Mortality of alcohol abusing men prospectively assessed in relation to history of abuse and degree of liver injury.
A prospective evaluation of mortality in relation to a broad range of alcoholic abuse and biopsy-assessed stage of alcoholic liver injury was carried out by following 315 men admitted to hospital for various medical disorders. During 10-13 years, 184 patients (58%) died, which, according to national mortality statistics, corresponds to a mortality ratio of 3.07. 43% of the excess mortality could be attributed to liver disease. Our results indicate that the alcohol abuse, irrespective of its magnitude and duration, is associated with a rather constant excess mortality and that the occurrence and severity of hepatic injury ranging from normal liver to active cirrhosis is directly associated with a subsequent liver-disease-related excess mortality.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D005235:Fatty Liver, Alcoholic / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies