The Significance of Coronary Death for the Excess Mortality in Alcohol-Dependent Men

General and validated cause-specific mortality, especially regarding coronary disease, was studied in a population-based cohort of 1049 alcohol-dependent (DSM-III-R) men, who were discharged from a detoxification ward. The observed and expected numbers of deaths were 140 and 23.2, respectively (P < 0.001). The estimated risk quotient of death was 6.0 (95% confidence interval 5.1-7.1). The concordance between revised and official causes of death was approximately 50%, but the resulting variation of risk quotients of cause-specific deaths generally remained within the statistical uncertainty. Coronary disease contributed to 19% of the total excess mortality in cases with a validated definite death diagnosis. The risk of coronary death tended to be augmented during the first 2 years of discharge (P = 0.05). Thus, coronary death contributed significantly to the excess mortality in alcohol-dependent men, and an increased vulnerability for sudden coronary death seemed to persist for a considerable time after discharge from detoxification.