Low incidence of chlorpropamide-alcohol flushing in diet-treated, non-insulin-dependent diabetes

50 diet-treated, non-insulin-dependent diabetics were tested subjectively and objectively for chlorpropamide-alcohol flushing (CPAF) with a single challenge test. Of the 12 (24%) who reported a subjective flush, 9 (18%) also flushed when a placebo was given instead of chlorpropamide, so the true incidence of chlorpropamide-alcohol flushing was 4% (1 patient was not retested with placebo). In a control group of 21 non-diabetics, 2 showed the specific CPAF phenomenon. Temperature measurement did not improve discrimination, but it did show a faster rise in facial temperature in CPAF-positive subjects than in alcohol flushers. This study does not confirm previous higher estimates of the incidence of the CPAF phenomenon in non-insulin-dependent diabetes.