Effects of Disulfiram and Pyridoxine on Serum Cholesterol

Abstract

Disulfiram, 500 mg/day, raised serum cholesterol levels in alcoholic persons from a mean of 193 ± 16.4 mg/dl to 227.2 ± 17.2 mg/dl after 3 weeks and 264 ± 40 mg/dl after 6 weeks. This increase was not seen in a group taking pyridoxine 50 mg/day in addition to disulfiram 500 mg/day. In contrast to the disulfiram and disulfiram-pyridoxine treatment groups, control groups receiving pyridoxine alone, or no drug, had a 33 mg/dl reduction in serum cholesterol during the first 3 weeks of abstinence, a finding consistent with other evidence showing a rapid decrease in serum lipids on abstinence from alcohol. Patients taking disulfiram 250 mg/day, with or without pyridoxine, did not have this expected decrease in serum cholesterol. Since increased serum cholesterol is one of the risk factors in coronary heart disease, chronic disulfiram therapy may increase the incidence of arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, as has been the case with chronic exposure to carbon disulfide, a principal metabolite of disulfiram.