Women, Alcohol, and Red Cells

Alcohol abuse is known to increase erythrocyte mean cell volume mainly as a consequence of direct toxic effect on the developing red cell. The influence of alcohol on other red cell parameters is unclear. The objective of this cross-sectional survey was to examine the consequences of different alcohol amounts on red cell parameters among women. We compared red cell parameters between female alcoholics, heavy drinkers, and controls. Controls (n = 138) and heavy drinkers (n = 65) consisted of consecutive 40- and 45-year-old women participating in the health screening, and alcoholics (n = 73) of consecutive women coming to a detoxification clinic. Alcoholics had significantly smaller erythrocyte counts (p < 0.01), and higher erythrocyte mean cell volume values (p < 0.001), reticulocyte counts (p < 0.01), and red cell distribution width values (p < 0.001) than controls. No difference between these groups was found, however, in hemoglobin distribution width value. The only red cell difference between controls and heavy drinkers was erythrocyte mean cell volume, which was significantly higher among heavy drinkers (p < 0.001). In alcoholics, red cell distribution width values were even more often increased (in 44%) than erythrocyte mean cell volume values (in 34%). This increase in red cell distribution width was not solely explained by iron deficiency or liver disease. Chronic alcohol abuse not only affects erythrocyte mean cell volume values, but also leads to anisocytosis seen in blood count as an increased red cell distribution width value.