Outcomes of excessive alcohol drinkers without baseline evidence of chronic liver disease after 15 years follow-up: Heavy burden of cancer and liver disease mortality.

Long-term heavy drinkers seemed to have a decreased life expectancy compared with the overall Portuguese population. Cancer was the main cause of death. Our results suggest that progression to CLD depends mostly on continued alcohol intake. Alcohol abstinence, even if temporary, seems to decrease the risks of CLD and mortality.