Alcohol-related mortality in Italy

This study evaluated the impact of alcohol drinking habits on mortality in Italy during the 1980-1990 period. Alcohol Attributable Fractions for a list of Alcohol-Related Diseases were assessed from national and international medical literature and then applied to national mortality data according to 5 y age groups, sex, and place of residence for each year of the 1980-1990 period. Mortality rates and 95% Confidence Intervals were standardized with the direct method. Years of potential life lost (YPLL) were calculated for 1990. 18 033 Italian residents died during 1990 from causes related to alcohol drinking, representing 3.3% of general mortality (males 4.6%; females 2.0%) which corresponded to over 200 000 YPLL up to age 70 y. Chronic diseases account for 65% of alcohol-related mortality. Age-adjusted death rates declined in both genders during 1980-1990. Geographic differences in death rates are well evident. Alcohol drinking is a strong determinant of mortality in Italy. The variability of alcohol-related death rates across the country and the comparison with the results from other populations suggest that health consequences, mainly liver damage, of alcohol intake in Italy may be affected by other factors than alcohol itself. The need for further methodological efforts to improve alcohol attributable fraction estimates is recommended.