Predictors of mortality in alcoholic women: prospective follow-up study.

An 11-year follow-up of 100 alcoholic women who were systematically interviewed and diagnosed during hospitalization found 31% dead, the majority as a result of alcohol-related causes. There were over 4 times as many deaths in alcoholic women as expected in the general population. The life span of alcoholic women was shortened by over 15 years. Only those women who had abstained during the interval following hospitalization had fewer than expected deaths. Five variables correctly predicted survival status for 79% of the subjects (80% of survivors and 77% of those who died): older age at index, onset of alcoholism before age 30, history of frequent benders, primary diagnosis of antisocial personality, and short-term drinking status.