Controlled study on the combined effect of alcohol and tobacco smoking on testosterone in alcohol-dependent men.

AIMS The present study examined the association between pre-treatment drinking and smoking parameters and plasma testosterone levels before and after alcohol withdrawal. METHODS A total of 51 alcohol-dependent men and 43 age-matched healthy men were investigated. In alcoholics, free testosterone in plasma was measured on the day of admission, after detoxification and after 6 weeks of sobriety. RESULTS While the testosterone level of alcoholic men did not differ from healthy controls at the onset of withdrawal, it was significantly higher for the alcoholics after 6 weeks of sobriety than for the healthy controls. Higher alcohol consumption and higher tobacco use before detoxification led to higher levels of testosterone concentration before and after withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS The effect of alcohol and tobacco is cumulative, with higher levels of alcohol and tobacco consumption being associated with higher levels of testosterone before and after alcohol withdrawal.