Long-Term Phosphatidylethanol (Peth) in Humans: The Truth

Aim: The goal of this study was to demonstrate how a number of real-life situations are reflected in the PEth values of individuals. Our model now offers an explanation to the observed PEth values with accuracy.Methods: Non-linear regression analysis is a powerful tool that for decades has been utilized to describe chemical reactors, processes and challenges in reaction kinetics. The model was set to solve the differential equations describing the change of PEth concentration and the ethanol amount in the blood as a function of time simultaneously whereupon the daily drinking pattern ( , g/h) can be simulated for any selected case.Conclusions: If the alcohol consumption speed is nothing else than very slow, i.e. the person is not getting drunk, higher and higher PEth formation rates are observed with increasing BAC. Consequently, PEth values well beyond the threshold value are easily observed. The conclusion is unequivocal: PEth values can neither be used to quantify a person’s alcohol consumption nor as a comparison to another person’s consumption in any longer time frame. Higher PEth values are more an indication of the frequency a person reaches higher intoxication levels than the amount of alcohol consumed. When the BAC increases from around 0.2 0/00 to 1.7 0/00, the PEth formation rate already quadruples or even quintuples, depending on the person’s individual formation rate. Moreover, the large individual variations in both the PEth formation and degradation rates result in very large differences in the long-term PEth values upon identical alcohol consumption.