SummaryIn a pilot study, the prevalence of metabolic bone disease was found to be low in male alcoholics attending an alcohol problems clinic, and did not appear to account for their high prevalence of fractures. The alcoholics with clinical signs suggestive of neuropathy or liver damage did not have a higher prevalence of metabolic bone disease and fractures than those without such signs. However, future research on this topic will have to be based on methods of greater reliability and validity