Survival outcome in chronic alcoholism: a 10 year follow-up study

Alcoholism is a major cause of death. To date, there have been reported few studies examining the factors associated with mortality in alcoholics who are hospitalized for medical reasons. The aim of this study was to analyze the survival rate of those alcoholic subjects and to identify outcome variables. Among all alcoholic patients admitted from January 1986 to December 1988 in the Department of Internal Medicine 1 of the Reina Sofia University Hospital in Córdoba (Spain), 162 met the inclusion criteria. Information was compiled from protocols, medical records,death certificates and interviews to patients and family members.A prospective cohort design was also used. Average age was 50.7 (10.7) years; 91.4% were males, 69.9% smokers,65.7% were married, 19.8% had ascites, and the average follow-up was 8.7 years. 59 patients survived, 56 died, and 47 did not complete the study period. In the covariate analysis, age, marital status,alcoholism duration, bilirubin levels, ascites and albumin concentrations had statistical signification. Four variables were included in the regression model: age (OR, 1.07; 1.03-1.12); ascites (OR,2.09; 1.05-4.15); bilirubin (OR, 1.42; 1.20-1.67) and marital status (OR, 2.39; 1.17-4.85). In our study, age, an increase in bilirubin level, presence of ascites, and marital status (single, widowed or separated) were associated with a significantly lower survival rate in chronic alcoholics.