APPLICATION OF BIOELECTRIC IMPEDANCE METHODOLOGY AND PREDICTION EQUATIONS TO DETERMINE THE VOLUME OF DISTRIBUTION FOR ETHANOL

In large-scale epidemiologic studies of drinking behavior there is a n eed for simple and reliable estimates of the body water compartment of subjects. This, in turn, provides an estimate of the volume of distri bution of ingested ethanol and a better estimate of tissue exposure le vels than the use of total body weight as the volume of distribution f or alcohol. The volume of distribution for ethanol (total body water, TBW) was estimated in a racially mixed group of 276 alcoholics and 166 nonalcoholics (aged 20-59 years) by means of bioelectric impedance me thodology (BIA) and by means of prediction equations based upon age, b ody weight, and height. Estimations of mean TBW from BIA were found to be only slightly higher (1-4%) than those provided by the prediction equations. TBW values generated from both prediction equations were al so highly correlated with TBW values obtained by impedance methodology , with the highest correlations observed in females (particularly blac k) and in alcoholics (particularly female).