Differences in plasma cortisol after ingestion of ethanol in relatives of alcoholics and controls: preliminary results.

Nonalcoholic men aged 21 to 25 with histories of alcoholism in first-degree family members (N = 20) were matched on demography, height/weight ratio, and drinking history with 20 young men without such family histories. Plasma cortisol levels for both groups were determined at baseline and over a 5-hour period after ingestion of 0.75 ml/kg of ethanol orally. Decreases in plasma cortisol levels in both groups were consistent with the time of day testing occurred and the effects of moderate doses of ethanol. However, levels for the men with family histories of alcoholism were significantly lower. The implications of these findings for possible differences in circadian rhythm of cortisol and/or a differential response to an ethanol challenge are discussed.