PREDICTION OF ALCOHOL-RELATED HARM BY LABORATORY TEST-RESULTS

We examined the value of laboratory markers of excessive alcohol (etha nol) intake as predictors of mortality, morbidity, and health-care uti lization in a cohort of 330 patients attending an acute ambulatory car e service. Among men, all four markers examined-gamma-glutamyltransfer ase (GGT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities, high-densit y lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and mean corpuscular volume (MCV)-w ere predictive of medical sequelae and health-care utilization over a 3-year period. In contrast, social problems were more closely related to the amount of alcohol consumption at initial assessment than to any biological marker. Serum GGT and AST activities and MCV were predicti ve of medical sequelae in women. The predictive value of GGT was an in dependent risk factor and did not merely reflect recent alcohol intake or the presence of chronic liver disease. We conclude that these read ily available laboratory tests provide important prognostic informatio n and should be an integral part of the assessment of persons with haz ardous alcohol consumption.