Relationship between morbidity and mortality due to alcoholic cardiomyopathy and alcohol consumption in Australia.

The study was undertaken to determine whether morbidity and mortality rates for alcoholic cardiomyopathy vary with community alcohol consumption levels. The cardiomyopathy mortality comparisons for Australia from 1968 to 1978 showed a positive relationship for both males and females aged 30 to 59 years, and 60 years and over. From 1979 to 1986 a decrease in consumption was associated with a decrease in alcoholic cardiomyopathy mortality for females, and to a lesser extent males, aged 30 to 59 years. The morbidity comparisons for Western Australia from 1971 to 1984 gave similar results to the Australian mortality findings for the males aged 30 to 59 years. It appears that the prevention of alcoholic cardiomyopathy will be facilitated by lowering the overall level of alcohol consumption in the community.