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Increase in alcohol related deaths: is hepatitis C a factor?

Increase in alcohol related deaths: is hepatitis C a factor?
Increase in alcohol related deaths: is hepatitis C a factor?
Aim: to evaluate recent trends in alcohol related deaths in the UK and to consider possible causative factors.

Design: observational retrospective study of the database of the Office for National Statistics, alcohol consumption data reported by the General Household Survey, and other published data.

Setting: England, 1993–9.

Results: deaths for each million of the population from alcohol related illness increased by 59% in men and 40% in women over the years 1993 to 1999. One subgroup of alcohol related deaths, ICD 571.3 (alcoholic liver damage unspecified), showed a 243% increase in men aged 40 to 49 years over the same period. Figures for younger men, and women in all age groups, showed less pronounced increases. There has been no associated rise in alcohol intake. There has been an increase in the incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in recent years, and alcohol consumption in HCV positive individuals accelerates the progression to cirrhosis. Circumstantial evidence links the rise in HCV infection to the use of illicit drugs in the 1970s and 1980s, among those currently aged 40 to 59 years.

Conclusions: the recent increase in alcohol related deaths cannot be solely explained by a change in drinking habits. It is suggested that this probably results from the rapid progression of alcoholic cirrhosis in people who have acquired HCV infection through intravenous drug use. Alcohol consumption in HCV positive individuals is firmly linked with a poor outcome
0021-9746
704-707
Henry, J.A.
8216cd92-998f-42d5-8d5f-a41cec8f4897
Moloney, C.
cf97ed84-3e85-4c9e-a938-5003fad113e4
Rivas, Carol
040bfbc1-0aef-4826-ab58-e85743fea9d4
Goldin, R.D.
61032798-41c5-4047-8a69-f0cc05c853d5
Henry, J.A.
8216cd92-998f-42d5-8d5f-a41cec8f4897
Moloney, C.
cf97ed84-3e85-4c9e-a938-5003fad113e4
Rivas, Carol
040bfbc1-0aef-4826-ab58-e85743fea9d4
Goldin, R.D.
61032798-41c5-4047-8a69-f0cc05c853d5

Henry, J.A., Moloney, C., Rivas, Carol and Goldin, R.D. (2002) Increase in alcohol related deaths: is hepatitis C a factor? Journal of Clinical Pathology, 55 (9), 704-707. (doi:10.1136/jcp.55.9.704). (PMID:12195003)

Record type: Article

Abstract

Aim: to evaluate recent trends in alcohol related deaths in the UK and to consider possible causative factors.

Design: observational retrospective study of the database of the Office for National Statistics, alcohol consumption data reported by the General Household Survey, and other published data.

Setting: England, 1993–9.

Results: deaths for each million of the population from alcohol related illness increased by 59% in men and 40% in women over the years 1993 to 1999. One subgroup of alcohol related deaths, ICD 571.3 (alcoholic liver damage unspecified), showed a 243% increase in men aged 40 to 49 years over the same period. Figures for younger men, and women in all age groups, showed less pronounced increases. There has been no associated rise in alcohol intake. There has been an increase in the incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in recent years, and alcohol consumption in HCV positive individuals accelerates the progression to cirrhosis. Circumstantial evidence links the rise in HCV infection to the use of illicit drugs in the 1970s and 1980s, among those currently aged 40 to 59 years.

Conclusions: the recent increase in alcohol related deaths cannot be solely explained by a change in drinking habits. It is suggested that this probably results from the rapid progression of alcoholic cirrhosis in people who have acquired HCV infection through intravenous drug use. Alcohol consumption in HCV positive individuals is firmly linked with a poor outcome

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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 25 March 2002
Published date: 2002
Organisations: Faculty of Health Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 378025
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/378025
ISSN: 0021-9746
PURE UUID: 4d1b39bc-0408-4731-8ec5-c72b3bbfe3b1

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Date deposited: 15 Jun 2015 09:11
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 20:14

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Contributors

Author: J.A. Henry
Author: C. Moloney
Author: Carol Rivas
Author: R.D. Goldin

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