Background:
Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is a leading cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although alcohol consumption is the principal risk factor for ALD, marked inter-individual variation in disease susceptibility has been observed, suggesting that other modifiable lifestyle factors may also play an important role. To date, evidence on how physical activity and dietary patterns relate to ALD risk-particularly in conjunction with alcohol consumption-remains limited in large, population-based prospective studies.
Objectives:
The primary objectives of this study are to evaluate the associations of physical activity and dietary patterns with the risk of incident ALD, and to examine whether these lifestyle factors modify the association between alcohol consumption and ALD.
Methods:
This study will employ a prospective cohort design using data from the UK Biobank. Information on alcohol intake, physical activity, diet, and relevant covariates will be obtained at baseline through structured questionnaires, physical assessments, and UK Biobank-generated derived variables. Incident cases of ALD will be identified through linkage to hospital admission and mortality records. Participants with evidence of liver disease at baseline will be excluded from the analyses.
Significance:
By examining modifiable lifestyle factors in relation to ALD risk, this study aims to provide population-level epidemiological evidence that may help inform public health approaches to liver disease prevention.