Effects of Alcohol on Thyroid Function Tests

Laboratory Findings and Recommendations

Non-specific markers affected by alcohol consumption that may complicate interpretation of thyroid tests include gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 1, 2
The AST/ALT ratio is typically greater than 1.5-2.0 in alcohol-related liver disease, which may help identify patients whose thyroid tests might be affected by alcohol 2
Elevated mean corpuscular volume (MCV) is often observed when daily alcohol consumption exceeds 60g 3
For accurate thyroid function assessment, consider concurrent testing of alcohol biomarkers such as ethyl glucuronide (EtG) or phosphatidylethanol (PEth) to assess recent alcohol consumption 1, 4