Effect of Chronic Alcohol Consumption on Haematological and Cardiohepatic Function Markers Among Commercial Motor Cylists in Owerri, Nigeria

N. M. Igboh¹, E. N. Agomuo², D. Onwubiko¹, I. Onyesom³, C. A. Maduagwuana⁴ and U. E. UzuegbuI⁴

¹College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Abia State University Teaching Hospital Aba.

²Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences. Imo State University, Owerri.

³Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Abia State Uniersity, Uturu Nigeria.

⁴Department of Medical Biochemistry, Delta State University, Abraka Nigeria.

Corresponding Author E-mail:drngomi@yahoo.co.uk

Abstract: It is a common practice among commercial motor cyclists to take alcohol particularly in the early hours of the day with the notion to wade off cold. When in fact previous studies have indicted alcohol to potentiate hepatic damage and cause various damages to different   organs of the body. Based on this, we investigated the effect of chronic alcohol consumption in motor cyclists using some haematological indices together with some cardiohepatic parameters to determine any possible effect of alcohol in motorcyclists. The study involved 50 males age 26-35 years who take between 100-200mls of alcohol [74 to 148 grams (< 40%) alcohol] each day for more than two years. Ten non-alcoholic motorcyclists served as control. Parameters monitored were haemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV) and white blood cells counts (WBC). Also, assayed were serum enzymes-aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and creatine kinase (CK). Cholesterol level was also determined. Our data show that the alcoholic motorcyclists had significant decrease in Hb, PCV and WBC (P<0.05). On serum enzymes monitored, the result showed a significant increase (P< 0.05) in the activities of AST, GGT and ALP in the alcoholic motorcyclists. There was also a significant increase in the activity of CK (P <0.05) in these alcoholic individuals. Although, the activity of LDH and total cholesterol level were slightly increased in alcoholic motor cyclist studied.

Keywords: Cytochrome P450; Alcohol; Cardiac dysfunctions; Cholesterol; Motor cyclist

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