Potentially eligible patients i.e. adults with decompensated liver disease with alcohol as a major co-factor, and acutely admitted secondary to sequelae of hepatic decompensation, will be approached by an existing member of their clinical care team (The CI & Co-Investigators form part of this team). Any patient who decides to take part in the study will have a baseline inpatient study visit either on their inpatient ward or to the NDDC Biomedical Research Unit (BRU). Subsequent follow up visits will be to the BRU.