Alcohol, tobacco and coffee consumption and liver disease severity among individuals with Chronic Hepatitis B infection in North America

The prevalence of alcohol, tobacco, and coffee use and association with liver health among North Americans with Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) infection has not been well described. The Hepatitis B Research Network includes an observational study of untreated CHB adults enrolled at 21 sites in the United States and Canada. Alcohol use was categorized as none, moderate, and at-risk based on the definition from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; tobacco use as never, current and former; coffee use as none, 1–2 cups/day, and ≥3 cups/day. Linear regression and linear mixed models were used to associate lifestyle behaviors with ALT and FIB-4 values. 1330 participants met eligibility: 53% males, 71% Asian and the median age was 42 years (IQR: 34–52). Median ALT was 33U/L (IQR: 22–50), 37% had HBV DNA