title: Conventional laboratory tests as indicators of heavy drinking in young university students.
abstract: Conventional laboratory tests: gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT), alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol) were studied as possible markers of heavy drinking in a sample of 1,619 first-year university students in Helsinki. Alcohol consumption was measured on a frequency-volume scale. No significant (p < 0.001) correlation between the laboratory tests and reported drinking was found. However, significant differences between different drinking groups were found in GGT, MCV, and HDL-cholesterol in both female and male students and in cholesterol in male students. We conclude that, even if alcohol drinking has some impact on GGT, MCV, HDL-cholesterol, and cholesterol (males), these tests are neither specific nor sensitive enough to be used as screening tests for heavy drinking in young students.
authors.affiliation: Finnish Student Health Service, Helsinki.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nyström
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peräsalo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pikkarainen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salaspuro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013334:Students; D014166:Transferases / Q000097:blood*; D014495:Universities; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D008074:Lipoproteins; D002784:Cholesterol; D014166:Transferases; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase