Platelet count in men with a habit of alcohol drinking.

Alcohol inhibits platelet function, and platelet count is often reduced in individuals with alcohol use disorder. However, the relation of habitual alcohol drinking with platelet count in a general population remains to be determined. The participants were 6508 men (30 ~ 69 years old) who had received annual health checkup examinations, and most of them (98.6%) were nondrinkers or drinkers with an average ethanol intake of less than 66 g per day. Relationships of platelet count with alcohol intake were investigated by using analysis of covariance and multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses. Platelet count was significantly correlated with age, smoking, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, body mass index and leukocyte count, which were thus used as explanatory variables in the multivariate analyses. Mean platelet counts in light (<22 g of ethanol per day), moderate (≥22 and <44 g ethanol per day) and heavy (≥44 g ethanol per day) drinkers were not significantly different from that in nondrinkers. Odds ratios vs. nondrinkers of light, moderate and heavy drinkers for low platelet count (<15 x 104/μl) were not significantly different from the reference level. In conclusion, there is no association between habitual alcohol drinking and platelet count in a general population. Further studies using data for heavier drinkers are needed to confirm the relationship between alcohol use disorder and platelet count.