A report from ISCIII estimates alcohol-related deaths in Spain and warns of significant premature mortality, despite the decline in the rate during the analyzed period.
The health effects of alcohol consumption go far beyond the liver. Alcohol-related deaths in Spain include cancers, digestive diseases, and injuries of various kinds. A new report has allowed us to gauge the scope of this issue, updating the estimates made for the years 2001 to 2021.
Understanding the scale of these results will help identify who bears the greatest consequences and why, although the consumption trend has been downward, prevention campaigns should not be neglected.
Based on the report, we will examine how alcohol-attributable mortality has evolved, the weight of premature deaths, and the persistent inequalities between men and women.
Alcohol-Related Deaths in Spain
Spain has recorded more than 300,000 deaths related to the consumption of alcoholic beverages. A new report prepared by researchers from the National School of Health at the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) has updated the estimates of the impact of this substance between 2001 and 2021.
Only in the most recent year analyzed, the annual number of deaths linked to alcohol consumption stood at 13,887 people aged 15 and older.
The study, published this Monday, shows a favorable trend in the data: the age-standardized mortality rate attributable to alcohol declined by 34.7% from the 2001-2004 period to 2021. However, the magnitude of the figures continues to worry the scientific and health community.
“Despite this reduction, the burden remains high, underscoring the importance of maintaining prevention strategies and harm-reduction measures related to alcohol consumption,” explain the authors of the study.
High Burden in Premature Mortality and Among Men
Analysis of the data reveals significant gender and age gaps. Almost two in three deaths attributable to this substance (64.9%) are considered premature, having occurred in people under 75.
Moreover, health consequences affect men much more strongly, with 78.3% of the deaths, placing their alcohol-attributable mortality risk at four times higher than that of women.
Regarding the underlying pathologies behind these deaths, the report shows that consequences frequently extend beyond strictly hepatic ailments. Cancer led the causes associated with 5,805 deaths in 2021, closely followed by digestive diseases (5,303) and by external causes, such as trauma or accidents (2,605).
“The impact goes far beyond liver diseases, with a significant contribution to deaths from other pathologies,” the experts highlight in their conclusions.
Territorial Inequalities and the Need for Prevention
The share of alcohol in mortality varies markedly by the age group analyzed. In 2021, the consumption of this substance accounted for 3.3% of all deaths in the population aged 15 and older.
However, this proportion rises alarmingly among young and middle-aged adults, reaching 9.7% of deaths among people aged 35 to 54.
This work allows for the first time a homogeneous series for the period 2001-2021, overcoming methodological discrepancies of previous analyses. Even so, the scientists themselves caution that these are prudent projections.
“Taking into account the burden of premature deaths and the relatively conservative estimates, alcohol consumption continues to represent a significant burden of disease and death in Spain,” the researchers note.
In their view, most of these deaths (especially among the male group) are directly linked to excessive alcohol consumption. Therefore, they stress the importance of maintaining and strengthening the preventive strategies, especially in territories where the risk is higher and where the declines observed have been slower.
