Drug Therapy for Alcohol Dependence

Alcohol dependence is a chronic disorder that results from a variety of genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors.1 As defined by the American Psychiatric Association in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, it is characterized by increased tolerance of the effects of alcohol, impaired control over drinking, and continued drinking despite adverse consequences (Table 1).2 Alcohol dependence affects nearly 10 percent of the population and results in social problems, considerable morbidity and mortality, and high health care costs.3,4 Alcohol dependence is treated by medical, psychological, and social interventions that reduce or eliminate the desire to drink and the . . .