Clinical correlates of serum creatinine in alcohol dependence syndrome

Alcohol dependence syndrome (ADS) is associated with multisystem complications, including renal dysfunction. This hospital-based cross-sectional observational study evaluated serum creatinine levels and their clinical correlates in 129 patients diagnosed with ADS according to International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision criteria. Participants were recruited consecutively from a tertiary care teaching hospital. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected using a semi-structured proforma. Alcohol use, dependence severity, nicotine dependence, and alcohol withdrawal were assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SADQ), Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), and Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol–Revised (CIWA-Ar), respectively. Serum creatinine was estimated using an enzymatic dry-slide method. Data were analyzed using non-parametric tests, Spearman’s correlation, and hierarchical multiple linear regression. The mean serum creatinine level was 0.88±0.33 mg/dL. Serum creatinine differed significantly across age groups, duration of alcohol use, duration of nicotine use, and place of residence (p<0.05), but showed no significant correlation with AUDIT, SADQ, FTND, or CIWA-Ar scores. In regression analysis, age was independently associated with serum creatinine in the present cohort (β=0.417, p=0.014). These findings suggest that routine assessment of renal function may be useful as part of the comprehensive clinical evaluation of patients with ADS.