Chunk #28 — 3. Pharmacogenetic Studies of Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder in Individuals of Diverse Ancestries — 3.4 Individuals of American Indian/Alaska Native Ancestry
American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations experience high rates of alcoholism, including the greatest lifetime prevalence of alcohol dependence, as well as the highest rates of heavy and binge drinking relative to individuals of other ancestries in the United States.56 Thus, pharmacotherapeutic treatment options for reducing alcohol-related problems in individuals of AI/AN ancestry is critical. A randomized, controlled trial of 101 participants, 68 of whom were of AI/AN ancestry was conducted to examine the efficacy of NTX alone and in combination with sertraline, an SSRI, on alcohol-related outcomes after a 16-week treatment trial.57 NTX treatment alone resulted in significantly lower reports of drinking-related consequences in AI/AN participants at the end of the trial (38% of sample) relative to placebo treatment (72% of sample). There was also a trend-level effect for medication treatment to increase the number of days abstinent during the trial, relative to placebo. Combination treatment with sertraline did not have a significantly different effect on alcohol use outcomes relative to NTX alone in the total sample or the subsample of AI/AN individuals. A pharmacogenetic analysis was also conducted in
