Mortality patterns among persons with antecedent syphilis infection

Syphilis patients may have a higher risk of death from other types of high-risk behavior than other individuals. Among 16,257 individuals diagnosed with syphilis between Jan 1972 and Dec 1987, 928 died between 1973 and 1987. The number of deaths was equivalent to the expected number for both men and women. The number of deaths among men between 25 and 54 years old was higher than expected, and the largest number of deaths occurred among men between 25 and 34 years old. AIDS was the main cause of the increased number of deaths among younger men. The second most important cause was different types of alcohol-associated deaths. These included cirrhosis, alcoholism, oral cancer and homicide. Alcohol-associated deaths also increased the death rate among female patients with syphilis.