Population-Based Study of Alcohol-Related Liver Disease in England in 2001–2018: Influence of Socioeconomic Position

Abstract

Background: 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 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 neighbourhood areas in 18.8 million residents. We estimated incidence rate and incidence rate ratios (IRR) of ALD and hazard ratios (HR) of mortality. Findings: 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 threefold higher in those from the most vs. the least deprived quintile [IRR of 3.30 (95%: 3.21-3.38)], with reducing inequality at older than at younger ages. For 55–74-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 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 vs. the least deprived quintile [HR of 1.22 (95%CI: 1.18-1.27)] and this ratio did not change during 2001-2018. Interpretation: The increasing ALD incidence in England is a greater burden on individuals of low compared to high socioeconomic position. This finding highlights ALD as a contributor to inequality in health.