| Description: |
Chronic alcoholism, defined by the World Health Organization as habitual consumption of around 75ml of pure ethanol or 200ml or more of 40-60% alcohol, is a pressing public health issue worldwide. Biochemical tests have been instrumental in uncovering the complexities of chronic alcoholism, providing valuable prognostic insights. In this study, we investigated the levels of total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, indirect bilirubin, liver enzymes (SGPT, SGOT, ALP, GGT), serum calcium, serum magnesium, and malondialdehyde (MDA) in chronic alcoholics compared to healthy controls.A prospective observational case-control study was conducted in the Department of Biochemistry with a total of 100 male subjects, 50 of whom were chronic alcoholics (Group 1), and 50 age and sex-matched healthy controls (Group 2). Our findings indicated that chronic alcoholics had a mean age of 45.06± 8.83 years, while the mean age of controls was 42.44 ± 8.91 years.Our analysis revealed that chronic alcoholics had significantly higher levels of total bilirubin and direct bilirubin compared to healthy controls. Indirect bilirubin levels were also higher in the chronic alcoholics, but the difference was not statistically significant. Furthermore, chronic alcoholics had significantly higher levels of SGPT, SGOT, ALP, and GGT enzymes compared to healthy controls. Conversely, the mean value of serum calcium was significantly lower in the chronic alcoholics. Finally, our study demonstrated that malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly higher in the chronic alcoholics compared to the healthy controls.In conclusion, our study provides compelling evidence of the detrimental effects of chronic alcoholism on liver function and oxidative stress markers. These findings underscore the importance of early diagnosis and intervention in the management of chronic alcoholism, which is critical for improving patient outcomes and reducing the burden of this debilitating disease. ; Chronic alcoholism, defined by the World Health Organization as habitual ... |