Testosterone in Chronic Alcoholic Men |
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| Authors: | MICHAEL IRWIN M.D. EVE DREYFUS M.D. STEVE BAIRD M.D. TOM L. SMITH Ph.D. MARC SCHUCKIT M.D. |
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| Affiliation: | Associate Director, Clinical Center on Alcoholism at the San Diego Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC), San Diego and Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA;Resident, Department of Psychiatry at UCSD;Director, Clinical Laboratory, San Diego VAMC and Associate Professor of Pathology, UCSD;Clinical Center on Alcoholism, San Diego VAMC;5Professor, Department of Psychiatry, UCSD |
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| Abstract: | Reduced testosterone levels in chronic alcoholic men may be associated with the age, alcohol consumption history, severity of liver injury, and nutritional status of these patients. In this study, total testosterone levels were measured in 163 alcoholic men upon admission to an alcohol treatment program (ATP) and at 3 months follow-up. Values of testosterone below the clinical normal range were found in over 17% of the subjects, a finding significantly predicted by age, alcohol consumption and liver injury tests. Follow-up at 3 months further demonstrated that abnormally low testosterone values significantly increased in men who remained abstinent as compared to those who continued to drink. |
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