Thermoregulatory Responses in Alcoholism

The thermoregulatory responses to acute heat stress were examined in twelve alcoholics and in eight control subjects. The alcoholic subjects had higher temperatures after heat exposure (P<0.05). This group also had reduced weight loss after heat exposure (P<0.05) and in five alcoholic subjects, all of whom had evidence of peripheral neuropathy, there was impaired distal sweating; there was no evidence of compensatory sweating.