Dataset Information

Can alcohol control policies reduce cirrhosis mortality? An interrupted time-series analysis in Lithuania.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

The relationship between alcohol consumption and cirrhosis is well established. Policies that can influence population-level use of alcohol should, in turn, impact cirrhosis. We examined the effect of population-level alcohol control policies on cirrhosis mortality rates in Lithuania - a high-income European Union country with high levels of alcohol consumption.

Methods

Age-standardized, monthly liver mortality data (deaths per 100,000 adults, aged 15+) from Lithuania were analysed from 2001 to 2018 (n = 216 months) while controlling for economic confounders (gross domestic product and inflation). An interrupted time-series analysis was conducted to estimate the effect of three alcohol control policies implemented in 2008, 2017 and 2018 and the number of cirrhosis deaths averted.

Results

There was a significant effect of the 2008 (P < .0001) and 2017 (P = .0003) alcohol control policies but a null effect of the 2018 policy (P = .40). Following the 2008 policy, the cirrhosis mortality rate dropped from 4.93 to 3.41 (95% CI: 3.02-3.80) deaths per 100,000 adults, which equated to 493 deaths averted. Further, we found that following the 2017 policy, the mortality rate dropped from 2.85 to 2.01 (95% CI: 1.50-2.52) deaths per 100,000 adults, corresponding to 245 deaths averted.

Conclusions

Our findings support the hypothesis that alcohol control policies can have a significant, immediate effect on cirrhosis mortality. These policy measures are cost-effective and aid in reducing the burden of liver disease.

SUBMITTER: Tran A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8930681 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Can alcohol control policies reduce cirrhosis mortality? An interrupted time-series analysis in Lithuania.

Tran Alexander A Jiang Huan H Lange Shannon S Manthey Jakob J Štelemėkas Mindaugas M Badaras Robertas R Petkevičienė Janina J Radišauskas Ričardas R Room Robin R Rehm Jürgen J

Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver 20220130 4

<h4>Background and aims</h4>The relationship between alcohol consumption and cirrhosis is well established. Policies that can influence population-level use of alcohol should, in turn, impact cirrhosis. We examined the effect of population-level alcohol control policies on cirrhosis mortality rates in Lithuania - a high-income European Union country with high levels of alcohol consumption.<h4>Methods</h4>Age-standardized, monthly liver mortality data (deaths per 100,000 adults, aged 15+) from Li ...[more]

PMID: 35023617

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundIn 2012, the Ministry of Health in British Columbia, Canada, introduced a $75 incentive payment that could be claimed by hospital physicians each time they produced a written post-discharge care plan for a complex patient at the time of hospital discharge.ObjectiveTo examine whether physician financial payments incentivizing enhanced discharge planning reduce subsequent unplanned hospital readmissions.DesignInterrupted time series analysis of population-based hospitalization data.ParticipantsIndividuals with one or more eligible hospitalizations occurring in British Columbia between 2007 and 2017.Main measuresThe proportion of index hospital discharges with subsequent unplanned hospital readmission within 30 days, as measured each month of the 11-year study interval. We used interrupted time series analysis to determine if readmission risk changed after introduction of the incentive payment policy.Key resultsA total of 40,588 unplanned hospital readmissions occurred among 409,289 eligible index hospitalizations (crude 30-day readmission risk, 9.92%). Policy introduction was not associated with a significant step change (0.393%; 95CI, - 0.190 to 0.975%; p = 0.182) or change-in-trend (p = 0.317) in monthly readmission risk. Policy introduction was associated with significantly fewer prescription fills for potentially inappropriate medications among older patients, but no improvement in prescription fills for beta-blockers after cardiovascular hospitalization and no change in 30-day mortality. Incentive payment uptake was incomplete, rising from 6.4 to 23.5% of eligible hospitalizations between the first and last year of the post-policy interval.ConclusionThe introduction of a physician incentive payment was not associated with meaningful changes in hospital readmission rate, perhaps in part because of incomplete uptake by physicians. Policymakers should consider these results when designing similar interventions elsewhere.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov ID, NCT03256734.

Dataset Information

Can alcohol control policies reduce cirrhosis mortality? An interrupted time-series analysis in Lithuania.

Background and aims

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Can alcohol control policies reduce cirrhosis mortality? An interrupted time-series analysis in Lithuania.

Similar Datasets

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