Basic Human Body Dimensions Relate to Alcohol Dependence and Predict Hospital Readmission

Abstract

Alcohol dependence is a severe mental illness and there is a need for more effective preventive and therapeutic strategies. Translational research suggests that intrauterine sex hormone exposure modulates the risk and course of alcohol dependence during adulthood. During development, sex hormones permanently shape sexually dimorphic body dimensions. Thus, these dimensions may provide insight into sex hormone organization. Here, we compared body measurements (absolute, relative to, and residualized on height) between 200 alcohol-dependent in-patients and 240 age-matched healthy control subjects and investigated how these measurements associate with the patients’ prospective 12- and 24-month outcome. The results show that alcohol dependence is related to lower absolute, relative, and residualized body measurements for height and weight, head circumference, bitragion head arc, lip-chin distance, hip, thigh, and calf circumference, and foot length and breadth. In male alcohol-dependent in-patients, higher risk, shorter latency, and more alcohol-related readmissions were predicted by higher absolute, relative, and residualized thigh and calf circumferences. The second-to-fourth finger length ratio, a putative proxy for prenatal sex hormone organization, was not convincingly correlated with the body dimensions, suggesting that the results represent pubertal (or later) effects. The study’s findings have implications for further research. The body measurements’ high accessibility may facilitate the future transition into clinical settings.

The Activity of N-acetyl-β-hexosaminidase in the Blood, Urine, Cerebrospinal Fluid and Vitreous Humor Died People Due to Alcohol Intoxication

“…It is known that alcohol dependence syndrome includes alcohol tolerance changes, which is exceptionally high during the first years of dependence [ 53 , 54 ]. Alcohol dependence is a severe mental illness, and there is a need for more effective preventive and therapeutic strategies [ 55 ].…”

Elevated Oxytocin Receptor Blood Concentrations Predict Higher Risk for, More, and Earlier 24-Month Hospital Readmissions after In-Patient Detoxification in Males with Alcohol Use Disorder

“…This study is part of the Neurobiology of Alcoholism (NOAH) project [ 29 , 31 , 32 , 52 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 ]. The participants were recruited at the psychiatric departments of the Klinikum am Europakanal Erlangen and the Universitätsklinikum Erlangen in Germany.…”

Sex‐Dependent Alcohol Instrumentalization Goals in Non‐Addicted Alcohol Consumers versus Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder: Longitudinal Change and Outcome Prediction

“…This investigation is part of the Neurobiology of Alcoholism (NOAH) study, for which we recruited a total of 200 male and female inpatients who had been admitted for withdrawal treatment at the psychiatric departments of the Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and the Klinikum am Europakanal Erlangen in Germany (Braun et al, 2018; Gegenhuber et al, 2018; Lenz et al, 2017, 2019; Mühle et al, 2018, 2019; Weinland et al, 2017, 2019a, 2019b, 2020). They were diagnosed with AUD (the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) and alcohol dependence (tenth revision of the International Classification of Diseases (World Health Organization, 1992).…”