NALTREXONE AS AN ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR OLDER PATIENTS WITH ALCOHOLDEPENDENCE

The authors examined the efficacy of naltrexone as an adjunctive treat ment for alcohol dependence in older adults. Forty-four veterans over 50 years of age were enrolled in a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-cont rolled efficacy study of naltrexone (the equivalent of 50 mg per day). There were no differences in the frequency of any self-reported adver se effects or in liver enzyme values between the placebo-and naltrexon e-treated groups. There were no differences between the treatment grou ps in the number of subjects remaining abstinent or in the number of s ubjects who relapsed However, all placebo-treated subjects relapsed af ter sampling alcohol, whereas only three of six naltrexone-treated sub jects met relapse criteria after alcohol exposure (P=0.024). The autho rs conclude that naltrexone was well tolerated and efficacious in prev enting relapse in subjects who drank.