Hypertension and alcoholism.

Blood pressures of 122 patients, undergoing alcohol withdrawal treatment in hospital, were taken at admission and one and two weeks after admission, and various laboratory tests that are thought to be the markers of alcoholism (gamma glutamyltransferase--GGT, mean corpuscular volume--MCV, serum uric acid) were performed (by the authors). At admission 27% of the patients had hypertension. The GGT and MCV exceeded the upper level of the normal range in 75% and 68% respectively of the group studied. 70% of the high MCV values was between 96-100 fl, it was closed to normal value. Out of 122 alcoholics 8 patients had serum uric acid levels higher than the upper limit (420 mumol/l), and in 14% of the alcoholics this level was found near the upper limit (350-420 mumol/l). Among the laboratory markers of alcoholism and the alcohol-associated parameters there was a relationship only between the GGT and daily alcohol consumption, so 13% of the change in GGT value was explained by the daily dose of alcohol consumption. There was a significant interaction between GGT and systolic blood pressure, as well as between serum uric acid and systolic blood pressure. These laboratory markers give explanation for the blood pressure change in 16% of the cases. From the two laboratory markers only the effect of GGT proved to be significant: above 200 GGT value the probability of high systolic blood pressure increases. It was also found, that alcohol withdrawal after two weeks decreased blood pressure in the majority of alcoholics, and after two weeks the average of systolic and diastolic blood pressure was significantly lower than at admission.