The prevalence of alcohol-related mortality in both sexes: variation between indicators, Stockholm, 1987

The purpose of this study was to analyze the prevalence rates of alcohol-related mortality--according to various indicators--in both sexes in Stockholm, Sweden.

A study of alcohol involvement at death was undertaken for all 668 deceased persons aged 15 through 54 years in 1987 in Stockholm. Death certificates, autopsy information, police records, and information about earlier conviction were analyzed.

When different measures of estimation were compared, there were great differences in the prevalence rates of alcohol involvement. According to the death certificates, 9.2% of the males and 11.2% of the females had alcoholism, alcohol intoxication, pancreatitis or liver cirrhosis as underlying cause of death. When all accessible information was used, potential alcohol involvement was found in 57.5% of the male and in 32.2% of the female deaths. There was a marked association between earlier drunken driving and alcohol involvement. After reevaluation of the diagnoses with autopsy findings, the number of cases with cardiac enlargement and suspected cardiomyopathy increased from 10 to 62.

The results point to the serious underdiagnosis of alcohol involvement in death certificates and the misclassification of important causes of death (i.e., liver cirrhosis and cardiac disease); they also call for increased efforts regarding prevention.