WOMEN, ALCOHOL, AND RED-CELLS

Alcohol abuse is known to increase erythrocyte mean cell volume mainly as a consequence of direct toxic effect on the developing red cell. T he influence of alcohol on other red cell parameters is unclear. The o bjective of this cross-sectional survey was to examine the consequence s of different alcohol amounts on red cell parameters among women. We compared red cell parameters between female alcoholics, heavy drinkers , and controls. Controls (n = 138) and heavy drinkers (n = 65) consist ed of consecutive 40- and 45-year-old women participating in the healt h screening, and alcoholics (n = 73) of consecutive women coming to a detoxification clinic. Alcoholics had significantly smaller erythrocyt e counts (p < 0.01), end higher erythrocyte mean cell volume values (p < 0.001), reticulocyte counts (p < 0.01), and red cell distribution w idth values (p < 0.001) than controls. No difference between these gro ups was found, however, in hemoglobin distribution width value. The on ly red cell difference between controls and heavy drinkers was erythro cyte mean cell volume, which was significantly higher among heavy drin kers(p < 0.001). In alcoholics, red cell distribution width values wer e even more often increased (in 44%) than erythrocyte mean cell volume values (in 34%). This increase in red cell distribution width was not solely explained by iron deficiency or liver disease. Chronic alcohol abuse not only affects erythrocyte mean cell volume values, but also leads to anisocytosis seen in blood count as an increased red cell dis tribution width value.