Biomarkers demonstrate increased consumption, but not abuse, of ethanol in essential tremor.

Ethanol is known to improve tremor in a proportion of patients with essential tremor. Increased incidence of alcoholism has been suspected in essential tremor patients; however, no objective evaluation has been performed using laboratory markers to date. Data on alcohol intake in the last 30 days were acquired in 95 essential tremor patients and 35 healthy controls. Blood and urine markers related to alcohol metabolism and liver function were evaluated. Self-reported alcohol intake and biomarker levels were higher in essential tremor, but the difference was only significant for carbohydrate-deficient transferrin. None of the subjects presented with laboratory parameters reflecting chronic alcohol abuse. Our data do not reflect a higher incidence of alcoholism in patients with essential tremor. Their alcohol intake is well controlled and does not exceed the limits of healthy social drinking.