• In 2018, of the 83,517 liver disease deaths among individuals ages 12 and older, 47.8 percent involved alcohol. Among males, 52,499 liver disease deaths occurred and 50.4 percent involved alcohol. Among females, 31,018 liver disease deaths occurred and 44.2 percent involved alcohol.26
  • Among all cirrhosis deaths in 2013, 47.9 percent were alcohol related. The proportion of alcohol-related cirrhosis was highest (76.5 percent) among deaths of persons ages 25–34, followed by deaths of persons ages 35–44, at 70.0 percent.27
  • In 2009, alcohol-related liver disease was the primary cause of almost 1 in 3 liver transplants in the United States.28
  • Drinking alcohol increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, esophagus, pharynx, larynx, liver, and breast.29

 

26 Estimated liver disease deaths include deaths with the underlying cause of death coded as alcoholic liver disease (K70), liver cirrhosis, unspecified (K74.3–K74.6, K76.0, K76.9), liver cancer (C22), or other liver diseases (K71, K72, K73, K74.0–K74.2, K75, and K76.1–K76.8). Number of deaths from Multiple Cause of Death Public-Use Data File, 2018 (http://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd.html). Alcohol-attributable fractions (AAFs) from CDC Alcohol-Related Disease Impact (http://nccd.cdc.gov/DPH_ARDI/Default/Default.aspx, accessed 2/4/20). Prevalence of alcohol consumption from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2018, for estimating indirect AAFs for liver cancer.

27 Yoon, Y.H.; and Chen, C.M. Surveillance Report #105: Liver Cirrhosis Mortality in the United States: National, State, and Regional Trends, 2000–2013. Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), 2016. Available at: http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Surveillance105/Cirr13.pdf. Accessed 11/7/16.

28 Singal, A.K.; Guturu, P.; Hmoud, B.; et al. Evolving frequency and outcomes of liver transplantation based on etiology of liver disease. Transplantation 95(5):755–760, 2013. PMID: 23370710 (Please note: The “almost 1 in 3” figure aggregates the total number of transplants necessitated by alcoholic cirrhosis, alcoholic liver disease plus hepatitis C virus infection, and 40 percent of transplants necessitated by hepatocellular carcinoma.)

29 National Cancer Institute. Alcohol Consumption, November 2015 update. Available at: http://www.progressreport.cancer.gov/prevention/alcohol. Accessed 9/19/16.

On August 15, 2020   /   Blog