Alcohol-related liver disease deaths are rising rapidly in the U.S., especially among women, Indigenous groups, and young adults, driven by pandemic drinking and worsening health disparities.

A new study suggests that the surge in pandemic-fueled drinking caused a sharp and continuing rise in fatal liver disease, particularly in women, young adults, and Native Americans.

The U.S. death rate from alcohol-related liver disease roughly doubled over two decades and was exacerbated by the pandemic, with women, young adults and Indigenous people experiencing the sharpest rise,