Cardiovascular and some biochemical effects of high alcohol consumption

A sample of 200 men from the general population was investigated concerning alcohol consumption in relation to cardiovascular and laboratory findings. Symptoms of alcoholism (subjective relative loss of control over drinking, blackouts and morning drinks) were found to be related to the alcohol consumption. The subjects were divided into three groups: (I) a group with low alcohol consumption without symptoms of alcoholism, (II) an intermediate group with low, moderate or high alcohol consumption and with different alcohol symptoms and (III) a "heavy-drinking" group with moderate or high alcohol consumption and two or more symptoms. Group III had, on an average, a higher heart rate and a larger heart volume, and significantly lower serum (S) levels of magnesium, creatinine and IgG than groups I and II. Ten of the 53 heavy drinkers used liver-metabolized drugs, because of illness. On the average the heavy drinkers who used drugs had a higher heart rate and diastolic blood pressure and a larger heart volume, and in this group there was a higher incidence of pathological ECGs and a lower peak flow. They had higher S-cholesterol and triglycerides and, especially, low S-creatinine. Elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels showed no relationships to high alcohol consumption alone, but a combination of high alcohol consumption and liver-metabolized drugs was significantly correlated to such elevations. The finding of a combination of high alcohol consumption as reported in a standardized questionnaire and low S-creatinine may discriminate an interesting homogeneous subgroup with over-consumption of alcohol.