Alcoholism laboratory findings

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

## Overview

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## Laboratory Findings

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### Urine and blood tests

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There are reliable tests for the actual use of alcohol, one common test being that of blood alcohol content (BAC). These tests do not differentiate alcoholics from non-alcoholics; however, long-term heavy drinking does have a few recognizable effects on the body, including:

* Macrocytosis (enlarged MCV)1
* Elevated GGT²
* Moderate elevation of AST and ALT and an AST:ALT ratio of 2:1.
* High carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT)

However, none of these blood tests for biological markers are as sensitive as screening questionaires.

## References

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