The effect of daily alcohol intake on breath alcohol concentrations of postmenopausal women after a bolus dose.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to test whether daily alcohol intake can influence parameters related to rate of alcohol clearance and systemic alcohol exposure.


METHODS
Postmenopausal women (N = 14) completed a study in which they consumed an alcohol treatment daily for 8 weeks. In a three-period crossover design, women consumed 0, 15 or 30 g/day ethanol, with each subject completing each treatment level. Following the 8-week adaptation period, the subjects consumed a single dose of 15 g ethanol, and breath samples collected to assess breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) every 5 minutes until the BrAC declined to zero.


RESULTS
Adaptation to daily alcohol intake of 30 g/day resulted in reduced breath alcohol response compared to adaptation to 0 g/day. Specifically, area under the BrAC time curve was lower after women had consumed 30 g ethanol per day compared to that after daily consumption of 0 grams per day. Also, the time required for BrAC to decline to 0.01% after the bolus dose was reduced when subjects were adapted to 30g/day compared to 0 g/day.


CONCLUSIONS
Daily intake of alcohol at a level of 30 g/day appears to be sufficient to alter the parameters related to systemic alcohol exposure.
Novotny
Janet A
JA
Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA. Novotny@bhnrc.arsusda.gov
Rumpler
William V
WV
Baer
David J
DJ
Judd
Joseph T
JT
D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000378:metabolism*; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000379:methods; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D013997:Time Factors
D000431:Ethanol