TY - JOUR PY - 1987// TI - Methods of intervention to modify drinking patterns in heavy drinkers JO - Recent developments in alcoholism A1 - Kristenson, H. SP - 403 EP - 423 VL - 5 IS - N2 - More than 30,000 individuals have been investigated in the continuous screening and intervention study in Malmö. Large subsamples of individuals with different levels of serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) have been characterized and followed up; GGT has proved to be a useful and simple tool in identifying and treating heavy drinkers and monitoring their outcome. In the intervention study, counseling and repeated feedback of GGT results in a group of middle-aged heavy drinkers led to a significant reduction in sick absence, hospitalization, and mortality compared with those in a control group over a period of 6 to 8 years. At follow-up, about 15% of middle-aged men in the general population had serious alcohol problems. Assessment and treatment of heavy drinkers within general medicine would provide a very considerable impact on the total problem of alcohol-related disease.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0738-422X UR - http://dx.doi.org/ ID - ref1 ER -