Gender differences in response to sertraline pharmacotherapy in Type A alcohol dependence

Am J Addict. 2004 May-Jun;13(3):236-47. doi: 10.1080/10550490490459906.

Abstract

We previously established that Babor Type A "lower-risk/severity" alcoholics (n = 55) had better treatment response to fourteen weeks of sertraline (200 mg/day) than placebo, a finding not present for Type B "higher-risk/severity" alcoholics (n = 45). This exploratory study extended these results by examining the original sample for gender differences in response to sertraline pharmacotherapy. Type A alcoholic men, but not Type A alcoholic women, had consistently better outcomes with sertraline compared to placebo on several common drinking measures: time to relapse, days drinking, days drinking heavily, drinks per drinking day, and number of those continually abstinent. There were no significant differences in drinking with sertraline compared to placebo in Type B alcoholic men or women.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Adult
  • Alcohol Drinking
  • Alcoholism / drug therapy*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Placebos
  • Recurrence
  • Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Sertraline / pharmacology*
  • Sertraline / therapeutic use*
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Sex Factors
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Placebos
  • Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors
  • Sertraline