What makes liver transplant recipients go back to drinking?

People who have had to have liver transplants because of drinking too much sometimes start drinking again after their operation. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center studied 208 people who had had transplants between May 1998 and August 2004. 54% had no reported alcohol use after surgery - a figure much better than for other people who have given up drinking. The length of sobriety before the operation was an important factor with people who had been sober for longer before their transplant less likely to return to drinking. Stress after the operation was also important with people experiencing more problems overall, being more stressed, having worse health, more pain and less energy being more likely to return to drinking.

You can find out more about this research by clicking on the title of this post.