TY - JOUR
T1 - Population-Based Study of Alcohol-Related Liver Disease in England in 2001–2018
T2 - Influence of Socioeconomic Position
AU - Askgaard, Gro
AU - Jepsen, Peter
AU - Jensen, Morten Daniel
AU - Kann, Anna Emilie
AU - Morling, Joanne
AU - Kraglund, Frederik
AU - Card, Tim
AU - Crooks, Colin
AU - West, Joe
PY - 2024/7
Y1 - 2024/7
N2 - INTRODUCTION: England has seen an increase in deaths due to alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) since 2001. We studied the influence of socioeconomic position on the incidence of ALD and the mortality after ALD diagnosis in England in 2001–2018. METHODS: This was an observational cohort study based on health records contained within the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink covering primary care, secondary care, cause of death registration, and deprivation of neighborhood areas in 18.8 million residents. We estimated incidence rate and incidence rate ratios of ALD and hazard ratios of mortality. RESULTS: ALD was diagnosed in 57,784 individuals with a median age of 54 years and of whom 43% had cirrhosis. The ALD incidence rate increased by 65% between 2001 and 2018 in England to reach 56.1 per 100,000 person-years in 2018. The ALD incidence was 3-fold higher in those from the most deprived quintile vs those from the least deprived quintile (incidence rate ratio 3.30, 95% confidence interval 3.21–3.38), with reducing inequality at older than at younger ages. For 55- to 74-year-olds, there was a notable increase in the incidence rate between 2001 and 2018, from 96.1 to 158 per 100,000 person-years in the most deprived quintile and from 32.5 to 70.0 in the least deprived quintile. After ALD diagnosis, the mortality risk was higher for patients from the most deprived quintile vs those from the least deprived quintile (hazard ratio 1.22, 95% confidence interval 1.18–1.27), and this ratio did not change during 2001–2018. DISCUSSION: The increasing ALD incidence in England is a greater burden on individuals of low economic position compared with that on those of high socioeconomic position. This finding highlights ALD as a contributor to inequality in health.
AB - INTRODUCTION: England has seen an increase in deaths due to alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) since 2001. We studied the influence of socioeconomic position on the incidence of ALD and the mortality after ALD diagnosis in England in 2001–2018. METHODS: This was an observational cohort study based on health records contained within the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink covering primary care, secondary care, cause of death registration, and deprivation of neighborhood areas in 18.8 million residents. We estimated incidence rate and incidence rate ratios of ALD and hazard ratios of mortality. RESULTS: ALD was diagnosed in 57,784 individuals with a median age of 54 years and of whom 43% had cirrhosis. The ALD incidence rate increased by 65% between 2001 and 2018 in England to reach 56.1 per 100,000 person-years in 2018. The ALD incidence was 3-fold higher in those from the most deprived quintile vs those from the least deprived quintile (incidence rate ratio 3.30, 95% confidence interval 3.21–3.38), with reducing inequality at older than at younger ages. For 55- to 74-year-olds, there was a notable increase in the incidence rate between 2001 and 2018, from 96.1 to 158 per 100,000 person-years in the most deprived quintile and from 32.5 to 70.0 in the least deprived quintile. After ALD diagnosis, the mortality risk was higher for patients from the most deprived quintile vs those from the least deprived quintile (hazard ratio 1.22, 95% confidence interval 1.18–1.27), and this ratio did not change during 2001–2018. DISCUSSION: The increasing ALD incidence in England is a greater burden on individuals of low economic position compared with that on those of high socioeconomic position. This finding highlights ALD as a contributor to inequality in health.
KW - alcohol-related liver disease
KW - deprivation
KW - England
KW - epidemiology
KW - socioeconomic inequality
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85197527039&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.14309/ajg.0000000000002677
DO - 10.14309/ajg.0000000000002677
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 38299583
AN - SCOPUS:85197527039
SN - 0002-9270
VL - 119
SP - 1337
EP - 1345
JO - American Journal of Gastroenterology
JF - American Journal of Gastroenterology
IS - 7
ER -