Affiliations: Patologia Medica IV. Università di Firenze | Servizio Autonomo di Tossicologia, Azienda Ospedaliera di Careggi, Firenze | Dipartimento di Farmacologia Preclinica e Clinica “M. Aiazzi-Mancini”, Università di Firenze
Abstract: The aim of this study is to compare the values of hematologic and hemorheologic parameters in preclinic alcoholists, i.e. without or with limited liver damage (moderate steatosis in 38% of the cases), in basal conditions and after alcohol withdrawal for 30 days. In 21 alcoholists whole blood viscosity (WBV), whole blood filtration total time (TT), hematologic and biochemical blood tests were studied. The results show in basal condition an increase in WBV, TT and mean cell volume (MCV). After the period of abstention from alcohol, WBV significantly decreased (P<0.025), TT became shorter (P<0.025), MCV significantly reduced (P<0.025). The abnormalities of hemorheologic parameters in these alcoholists may be attributable to the effect of alcohol itself, because in these subjects neither usual hemorheological risk factors nor chronic liver disease have been demonstrated and improvement of hemorheologic parameters appear after a period of alcohol abstention for 30 days without any medical treatment.
