NUTRITIONAL-STATUS IN CHRONICALLY ALCOHOLIC MEN FROM THE MIDDLE SOCIOECONOMIC-CLASS AND ITS RELATION TO ETHANOL INTAKE

To determine the relationship between nutritional status and ethanol c onsumption, 250 chronically alcoholic men (mean age 41 +/- 11 years) e ntering an alcoholism treatment program were studied. A control group of 100 male volunteers (mean age 40 +/- 10 years) was also evaluated. Detailed clinical history, laboratory analysis and nutritional status assessment were carried out in each case and control. In addition etha nol-related diseases such as liver disease, chronic pancreatitis, card iomyopathy, myopathy and peripheral neuropathy were ruled out in all p atients. The mean daily ethanol consumption of the alcoholics was 235 +/- 62 g over an average of 19 years. All of them belong to a very sta ble, middle-class working group of men. Only 25 (10%) alcoholics showe d evidence of energy malnutrition, 15 (6%), of protein malnutrition, a nd 6 (2%) of both. In the multivariate analysis, the only independent factors for the development of malnutrition were the total lifetime do se of ethanol and calorie intake (ethanol excluded) (P < 0.01; both), as well as cirrhosis (P < 0.01) when protein malnutrition was consider ed. Alcoholic cirrhosis was diagnosed in 20 cases, skeletal myopathy i n 117, dilated cardiomyopathy in 20 and peripheral neuropathy in 41. W hen patients with ethanol-related diseases were excluded, no significa nt differences in nutritional parameters were observed between chronic alcoholics and controls. We conclude that malnutrition is not as freq uent as previously thought in middle socioeconomic class male alcoholi cs and its existence may be considered as another consequence of ethan ol intake or secondary to the alcohol-related diseases.