Cirrhosis mortality among American Indian women: rates and ratios, 1975 and 1976.

National sex-specific cirrhosis mortality data for 1975 and 1976 are examined for American Indians, and comparisons are made with two other major racial groups. Females account for almost half of the total cirrhosis deaths among Indians, compared to about one-third of the deaths among each of the other two racial groups. The ratio of male to female death rate is about 2 to 1 for Whites and Blacks, and about 1 to 1 for American Indians. In 1975 one out of four deaths among Indian women of ages 35--44 was attributed to cirrhosis. The age-specific mortality rate for Indian women age 35--54 is about 103 per 100,000 in 1975 and about 128 per 100,000 in 1976, compared to about 37 per 100,000 for Black women and 15 per 100,000 for White women for these years. Rates for male Indians exceed those for female Indians and exceed those for White and Black males. Age-adjusted rates are also presented, and potential areas for future research are suggested.