[A chronic alcoholic patient with the development of frank diabetes after heavy drinking and perfect improvement following abstinence from alcohol].

Abstract

We experienced a chronic alcoholic patient in whom a large intake of alcohol led to the development of frank clinical diabetes, and glucose intolerance and insulin deficiency improved perfectly following abstinence from alcohol. The patient was a 31-year-old male with no diabetes among his relatives. He was a heavy drinker since 12 years, and especially had a large intake of alcohol from Dec. 25 '84 to Jan. 3 '85. From the end of Jan. 1985 he complained of thirst, polydipsia, polyuria and body weight loss from 94 to 69 Kg. On June 25 1985 he admitted for the treatment of diabetes and had abstinence from alcohol. The blood glucose and HbA1 levels were 291 mg/dl and 14.7%, respectively on admission. His 75 g OGTT was diabetic in type and serum insulin response to glucose decreased markedly. Liver function tests were normal, and islet cell antibody was negative. Blood adrenaline, noradrenaline, growth hormone, glucagon, cortisol, T3 and T4 levels were normal. FBS, HbA1 and 75 g OGTT recovered to normal by dietary treatment (1800 kcal) with oral hypoglycemic agents for 8 weeks. This case report suggests that the cause of alcohol-induced diabetes is probably due to impairment of insulin secretion by either alcohol itself or alcohol metabolites.