Medications can help people quit drinking, Study

Medications that could help alcoholics quit drinking are rarely prescribed, according to a new study released Tuesday.

The drugs — acamprosate and naltrexone — reduce cravings for alcohol, but researchers say there’s a lack of awareness and understanding of their efficacy among doctors.

For the study, researchers looked at 122 randomized trials and one cohort study to determine their findings.

The researchers then calculated the number of people who would have to be treated with a drug to see the benefit in a single patient, according to the news organization. They discovered that 12 patients would have to be given acamprosate to see a benefit from the drug in one patient, while for naltrexone, it would be 20 patients.

“The decision of which alcohol treatment to choose should be the result of discussions between patients and their clinicians that take into account patient values, preferences and goals,” said Dr. Katharine Bradley, a senior investigator at the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle and co-author of an accompanying journal editorial.

As alcoholism can significantly damage the liver, brain and dramatically increase the risk of other health issues, researchers continue to examine these and other treatments that could potentially provide help for the health problem.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the JAMA Network Journals.

Agencies/Canadajournal