Analyses produced a useful set of two subtypes (type A and type B) that differed significantly in terms of 16 of the 17 attributes. Type A alcoholics were characterized as having a low risk for developing alcoholism; those who did develop the disease did so at a low level of severity. In contrast, type B alcoholics had more risk factors, such as a family history of alcoholism, a younger age of onset, and early conduct problems (e.g., getting into fights or stealing). Type B alcoholics also exhibited more severe dependence symptoms, such as tolerance and withdrawal; alcohol-related consequences, including liver disease and job loss; and psychopathologies, such as depression and anxiety. Separate analyses for each sex produced the basic type A-type B distinction (see Babor et al. 1992). Alcoholic men were disproportionately categorized, however, as type B (53 percent of the men compared with 38 percent of the women), whereas women were more likely to be classified as type A (62 percent of the females versus 47 percent of the males).
