The systematized and proper sized research of alcohol pharmacokinetics in Korean has not reported ever.

Aim of this study is to measure the β value and alcohol pharmacokinetic factors in Korean adult female and the relationship between the β value and some variables including age, smoking, total body water, drinking capacity, BMI, blood cholesterol, body fat and body fat ratio.

Ninety-one subjects were randomly divided into two groups. One group was provided as much as 0.35mg/mL/kg of alcohol and the other as much as 0.70mg/mL/kg, and blood alcohol concentration was measured 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 240min after the women finished drinking.

The subjects’ mean alcohol elimination rate (β) was −0.002379mg/100mL·h, and there was no statistically significant difference in elimination rate between the two groups. The mean time to reach maximum blood alcohol concentration was 45minutes, alcohol absorption rate was 0.1123±0.1799g/L/min, and the area under the concentration curve was 109.15±62.95. Among the factors that correlated with alcohol metabolism, alcohol absorption rate and follicle-stimulating hormone were statistically significant, but age, body mass index, and body fat percentage were not significantly correlated with alcohol metabolism.

These results suggest that the β values for healthy Korean females can differ from the cut-offs that are currently used in Korea, which suggests that the legal limit for driving under intoxication should be adjusted.