Worldwide mortality from cirrhosis** Worldwide mortality from cirrhosis: An update to 2002 Bosetti C, Levi F Lucchini F, Zatonski WA, Negri E, LaVecchia C J Hepatol 2007;46:827-839. Reprinted with permission.

Abstract

Background/Aims: Cirrhosis mortality has registered large changes over the last few decades. Aim: To report worldwide mortality due to cirrhosis over the period 1980-2002.Methods: Age-standardized (world standard) cirrhosis mortality rates per 100,000 were computed for 41 countries worldwide over the period 1980-2002 using data from WHO mortality database.Results: In the early 1980s, the highest rates were in Mexico, Chile (around 55/100,000 men and 14/100,000 women), France, Italy, Portugal, Austria, Hungary and Romania (around 30-35/100,000 men and 10-15/ 100,000 women). Mortality from cirrhosis has been steadily declining in most countries worldwide since the mid or late 1970s (annual percent change, APC, between -5% and -1.5% in the last decade only for both sexes). In southern Europe, rates in the early 2000s were less than halved compared to earlier decades. In contrast, rates have been rising in Eastern European countries to reach extremely high values in the mid 1990s, and declined only thereafter. In the UK rates were still steadily rising (APC around +7% in men and +3% in women from England and Wales, and +9% in men and +7% in women from Scotland). Conclusions: Mortality from cirrhosis shows favourable trends in most countries of the world, following the reduction in alcohol consumption and hepatitis B and C virus infection. The steady upward trends observed over more recent calendar periods in the UK and central and eastern European countries are attributed to the persistent increase in the prevalence of alcohol consumption.Abstract published under the permision of the editor of J Hepatol

Keywords

• Cirrhosis
• mortality
• alcoholic liver disease
• hepatitis C.