[An epidemiological survey of alcoholic liver disease in Zhejiang province].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the brief survey of alcohol intake and the incidence of alcohol liver disease in Zhejiang province.


METHODS
18,237 requested persons aged over 18 years were selected by multi-stage stratified cluster sampling in Zhejiang province. Questionnaire about alcohol consumption, hepatic ultrasonic scan and detection of hepatic enzymes and markers of HBV and HCV were carried out. Daily alcohol intake more than 40g (including equal to 40g/d) was essential for the diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease.


RESULTS
Among the 18,237 persons (male 12,042, female 6195), the average daily alcohol intake was (17.7 +/- 27.2) g. The incidence of alcoholic liver disease in Zhejiang province was 4.34% (male 6.36%, female 0.36%) in the whole population. Four subtypes were separated as alcoholic cirrhosis, alcoholic fat liver, alcoholic hepatitis and mild alcoholic injury in liver with the corresponding incidence of 0.68%, 0.94%, 1.51% and 1.21% separately.


CONCLUSIONS
Alcoholic liver disease is found to be a common disease in Zhejiang province, indicating an urgent need for the public education on alcohol abuse and the treatment on related health problems
Li
You-ming
YM
Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital, Medical School, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
Chen
Wei-xing
WX
Yu
Chao-hui
CH
Yue
Min
M
Liu
You-shi
YS
Xu
Gen-yu
GY
Ji
Feng
F
Li
Su-dan
SD
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged