A team of researchers led by Prof. Poynard have presented the results of a new study based on 5000 subjects, aged 40 years or more. All of these subjects, of both genders, were derived from the general population and recruited as part of a health check-up offered by the Paris Local Sickness Insurance Fund.

The aim of the study was to observe the effect of alcohol consumption on the liver. FibroTest and SteatoTest have been exclusively used for the diagnosis of fibrosis and steatosis, with biopsy being impractical on this scale.

The study, which lasted several months, brought some surprising result. It showed that the presumed prevalence of steatosis and fibrosis are very associated with waist circumference, but were not increased with the consumption of alcohol declared to be less than 40 g/day in men and in women.
Overweight is therefore a more significant risk factor than alcohol consumption under 4 glasses of wine per day in fibrosis and steatosis of the liver.