Affordability of vodka aсчndliver cirrhosis mortality rates in Russia

Abstract

Background: There is evidence that the affordability of alcohol is one of the most important predictor of thedramatic fluctuations in Russian mortality rates during the last decades. Objective: The aim of the present study was to estimate the relationship between affordability of vodka and livercirrhosis mortality rates in post-Soviet Russia. Method: Trends in mortality from liver cirrhosis and affordability of vodka between 1991 and 2015 werecompared. Results: The time series analysis suggests a close link between vodka affordability and liver cirrhosis mortalityrates in Russia: a 1% increase in affordability of vodka implies a 0.5% increase in male mortality rate and a1.68% increase in female mortality rate. Conclusions: The major conclusion emerging from this study is thataffordability of alcohol is one of the most important predictor of liver cirrhosis mortality. These findingsprovide additional evidence that decreasing in affordability of alcohol is an effective strategy for reducingalcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm.