Liver cirrhosis death rate in Australia 2000 and 2010

Liver cirrhosis, also known as hepatic cirrhosis, was the cause of death of 6.8 per 100,000 males in Australia in 2010. Although the death rate from this condition had decreased for the male population over the preceding ten years, the rate was still almost 2.5 times greater in men than in women across the country. While there are many known causes of this disease, it typically develops as a result of chronic liver inflammation. In Australia, common causes of liver disease include hepatitis C, excessive alcohol consumption and obesity.

Alcohol consumption and liver health

While a large share of the male and female population consume alcohol, many believe that excessive drinking and alcohol abuse is a problem in the country. In fact, almost 60 percent of Australians were concerned about alcohol related health problems. The problems associated with excessive drinking vary from region to region. Recent research has shown that alcohol consumption in regional and remote areas of the country is significantly higher than in metropolitan areas. Unsurprisingly, the Northern Territory had the highest rate of alcohol-induced deaths in the country in 2017 – over four times the rate in Victoria.