Among Latinos, rates of deaths caused by liver disease vary considerably depending on the racial subgroup, Healio reports.

Publishing their findings in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, researchers analyzed the cause of death among 21 million U.S. adults who died between 2007 and 2016. They compared liver-related death rates between Mexicans, Puerto Ricans and Cubans. They also compared these findings with data pertaining to whites.

In 2016, age-standardized hepatitis C virus (HCV)–related death rates per 100,000 people were11.17 among Puerto Ricans, 5.92 among whites, 5.09 among Mexicans and 4.21 among Cubans.

The highest rates of age-standardized hepatitis B virus (HBV)–related mortality were among Puerto Ricans, followed by whites, Cubans and Mexicans.

The highest rates of age-standardized alcohol-related liver disease mortality were among Mexicans, followed by Puerto Ricans and Cubans. Between 2007 and 2016, the mortality rate due to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) per 100,000 people rose from 0.76 to 1.15 deaths among Mexicans and from 0.51 to 1.18 deaths among Puerto Ricans.

The highest rates of cirrhosis-related mortality were among Puerto Ricans, followed by whites, Mexicans and Cubans.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, the most common form of liver cancer)–related death was most common among Puerto Ricans and Mexicans, who had a rate comparable to whites; Cubans had the lowest rate.

To read the Healio article, click here.

To read the study abstract, click here.