Aging and ethanol metabolism.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional pharmacokinetic study evaluating age-related differences in a single cohort.
PubMed 837653 · doi:10.1002/cpt1977213343
What was done
Researchers administered a continuous 1-hour intravenous infusion of ethanol at a mean rate of 375 mg/m2 body surface area/min (equivalent to 0.57 g/kg body weight) to 50 healthy subjects aged 21 to 81 years (mean 53.3 years). Serial blood samples were obtained every 15 to 30 minutes for up to 4 hours post-infusion to assess ethanol distribution and elimination using a two-compartment model.
What was found
Rates of ethanol elimination were not affected by age. Peak ethanol concentration in blood water at the end of the infusion correlated positively with age (r = 0.55, p < 0.001). Lean body mass and total volume of distribution of ethanol were negatively correlated with age.
Why it matters
This study shows that higher blood alcohol concentrations in older adults result from decreased volume of distribution and lean body mass rather than impaired metabolic clearance.
Limits
Small sample size (n = 50). The abstract does not provide exact elimination rates, correlation values for volume of distribution, or sex breakdown. Intravenous infusion bypasses first-pass gastric metabolism, which may differ from oral alcohol consumption.
Cited by
- supports Published scientific literature indicates that rates of alcohol metabolism and elimination do not significantly differ between younger and older adults.