Which lab finding is commonly seen in alcohol use due to decreased insulin effectiveness?

• A. Elevated glucose
• B. Decreased glucose
• C. Normal glucose
• D. High insulin levels

Answer: (A)

Insulin resistance means the body's cells don’t respond well to insulin, so they don’t take up glucose efficiently. When this happens, glucose stays in the bloodstream, leading to higher measured blood glucose levels. Alcohol use can contribute to this insulin resistance, making elevated glucose a common lab finding. Decreased glucose would reflect hypoglycemia, which isn’t the typical pattern here; normal glucose would imply no abnormality; and while insulin resistance can cause the pancreas to pump out more insulin (high insulin levels), the most direct and commonly seen lab change is elevated glucose because the glucose isn’t being effectively cleared from the blood.