[Hepatitis B mortality in Brazil, 2000-2009].

This descriptive study focused on the mortality profile associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Brazil as a whole and by region, based on data from the Mortality Information System (MIS). The study sample consisted of deaths from HBV recorded in the MIS from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2009. The crude mortality rate remained constant in the country; the proportion of hepatocellular carcinoma with HBV as the associated cause was no greater than 7%. The standardized mortality rate was highest in the North of Brazil, and the proportional mortality rate was higher in males. In 2009, the potential years of life lost (PYLL) were highest in males in the 50-59-year age bracket and in females in the 40-49-year bracket. The largest increase in PYLL occurred in males 60 to 69 years of age. The study emphasizes the importance of scaling up preventive measures against HBV, in addition to expanding access to early diagnosis in order to reduce HBV mortality in the coming decades.