title: The severity of alcohol withdrawal is not age dependent.
abstract: Age has been considered to contribute to the severity of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). To evaluate the relationship between age and the severity of the AWS, we examined 723 alcoholics [518 males, 205 females, mean age (+/- SD): 42.8 +/- 10.5 years, mean duration of alcohol dependence: 11.0 +/- 8.0 years] consecutively referred to a unit for detoxification of alcoholics in a general hospital. The severity of the AWS was assessed by the AWS scale of Wetterling et al. (1997; Alcohol and Alcoholism 32, 753-760). The history of alcohol abuse as well as drinking behaviour in the last 6 months was assessed by a semi-structured interview. There were 41 alcoholics aged > or =60 years; they were compared with younger patients. The average severity of AWS did not differ between age groups. Daily alcohol intake and frequency of drinking were higher in younger alcoholics, but even when adjustment was made for this, severity of AWS was equal in both age groups. A relationship between severity of AWS and age was not detected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University Medical School of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wetterling
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Driessen
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Kanitz
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Junghanns
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology