Serum ferritin, gammaglutamyl-transferase and alcohol consumption in healthy middle-aged men.
Serum ferritin was analysed in 169 middle-aged men. Ninety-one were heavy drinkers with increased serum gammaglutamyltransferase (GGT) values in otherwise normal routine screening tests; 39 were from the same birth year cohorts with normal GGT values; and 39 were teetotalers. Increased ferritin values were found in 67% of the heavy drinkers, but only in 2.5% in the two other groups. The mechanisms of the serum ferritin elevation in otherwise healthy alcohol over-consumers are unknown, but heavy drinking should be taken into consideration in the interpretation of increased serum ferritin values in individual cases.
D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000201:enzymology*; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood*
D005293:Ferritins; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase