Biochemical alcohol screening in primary health care

Addictive Behaviors
Peter M Miller, Raymond F Anton

Abstract

Alcohol biomarkers such as carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) have significant potential for enhancing the quality of medical treatment in primary health care settings. Recent studies demonstrate that these laboratory tests can help the general practitioner in several ways. First, CDT and GGT can detect current heavy drinking in primary care patients with a fair degree of sensitivity (approximately 60% to 70%), with CDT being more specific (approximately 90%). When combined with self-report tests, they can provide a clinically useful alcohol screening battery. Second, elevated CDT and GGT levels have been correlated with specific alcohol-sensitive diseases (e.g., hypertension) and, as such, can serve as risk indicators for those diseases. Third, alcohol biomarkers have proven to be useful in monitoring the effectiveness of brief alcohol interventions with medical patients. Unfortunately, preliminary findings indicate that physicians have little knowledge of current biomarker research as applied to primary health care. Translational studies are needed on methods to facilitate knowledge and use of alcohol biomarkers by general practitioners.

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Citations

Sep 9, 2011·Neuropsychopharmacology : Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology·Raymond F AntonDidier Meulien
Aug 16, 2008·The New England Journal of Medicine·Raymond F Anton
Mar 27, 2009·The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse·Jennifer L WhitfordRalph L Elkins
Aug 10, 2005·The Journal of Clinical Hypertension·Peter M MillerShaun A Nguyen
Jan 31, 2006·Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research·Peter M MillerKathryn Sullivan Dillie
Nov 18, 2015·Alcohol and Alcoholism : International Journal of the Medical Council on Alcoholism·Jürgen RehmAntoni Gual
Jun 12, 2013·Substance Use & Misuse·Deborah ShiptonJenny Crossley
Dec 2, 2006·The Journal of the American Dental Association·Peter M MillerSuzanne Thomas
Jun 19, 2014·Alcohol and Alcoholism : International Journal of the Medical Council on Alcoholism·Jennifer JainJudith A Hahn
Jan 21, 2015·Journal of Psychiatric Practice·Mahdi RazafshaMark S Gold
May 10, 2020·Indian Journal of Psychiatry·Shanti Mohan KethawathSiddharth Sarkar

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