ALD

Abbreviation with 2 meanings

ALD
Stands forAlcohol-associated liver disease
Meanings2
CategoriesMedical, Writing & Everyday
Also writtenAld.

ALD has two meanings. It stands for Alcohol-associated liver disease (gastroenterology) or Alderman (title and honorific).

Meanings of ALD at a glance

#ALD stands forContext
1Alcohol-associated liver diseaseMedical › Gastroenterology
2AldermanWriting & Everyday › Title and Honorific

1. Alcohol-associated liver disease

Medical · Gastroenterology Abbreviations

Spectrum of liver injury caused by heavy drinking, from steatosis through alcohol-associated hepatitis to fibrosis and cirrhosis. Risk rises with sustained intake above roughly two to three drinks a day, and abstinence is the single most important treatment at every stage.

Example: ALD with compensated cirrhosis; abstinent since March and enrolled in an outpatient AUD program.

Also called alcohol-related liver disease (ArLD in British usage); the older "alcoholic liver disease" is discouraged as stigmatizing. In neurology and genetics ALD instead means adrenoleukodystrophy, the X-linked disorder depicted in the film Lorenzo's Oil. ALD has become a leading indication for liver transplantation in the US.

2. Alderman (Ald.)

Writing & Everyday · Title and Honorific Abbreviations

Refers to a member of a city council in some US cities, notably Chicago, and historically to senior members of English borough councils. It appears before the name in local news and council records.

Example: Ald. Washington chairs the City Council's budget committee for the third straight year.

Chicago's 50 wards each elect one council member; a 2021 Illinois law adopted the gender-neutral title "alderperson," though "alderman" and "alder" remain common in city usage and speech. In England, aldermen were abolished on most councils by local-government reforms in 1974, and "honorary alderman" survives as an honor for long service.

More gastroenterology abbreviations

  • AH – Alcohol-associated hepatitis
  • AIH – Autoimmune hepatitis
  • ALF – Acute liver failure
  • AP – Acute pancreatitis
  • APC – Argon plasma coagulation
  • BE – Barrett's esophagus
  • BRBPR – Bright red blood per rectum
  • CD – Crohn's disease

See all 85 gastroenterology abbreviations →

More title and honorific abbreviations

See all 54 title and honorific abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.