THE MARK OF ALCOHOL ON LIVER MORTALITY IN BRAZIL: PROFILE OF DECEDENTS AND REGIONAL INEQUALITIES, 2010–2024
ABSTRACT: Objective: To analyze trends and the sociodemographic and territorial profile of mortality from alcohol-associated liver disease in Brazil between 2010 and 2024. Methods: Ecological descriptive study of deaths whose underlying cause was classified under ICD-10 category K70, obtained from the Mortality Information System and grouped into three five-year periods. Sex, age, race/skin color, schooling, marital status, place of death, macroregion, and state were examined using absolute numbers, proportions, and percentage changes. Results: A total of 158,428 deaths were recorded. The number remained stable between 2010–2014 and 2015–2019 (-0.03%) and rose by 7.51% in 2020–2024, reaching 55,382 deaths. Men accounted for 88.25% of deaths in the last period. An age shift was observed, with a 21.14% decline among those aged 30–39 years and a 40.16% increase among people aged 60 years or older. The share of people classified as Brown increased from 41.54% to 48.77%; deaths rose by 17.09% in the Northeast and 25.14% in the Central-West, while declining by 3.35% in the Southeast. Conclusion: Mortality from alcohol-associated liver disease increased in the most recent period and remained strongly concentrated among men, with marked social inequalities and territorial heterogeneity, indicating the need for prevention, timely diagnosis, and regionalized care networks.