now makes up nearly half of the liver transplants performed at UCHealth, a rapid shift that has them treating younger and sicker patients while scrambling to build addiction care into every step of the process. Families and advocates around Denver say that kind of change also calls for more recovery resources and long-term follow-up.
UCHealth’s running tally comes to roughly 45 percent of liver transplants tied to alcohol-related liver disease, according to 9News. Reporters and physicians alike note that the number reflects a sharp shift in the transplant caseload, with many pointing to heavier drinking during and after the COVID-19 pandemic as a major factor…