The number of people dying from liver disease in England is rising, according to the first ever national report on the statistics published by the National End-of-Life Care Intelligence Network.
The report, Deaths from liver disease: Implications for end-of-life care in England, describes how there has been a 25% increase in liver disease deaths between 2001 (9,231 people) and 2009 (11,575 people). This is in contrast to other major causes of death, which have been declining. Although numbers of deaths due to cancer, vascular or respiratory disease are still greater, liver disease disproportionately kills people at a much younger age – a striking 90% of people who die from liver disease are under 70 years old. More than 1 in 10 of deaths of people in their 40s are from liver disease. When measured as ‘years of life lost’, liver disease is therefore much more prominent. The report highlights that 60% of deaths from liver disease occurred among men and 40% among women; the most common type of which is alcohol-related liver disease, accounting for 37% of all liver disease deaths. However, the prevalence of deaths from alcohol-related liver disease varies greatly between males (41% of liver disease deaths) and females (30% of liver disease deaths). Alcohol-related liver disease is also more common in the most deprived than the least deprived areas. Commenting on the report findings, Professor Julia Verne, lead author of the report and clinical lead for the National End-of-Life Care Intelligence Network, said: “This report provides the first summary of key facts on deaths from liver disease, on which future discussions can be built. It is crucial that commissioners and providers of health and social care services know the prevalence of liver disease in their local areas, so that more people can receive the care they need to allow them to die in the place of their choosing.”
Photo Credit: www.sxc.hu
