Drinking patterns and liver cirrhosis mortality.

Using the 1986 National Mortality Followback Survey, alcohol consumption patterns were compared for decedents with and without mention of cirrhosis of the liver as a cause of death. Approximately 55% of cirrhosis decedents had 3 drinks or more daily (80% of decedents with alcoholic cirrhosis, and 40% of decedents with unspecified or other specified cirrhosis). In contrast, only 10% of decedents without cirrhosis had at least 3 drinks daily. Forty percent of decedents with alcoholic cirrhosis had 7 drinks or more daily, compared with 17% for unspecified cirrhosis, and 21% for other specified cirrhosis. The comparable figure was 3% for decedents without cirrhosis. An average of 3 drinks per day was associated with increased cirrhosis proportional mortality, and cirrhosis proportional mortality increased with higher numbers of daily drinks.