Home Critical
Health Indicator Index PDF
View/Download
What Is It?
The most common cause of liver disease is excessive consumption of alcohol. Alcohol-related disorders, which include alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis, outnumber all other types of liver disorder by at least five to one.
How are Dickinson and Iron Counties doing?
An average of 3.3 residents died from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis in Dickinson/Iron Counties for7.7 the three year period, 1998-2000.
| Three-Year Moving Averages | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | All Ages | Age Under 50 | Age 50 - 74 | Age 75 and Older | ||||||||
| Average |
Age-Adjusted Rate |
Average |
Age-Specific Rate |
Average |
Age-Specific Rate |
Average |
Age-Specific Rate |
|||||
| 1998-2000 | 1.7 | * | - | - | 1.0 | * | 0.7 | * | ||||
| 1997-1999 | 2.0 | * | 0.3 | * | 1.0 | * | 0.7 | * | ||||
|
Note: The manner
in which underlying cause of death is coded and classified was
revised in 1999 to reflect changing medical opinion and practice.
The comparability between classification schemes for this particular
cause of death is lower (1.04), meaning that caution should be taken
in drawing specific inferences from comparisons of mortality
statistics over time.
|
||||||||||||
| Three-Year Moving Averages | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | All Ages | Age Under 50 | Age 50 - 74 | Age 75 and Older | ||||||||
| Average |
Age-Adjusted Rate |
Average |
Age-Specific Rate |
Average |
Age-Specific Rate |
Average |
Age-Specific Rate |
|||||
| 1998-2000 | 1.7 | * | - | - | 1.0 | * | 0.7 | * | ||||
| 1997-1999 | 1.0 | * | - | - | 0.7 | * | 0.3 | * | ||||
|
Note: The manner
in which underlying cause of death is coded and classified was
revised in 1999 to reflect changing medical opinion and practice.
The comparability between classification schemes for this particular
cause of death is lower (1.04), meaning that caution should be taken
in drawing specific inferences from comparisons of mortality
statistics over time.
|
||||||||||||
Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis is the ninth leading cause of all deaths in Michigan and the eighth leading cause of Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL) for people below the age of 75.
In 2000, there were 1.030 deaths due to chronic liver disease and cirrhosis in Michigan. The age-adjusted death rate was 10.6 per 100,000 population, establishing a slight downward trend in the rate of death since 1989.
The chronic liver disease and cirrhosis death rate has historically been higher in Michigan than in the U.S., but the difference is narrowing. Michigan's 2000age-adjusted rate of 10.6 was similar to the U.S. rate of 7.1 and Dickinson/Iron Counties' 7.8. Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis was the tenth leading cause of all deaths and the tenth leading cause of YPLL in the U.S.
Men are more than twice as likely to die of chronic liver disease and cirrhosis as women. The Michigan age-adjusted death rate was 11.5 for men and 4.7 for women.
Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis death rates for African-Americans are 69 percent greater than for whites. In 1998, the age-adjusted rate for African-Americans in Michigan was 12.3 compared to 7.3 for whites.
What other information is important to know?
Eliminating alcohol abuse could prevent an estimated 75 to 80 percent of cirrhosis cases. Apart from alcohol and virus induced liver disease, the liver may be affected by congenital defects, bacterial and parasitic infection, circulatory disturbances, poisoning, and autoimmune processes.
Pregnant women infected with hepatitis B could transmit the virus to their babies. Newborn vaccinations will prevent infants from becoming carriers.
What are the Dickinson-Iron District Health Department and the Michigan Department of Community Health doing to affect this indicator?
The departments are actively working to reduce the prevalence and impact of chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) provides testing for diagnosis of viral hepatitis (hepatitis B and hepatitis C), which are major contributors to liver disease and may result in chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. Hepatitis B vaccinations are also provided through the Dickinson-Iron District Health Department, with vaccine purchased by the department.
The Dickinson-Iron District Health Department supports programming that focuses on changing community norms around alcohol use and reducing underage drinking. The Michigan Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking (MCRUD) is a coalition of prevention partners that focuses on underage drinking issues through grant awards and support of eight local groups. The MDCH is collaborating in a new advertising campaign is aimed at educating college students on the dangers of alcohol. A campus mentoring program emphasizes an alcohol and drug-free approach to campus life. Work site coordination focuses on substance abuse and traffic safety issues targeting 18-21 year-old workers. Michigan and Dickinson/Iron substance abuse prevention activities are intended to have a long-term effect on this indicator.