Plasma vitamin E status in chronic alcoholic patients.

Plasma vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) concentrations were estimated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in 50 consecutively admitted chronic alcoholics (M = 44;F = 6;mean age +/- S.D. = 42.94 +/- 10.97;age range = 28-70 years) on admission and in 25 of them it was repeated during abstinence (6th day) while undergoing conventional detoxification therapy with polyvitamins (except vitamin E) and hypno-sedative drugs. Thirty percent of the patients were found to be deficient on admission and while on routine hospital diet during therapy, 20% of the patients were still deficient. It is, therefore, suggested that chronic alcoholics should be treated routinely with vitamin E along with other polyvitamins during detoxification in alcoholic units.