Acamprosate is widely used in Europe and has been granted investigational drug status within this country by the Food and Drug Administration, and clinical trials are also currently underway. The study's conclusions are based on a systematic review of the best available evidence from published research. The reports will also address, where appropriate, use of alternative or complementary therapies and specific medical procedures or health care technologies. We are very pleased that our partners have pledged to use this evidence report on alcohol dependence and forthcoming EPC reports to improve the quality of health care services. Alcohol dependence or alcoholism is a chronic and progressive disorder that afflicts approximately 9.6 percent of men and 3.2 percent of women in the U.S. over their lifetimes.
Alcoholism can develop starting in adolescence and continuing into older age groups.
Those at highest risk are men and women between 18 to 29 years of age. The impact of alcohol dependence is greatly underestimated. About 100,000 Americans die each year from alcohol-related diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver, esophageal or stomach cancer, and from traumatic deaths such as overdose, suicide, homicide, and traffic accidents. Alcohol dependence also has a high financial toll. Naltrexone and acamprosate attempt to treat the primary symptoms of alcohol dependence.