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Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Combining Behavioral Endocrinology and Experimental Economics: Testosterone and Social Decision Making
Published on: March 2, 2011
Controlled study on the combined effect of alcohol and tobacco smoking on testosterone in alcohol-dependent men
Marc Walter1, Urs Gerhard, Manfred Gerlach
1Division of Substance Use Disorders, Psychiatric University Clinics, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. marc.walter@upkbs.ch
Aims:
The present study examined the association between pre-treatment drinking and smoking parameters and plasma testosterone levels before and after alcohol withdrawal.
Methods:
A total of 51 alcohol-dependent men and 43 age-matched healthy men were investigated. In alcoholics, free testosterone in plasma was measured on the day of admission, after detoxification and after 6 weeks of sobriety.
Results:
While the testosterone level of alcoholic men did not differ from healthy controls at the onset of withdrawal, it was significantly higher for the alcoholics after 6 weeks of sobriety than for the healthy controls. Higher alcohol consumption and higher tobacco use before detoxification led to higher levels of testosterone concentration before and after withdrawal.
Conclusions:
The effect of alcohol and tobacco is cumulative, with higher levels of alcohol and tobacco consumption being associated with higher levels of testosterone before and after alcohol withdrawal.
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