Alcohol withdrawal syndrome accounts for up to 44% of hospitalizations in high-risk alcohol users, surpassing common chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension in patients under 60, according to a recent study.

Researchers evaluated the incidence of hospitalizations involving alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) among over 500,000 primary care patients in Kaiser Permanente Washington from July 2018 to June 2022. The average age of participants was 47.0 years (standard deviation 17.9). The study population consisted of 56.9% females and 43.1% males. Ethnically, 67.1% identified as White, 10.1% as Asian, 4.7% as Black, 3.6% as multiracial, and 6.2% as Hispanic.

The study found AWS to be a frequent cause of hospitalization, particularly in men aged 30 to 49 years and in those with high-risk alcohol consumption as measured by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C). Among men aged 30 to 49 years, AWS accounted for 9% to 11% of hospitalizations, and for those with high-risk AUDIT-C scores, AWS occurred in 23% to 44% of hospitalizations.

The overall incidence of AWS hospitalizations was 169 per 100,000 person-enrolled years, with a higher rate in patients with alcohol-attributable diagnoses. AWS hospitalizations were as common or more common than hospitalizations for other chronic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, particularly among adults under the age of 60.

The incidence of AWS hospitalizations, published in JAMA Network Open, was greater among males compared to females, with rates of 237 per 100,000 person-enrolled years (95% confidence interval [CI], 204-263) for males and 117 per 100,000 person-enrolled years (95% CI, 105-129) for females. The incidence of AWS among patients with alcohol-attributable diagnoses reached up to 15,347 per 100,000 person-enrolled years (95% CI, 13,502-17,331).

Full disclosures can be found in the published study.