Features of the course of diabetes with alcohol abuse

Abstract

A total of 120 diabetics (39 men and 81 women) treated at regional clinical hospital of Archangelsk were examined in order to disclose the relationship between alcoholization and metabolism, visceral status in diabetes, and clinical course of diabetes in alcohol abusers. Fifty-eight examinees suffered from insulin-dependent and 62 from non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The results indicate that even low amounts of alcohol aggravate the course of diabetes, particularly the insulin-dependent condition; the disease in such patients is characterized by frequent hypoglycemic episodes, disposition to ketoacidosis, labile course, and hence, more frequent angiopathies. 8.3% examined diabetics presented with signs of chronic alcoholism. Diabetics with chronic alcoholism develop pronounced metabolic disorders, liver and pancreatic dysfunctions. One more cause of rapid progress of complications in patients abusing alcohol is social dysadaptation. Correction of behavioral alcoholic stereotypes and life style of diabetics is expected to play an important role in the system of therapeutic and prophylactic measures for this patient population.