Low-dose ethanol consumption allows strength recovery in chronic alcoholicmyopathy

Chronic skeletal myopathy may affect one third of chronic alcohol misusers. It is generally accepted that abstinence allows partial recovery, and that continued high-dose ethanol consumption progressively deteriorates muscle function. However, the effect of low-dose ethanol consumption in alcoholic myopathy has not been studied. We studied 58 chronic alcoholic male patient s with biopsy-proven chronic alcoholic myopathy over 5 years. We evaluated ethanol intake, biochemical and nutritional parameters, and assessed muscle strength. Eighteen patients who remained abstinent showed marked improveme nt in muscle strength. As expected, the 19 patients who persisted in high-d ose ethanol consumption further diminished in their muscle strength. In the 11 patients who maintained low-dose (less than or equal to 60 g ethanol/da y) 'controlled' drinking, muscle strength improved (p=0.003), despite no ch ange in nutritional and exercise status. There is a dose-dependent recovery in muscle strength according to the degree of ethanol consumption, and mod erate controlled drinking of up to 60 g ethanol/day still allows improvemen t in muscle strength.