Abstract

A randomised double-blind trial of (+)-cyanidanol-3(Catechin), 2 g/day versus placebo, was carried out in 40 patients with pre-cirrhotic alcohol-related liver disease over a three month period. Twenty received the active drug and 20 placebo; one non-compliant patient in the treatment group was withdrawn. Forty-one per cent (16/39) abstained from alcohol and showed significant improvements (P < 0.005) in mean values for serum aspartate transaminase, serum gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, and mean corpuscular volume. Ten of the 16 showed overall histological improvement on liver biopsy. Fifty-nine pr cent (23/39) continued to drink, though significantly reducing their mean daily alcohol intake (P < 0.001). No significant changes occurred in this group in mean serum enzyme values, though the mean value for mean corpuscular volume improved significantly (P < 0.01) and 16 of the 23 showed overall histological improvement. Changes occurred irrespective of treatment with Catechin which suggests that, over a three month period, this drug did not influence the course of alcohol-related liver disease.