Recovering alcoholics with high levels of stress hormones are more likely to drink again, according to a British study from the University of Liverpool.
Dr. Abi Rose and colleagues found that both chronic and recovering alcoholics have high levels of cortisol, a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands when a person is under stress. This in turn can result in impaired memory, and difficulty in paying attention and making decisions.
"Both drinking and withdrawal from alcohol can affect cortisol function in humans," said Dr. Rose. "Cortisol dysfunction, including the high levels of cortisol observed during alcohol withdrawal, may contribute to the high rates of relapse reported in alcohol dependency, even after many months of abstinence."
Dr. Rose said the study may indicate that recovering alcoholics should take drugs that mitigate the effects of cortisol.
This study appears in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
Posted By: Jane St. Clair