The significance of coronary death for the excess mortality in alcohol-dependent men.
General and validated cause-specific mortality, especially regarding coronary disease, was studied in a population-based cohort of 1049 alcohol-dependent (DSM-III-R) men, who were discharged from a detoxification ward. The observed and expected numbers of deaths were 140 and 23.2, respectively (P < 0.001). The estimated risk quotient of death was 6.0 (95% confidence interval 5.1-7.1). The concordance between revised and official causes of death was approximately 50%, but the resulting variation of risk quotients of cause-specific deaths generally remained within the statistical uncertainty. Coronary disease contributed to 19% of the total excess mortality in cases with a validated definite death diagnosis. The risk of coronary death tended to be augmented during the first 2 years of discharge (P = 0.05). Thus, coronary death contributed significantly to the excess mortality in alcohol-dependent men, and an increased vulnerability for sudden coronary death seemed to persist for a considerable time after discharge from detoxification.
Denison
H
H
Department of Medicine, Ostra University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden.
Berkowicz
A
A
Odén
A
A
Wendestam
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000401:mortality*; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors