Does drinking alcohol affect platelets?

Platelets are an important component of blood and are also very important for human health. Many people are concerned about the effects of drinking alcohol on platelets. In fact, if you don’t have any blood problems, drinking will not affect your platelets. If the platelet count is high or low, it is caused by some disease. Next, I will introduce you to some relevant knowledge about platelets!

1. What are platelets?

Platelets are one of the formed elements that only exist in mammalian blood and are also the smallest blood cells. They are irregular in shape, have a plasma membrane, no nucleus, are generally round, and are smaller than red blood cells and white blood cells. The number of platelets in an adult's blood is (1~3)×10^11/L. They are generally round in shape and smaller in size than red blood cells and white blood cells. Platelets have long been viewed as non-functional cell fragments in the blood. Platelets have a specific morphological structure and biochemical composition. Their number in normal blood is relatively constant (for example, the human platelet count is 100,000 to 300,000 per cubic millimeter). They play an important role in physiological and pathological processes such as hemostasis, wound healing, inflammatory response, thrombosis, and organ transplant rejection. However, too many platelets can cause blood clots, making it difficult for blood to flow.

2. Causes of thrombocytosis

When the platelet count is >400×10^9/L, it is thrombocytosis. Primary thrombocytosis is common in myeloproliferative diseases, such as chronic myeloid leukemia, polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, etc.; thrombocythemia is common in patients with acute and chronic inflammation, iron deficiency anemia and cancer. This type of increase generally does not exceed 500×10^9/L. The situation improves after treatment and the platelet count will quickly drop to normal levels. After splenectomy, platelet count will increase significantly, often higher than 600×10^9/L, and then slowly decrease to the normal range.

3. Causes of thrombocytopenia

When the platelet count is <100×10^9/L, it is thrombocytopenia, which is common in platelet production disorders such as aplastic anemia, acute leukemia, acute radiation sickness, etc.; increased platelet destruction, such as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, hypersplenism, Gaucher disease, etc.; excessive consumption such as disseminated intravascular coagulation, familial thrombocytopenia such as giant platelet syndrome, etc.