Efficacy of naltrexone in the treatment of alcohol dependence disorder in women

Abstract

Alcoholism is a major public health problem. Although its prevalence is higher in men, the clinical and social repercussions of alcoholism in women are also of great concern, as they have differential characteristics in different vulnerability, and thus therapeutic implications. In recent years, we have seen an increase of the percentages of women with problems related to alcohol consumption in Spain. Several pharmacological treatments as the antagonist of the opioid receptors naltrexone have demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of dehabituation of alcoholism in males, however, there are no studies in the female population. This report is the first randomized study about the efficacy of naltrexone in the treatment of dehabituation in women with alcohol dependence disorder.

Methods. In a 12 week, single-blind, randomized trial, we studied 100 women with alcohol dependence disorder (DSM-IV), evaluating the efficacy of adding naltrexone as adjunctive treatment to the dehabituation treatment.

Results. The naltrexone group showed a lower rate of alcohol relapse during the follow-up period (76% vs. 46%; χ2=8.239; p=0.004), and significantly lower dropout rates (16% vs. 38%; χ2=5.074; p=0.024). We also found a lower number of days of intoxication (2.88 vs. 14.64; t = 2.732; p=0.011).

Conclusions. Naltrexone shows efficacy as adjunctive treatment to maintain abstinence in women with alcohol dependence disorder. Further studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of this treatment and to find specific predictors of good outcome in women.