Early-Onset Alcohol Dependence Is More Severe

Early age of drinking onset (e.g., before age 14 years) is known to increase the risk of developing alcohol dependence. Researchers analyzed data from a national interview survey to determine how age of onset of alcohol dependence affects the disease’s course.

• Among 4778 persons who ever had alcohol dependence, approximately 79% developed the disease before age 30 years (e.g., 15% before age 18 years, 69% before age 25 years).
• In analyses adjusted for potential confounders, people who first had dependence before age 25 years were less likely than those who developed dependence at age 30 or older to ever seek help.
• However, those with an earlier onset had more episodes of dependence, episodes lasting >1 year, and dependence symptoms.

Comments:

These findings are important because they suggest that early drinking increases the risk of dependence and that early-onset dependence is more severe than later-onset dependence. Clearly, prevention and even treatment efforts should reach people at a young age, when most cases of alcohol dependence develop.

Richard Saitz, MD, MPH

Reference:

Hingson RW, Heeren T, Winter MR. Age of alcohol-dependence onset: associations with severity of dependence and seeking treatment. Pediatrics. 2006;118(3):755–763.