Abstract
BackgroundWe carried out a three months follow-up study on the efficacy of metadoxine in a cohort of alcoholics admitted to the Alcohol misuse Long-term Treatment (ALT) Unit – University of Pisa (Italy). We analyzed the clinical data, psychometric tests and blood tests of 160 alcoholics on admission and after 3 months of treatment. We compared 58 pts treated with metadoxine (MET) with 102 pts who did not receive (NULL) any drug as an adjunct to the psycho-educational interventions provided by the ALT Unit.ResultsAt follow-up, the patients in treatment with metadoxine showed a significant improvement in the rate of complete abstinence (44.8% vs. 21.6%; chi square: 8.45, df = 1, p < 0.0037). Furthermore, the number of drop-outs at three months of treatment was also significantly lower in the MET than in the NULL group (17% vs. 57%; chi square of 23.22, df = 1, p < 0.001).ConclusionOur findings support the use of metadoxine in the management of alcohol dependence. However, randomized clinical trials are necessary to confirm and replicate them. This study raises the importance of identifying new pharmacological compounds effective on the outcome of alcoholism in order to help patients to best adhere to treatment programs and to prevent the development of mental and physical complications due to chronic and heavy use of alcohol.
Highlights
We carried out a three months follow-up study on the efficacy of metadoxine in a cohort of alcoholics admitted to the Alcohol misuse Long-term Treatment (ALT) Unit – University of Pisa (Italy)
Our findings support the use of metadoxine in the management of alcohol dependence
This study raises the importance of identifying new pharmacological compounds effective on the outcome of alcoholism in order to help patients to best adhere to treatment programs and to prevent the development of mental and physical complications due to chronic and heavy use of alcohol
Summary
We carried out a three months follow-up study on the efficacy of metadoxine in a cohort of alcoholics admitted to the Alcohol misuse Long-term Treatment (ALT) Unit – University of Pisa (Italy). According to Stickel and co-workers (2003) in Europe more than 45 million individuals showed signs of alcohol-related damage, mainly cognitive deficits, liver disease, and myopathies [8,9,10,11]. A reduction in the blood levels of micro and macronutrients, mainly B-complex vitamins, can impair the cognitive functions and compromise the recovery of alcoholics [14]. In order to prevent brain damage and consequential cognitive impairment, the guidelines for the Accident & Emergency departments in United Kingdom recommend the use of parenteral B vitamins for patients showing evidence of chronic alcohol misuse and suspected of having a poor diet [15]. The B-complex vitamins (i.e. thiamine, pyridoxine etc) are extremely important for the homeostasis of the brain, being key factors in the cell metabolism and trafficking, in the energy production pathways and in the DNA synthesis [16]
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