Review of current clinical biomarkers for the detection of alcohol dependence

Alcohol dependence is often seen in a variety of clinical settings and requires attention to reduce medical complications, set up appropriate treatments, and minimize utilization of healthcare resources. Patient responses to questionnaires are often used to screen for alcohol problems, but can be misleading in the context of altered mental states or in a patient hesitant to disclose a pattern of alcohol use. Identifying the biochemical consequences of alcohol dependence has led to further study, including correlating laboratory findings to increase accuracy of identifying problem drinkers. Understanding the normal function, mechanism of abnormal findings, sensitivity, and specificity of the current laboratory studies can substantiate clinical suspicion of alcohol use. In this article, we provide results from our literature search regarding laboratory abnormalities in alcohol dependence, review options available to complement a thorough history and physical, and provide a brief overview of future biomarkers for detection of alcohol use.