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Mortality among alcoholics discharged from a Japanese hospital
Insights
Alcoholism significantly increases mortality risk, with death rates over 10 times higher than the general population. Liver disease and heart failure are leading causes of death in alcoholics.
Area of Science:
- Medical Research
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Alcoholism poses a significant public health challenge with high mortality rates.
- Understanding mortality patterns in alcohol-dependent individuals is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate mortality rates and causes of death among patients with alcoholism.
- To compare mortality risks in alcoholics versus the general population.
- To assess the impact of abstinence on survival rates.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective cohort study of 1021 patients discharged from an alcoholic ward (1972-1984).
- Analysis of causes of death and comparison of observed vs. expected death rates.
- Evaluation of abstinence rates post-discharge.
Main Results:
- The average age at death was 48.4 years.
- Diseases (73.5%), accidents (10.5%), and suicide/homicide (7.3%) were primary causes of death.
- Alcoholic patients exhibited mortality rates over 10 times higher than the general population.
- Liver cirrhosis and heart failure were identified as leading causes of death.
- Only 3.1% of deceased patients were total abstainers post-discharge, compared to an average abstinence rate of 25.8%.
Conclusions:
- Alcoholism drastically elevates mortality risk compared to the general population.
- Liver disease and heart failure are major contributors to premature death in alcoholics.
- Achieving and maintaining abstinence is critical for improving survival rates in individuals with alcoholism.
Abstract:
A study of mortality among alcoholics was carried out involving patients discharged from the alcoholic ward of a Hamamatsu University-affiliated hospital from 1972 to 1984 (1021 patients). The average age at death was 48.4 years. The causes of death were divided into three groups; 'diseases', 'accidents', 'suicide and homicide', accounting for 73.5%, 10.5% and 7.3% of 257 deaths, respectively. Death rates per 1000 persons for the years at risk were compared with the expected rates for the general population. Briefly, the death rates for patients were more than 10 times as large as those in the general population. Our results showed that liver cirrhosis and heart failure ranked high among the causes of death in alcoholics. Among patients who died, only 3.1% were total abstainers after discharge from hospital, which was an extremely low proportion in comparison with the average cross-total abstinence rate of 25.8% among patients after discharge.