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Regional variation in deaths from liver disease revealed

Regional variation in deaths from liver disease revealed
22 October 2014



Liver disease profiles released by Public Health England (PHE) have showed that there is a significant variation in mortality rates across the country.
Male mortality from the disease is far greater in some local authorities compared to others – for example, in London the number of deaths per 100,000 people is 18.6, compared with 40 in Camden.
Liver disease is the only major cause of morbidity that has a rising mortality rate in England, while it is decreasing in the rest of Europe.

Liver disease profiles released by Public Health England (PHE) have showed that there is a significant variation in mortality rates across the country.
Male mortality from the disease is far greater in some local authorities compared to others – for example, in London the number of deaths per 100,000 people is 18.6, compared with 40 in Camden.
Liver disease is the only major cause of morbidity that has a rising mortality rate in England, while it is decreasing in the rest of Europe.
Furthermore, large variations in hospital admissions, due to liver disease, have also been observed.
In London the number of hospital admissions per 100,000 of the population is 135.7, in comparison to 256.7 in Manchester.
Lead for Liver Disease at PHE, Professor Julia Verne said: “Liver disease is a public health priority because young lives are being needlessly lost.  All the preventable causes are on the rise, but alcohol accounts for 37 per cent of liver disease deaths. We must do more to raise awareness, nationally and locally, and this is why it is so important for the public and health professionals to understand their local picture.”
Research has shown that in some areas, the number of years of life lost in people under 75 with liver disease is almost three times that of breast cancer and stroke patients.
One in ten people die in their forties as a result of liver disease, making it one of leading causes of premature death in England.
Chief executive of The British Liver Trust, Andrew Langford, said: “[We are] delighted with the level of detail provided within these profiles – they provide invaluable evidence as to how local authorities, CCGs, public health professionals and the NHS can improve upon and increase prevention, early diagnosis and more timely care and treatment. These profiles, which were urgently needed, will begin to address the devastating rise of poor liver health throughout the country and reduce unnecessary deaths of increasingly younger people from liver disease."
More than 90% of liver disease is due to alcohol, hepatitis B and C and obesity, all of which are treatable and preventable risk factors

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