Years of potential life lost among heroin addicts 33 years after treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To examine premature mortality in terms of years of potential life lost (YPLL) among a cohort of long-term heroin addicts.


METHODS
This longitudinal, prospective study followed a cohort of 581 male heroin addicts in California for more than 33 years. In the latest follow-up conducted in 1996/97, 282 subjects (48.5%) were confirmed as deceased by death certificates. YPLL before age 65 years was calculated by causes of death. Ethnic differences in YPLL were assessed among Whites, Hispanics, and African Americans.


RESULTS
On average, addicts in this cohort lost 18.3 years (SD=10.7) of potential life before age 65. Of the total YPLL for the cohort, 22.3% of the years lost was due to heroin overdose, 14.0% due to chronic liver disease, and 10.2% to accidents. The total YPLL and YPLL by death cause in addict cohort were significantly higher than that of US population. The YPLL among African Americans was significantly lower than that among Whites or Hispanics.


CONCLUSIONS
The YPLL among addicts was much higher than that in the national population; within the cohort, premature mortality was higher among Whites and Hispanics compared to African American addicts.
Smyth
Breda
B
Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles 1640 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Ste. 200 Los Angeles, CA 90025, USA.
Hoffman
Valerie
V
Fan
Jing
J
Hser
Yih-Ing
YI
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002423:Cause of Death / Q000639:trends*; D002648:Child; D003644:Death Certificates; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D017741:Survivors; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data