A Comparative Study of Lipid Profile in Chronic Alcoholics and Non Alcoholics in Tertiary Hospital

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Alcoholism is a signicant threat to public health in developed and developing countries. Over the last 30-40 years, alcohol consumption has increased in quantity and frequency. Alcohol use predisposes subjects to changes in lipid prole associated with coronary risk. AIM: 1] To study lipid prole in chronic alcoholics by measuring serum total cholesterol triglycerides, HDL, LDLand VLDL. 2]To compare lipid prole changes in chronic alcoholics and non-alcoholics MATERIALS AND METHODS: A Hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted with patients attending the General Medicine department in Santhiram medical college and general hospital, of which 30 alcoholic and 30 non-alcoholic were taken into the present study. RESULTS: There was a signicant rise in TC, TGL, HDL, LDL and VLDL of chronic alcoholics compared with non-alcoholics with p-value 0.001, <0.001, 0.004, 0.290, <0.001, respectively. Lipid prole was compared among moderate and heavy drinkers and found increased levels of TC, TGL, LDL& VLDL with p-value <0.001, 0.001, 0.002 & 0.001 respectively in heavy drinkers. There is a decrease in HDLcholesterol among heavy drinkers compared with moderate drinkers, p-value 0.011, which is signicant. But remains elevated compared to non-alcoholics. CONCLUSION: This study shows that alcohol intake increases lipid parameters. Moderate alcohol intake increases HDL cholesterol, whereas heavy alcohol consumption increases TC, TGL, LDL& VLDLand decreases HDL.