SERUM BIOCHEMICAL AND HAEMATOLOGICAL MARKERS OF ALCOHOL ABUSE IN PATIENTS WITH FEMORAL NECK AND INTERTROCHANTERIC FRACTURES

摘要

Excessive alcohol intake causes bone loss. Alcohol abuse is a commonly associated disorder in femoral neck fractures in men, but little attention is given to such an association in women. Using serum biochemical and haematological markers (mean red cell volume MCV, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase GGT, aspartate transaminase AST, uric acid UA and triglyceride TG) alcohol abuse was assessed in 14 men and 93 women with non-violent fractures of the hip. Abnormal elevations in one or more of the five test pairs known to correlate with increasing alcohol consumption (GGT/MCV, GGT/AST, AST/MCV, MCV/UA) were found in 7.1of men, and 11.8of women. When abnormal results in other test pairs were included the prevalence rose to 14.3in men and 20.4in women. These figures are higher than those reported for the general population of elderly people.