Comparison of alcohol-dependent patients with and without physiological dependence

Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of alcohol-dependent patients with or without physiological dependence (e.g. tolerance to alcohol or withdrawal) were compared. 186 consecutive alcohol-dependent patients hospitalized for alcohol detoxification were assessed. Diagnosis of alcohol dependence, tolerance and withdrawal was determined according to DSM-IV criteria. Assessment also included modalities of alcohol consumption and the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST). All patients presented alcohol dependence, 124 presented tolerance, 116 alcohol withdrawal and 146 (78.5%) tolerance and/or withdrawal. Patients with physiological dependence were older (51.4 vs. 46.9 years), drank more alcohol each day (20.3 vs. 11.3 drinks/day) and began alcohol consumption more often in the morning (67 vs. 37.5%). MAST scores were significantly higher in patients with physiological dependence (28.8 vs. 24.5), as was the mean corpuscular volume of erythrocytes (108 vs. 83 fl). No difference was found in terms of age, marital status, rate of unemployment, level of education and psychiatric comorbidity between the patients with and without physiological dependence.