New evidence from Michigan State University suggests that those who smoke cannabis, or marijuana, weigh less compared to adults who don’t. The findings, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, are contrary to the belief that marijuana users who have a serious case of the munchies will gain more weight.
A leading clinical and research psychologist at the University of Chicago Medicine has been awarded a $3.8 million grant from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) — a division of the National Institutes of Health — to understand alcohol responses in individuals who have problems controlling their drinking.
La Trobe University researchers have found the heaviest drinking 10 per cent of Australians drink over half the alcohol consumed in Australia, downing an average of six standard drinks per day.
The neuropeptide oxytocin blocks enhanced drinking in alcohol-dependent rats, according to a study published April 16 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology led by Drs. Tunstall, Koob and Vendruscolo of the National Institutes of Health
A novel type of body awareness training helps women recover from drug addiction, according to new research from the University of Washington. People in the study made marked improvement, and many improvements lasted for a year.
Cotinine, a nicotine metabolite, may be amplifying or contributing to the addictive properties of nicotine.
In 2016, a surprising decline in life expectancy was ascribed to "deaths of despair" among working-class middle-aged white men displaced by a changing economy. However, new research shows indicators of despair are rising among Americans approaching middle age regardless of race, education and gender.
Smokers who are trying to quit may not always have to reach for a piece of nicotine gum to stave off a craving. Deliberately inhaling a pleasant aroma may be enough to reduce the urge to light up, at least temporarily, and could be used as part of an effective smoking cessation strategy, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Reducing smoking, and its associated health effects, among Medicaid recipients in each state by just 1 percent would result in $2.6 billion in total Medicaid savings the following year, according to new research by UC San Francisco.
Drinking too much too quickly can have many harmful consequences, including alcohol-induced blackouts – where the individual continues to function and make decisions, but later has little or no memory of the events. Blackout drinking is associated with accidents and risky behaviors, may have long-term effects on brain development and function, and is linked to increased risk for alcohol misuse and alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms in the future. College students ─ who report higher levels of alcohol use than the general population ─ are at particular risk of experiencing alcohol-induced blackouts and their damaging consequences. This calls for a simple, cost-effective intervention to reduce blackout drinking in this group.
Below are summaries of recent Fred Hutch research, with links for additional background and media contacts.
A new study shows that mindfulness training—a practice rooted in ancient meditative traditions—disrupts the development of conditioned behaviors. Based on the results, the study’s authors suggest that mindfulness training may protect individuals from developing the conditioned behaviors that sustain unhealthy habits.
Ohio, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia have the highest disparity between opioid-related deaths and access to treatment providers for opioid use disorder (OUD) in the U.S. That finding comes from a first-of-its-kind research study.
ASCO, ASH, and NCCN receive letter clarifying CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain not meant to limit access to appropriate pain management for individuals with cancer, sickle cell disease
Performance-enhancing steroid use could increase the risk of cocaine use and addiction in teens, according to a new rodent study. The combination of these drugs could also impair fertility in young women. The research will be presented today at the American Physiological Society’s (APS) annual meeting at Experimental Biology 2019 in Orlando, Fla.
CHICAGO – This month, dentists with advanced training in root canals known as endodontists, will get together to discuss the latest and best practices for responsibly managing a patient’s pain and the steps that can be taken to minimize the risk for prescription drug abuse.
Drink reduction goals are achievable and sustainable for people seeking treatment for alcohol dependence, according to new study findings. Sustained abstinence has long been considered the optimal treatment outcome for those with a clinically diagnosed alcohol use disorder (AUD). However, most people who seek treatment would prefer to reduce their drinking, rather than quit completely. Interest in drinking reduction as a treatment goal is growing, although whether reductions can be maintained over time, and improve patients’ function, is uncertain.
Today at the American Pain Society Annual Meeting, a plenary session speaker asked: “What if it were possible to develop a pain medication that could curb the negative emotions experienced by patients with chronic pain without causing euphoria and downstream addiction?”
In comments submitted to the federal government, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) formally supported the recommendations of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Pain Management Best Practices Interagency Task Force.
A research team that includes Northern Arizona University chemistry professor Naomi Lee received an NIH grant to develop a vaccine that can blunt the effects of drugs by triggering the patient's immune system.
New research, published in Obesity, has found that people with obesity are not only stigmatised, but are blatantly dehumanised.
A large genomic study of nearly 275,000 people led by Penn Medicine researchers revealed new insights into genetic drivers of heavy drinking and alcohol use disorder (AUD), the uncontrollable pattern of alcohol use commonly referred to as alcoholism. In the largest-ever genome-wide association study (GWAS) of both traits in the same population, a team of researchers found 18 genetic variants of significance associated with either heavy alcohol consumption, AUD, or both.
Many people binge watch as an escape from the rigors of everyday life. But all that viewing can lead to negative health effects, including sleep disruption and mindless eating.
Alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition. Although patients with cirrhosis are routinely encouraged to stop drinking in order to reduce their mortality risk, many continue drinking and do not avail themselves of alcohol treatment. To understand more fully the role of alcohol treatment in determining the course of alcohol-related cirrhosis, researchers examined the rates, predictors, and outcomes of alcohol treatment in alcohol-related cirrhosis patients with private insurance. They obtained data from a large insurance database containing information on 66,053 patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis for the years 2009-2016. Nearly one-third of the patients were female, with a mean age of 54.5 years when the diagnosis of cirrhosis was made.
Researchers funded by NIBIB have designed neuron-like probes that can be implanted and remain viable for long-term use to study and treat the brain.
A recent study has demonstrated that smoking is not associated with a higher risk of dementia.
People under age 50 with hearing loss misuse prescription opioids at twice the rate of their hearing peers, and are also more likely to misuse alcohol and other drugs, a new national study finds. Health care providers may need to take special care when treating pain and mental health conditions in deaf and hard-of-hearing young adults.
Three Harrisburg University professors have teamed with students to begin a study that examines addictive behavior in gaming. During a pilot study, the team will investigate brain activity to identify the characteristics of addictive behavior in gaming and eSports (competitive gaming).
The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) joins Voices for Non-Opioid Choices, a rising non-partisan coalition group dedicated to to curbing the U.S. opioids crisis by increasing patient access to non-opioid therapies and acute pain management.
A study that examined older Americans’ well-being before and after medical marijuana laws were passed in their state found reductions in reported pain and increased hours worked. The study, co-written by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Temple University, suggests medical marijuana laws could be improving older Americans’ health.
Peer approval is the best indicator of the tendency for new college students to drink or smoke, according to new research from Michigan State University. This new finding is key to help universities address the problems of underage or binge drinking.
Findings could fundamentally change how scientists interpret the biological activities of serotonin
A growing body of evidence supports the idea that alcohol exposure early in life has lasting effects on the brain and increases the risk of psychological problems in adulthood. Now, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have found that adolescent binge drinking, even if discontinued, increases the risk for anxiety later in life due to abnormal epigenetic programming.
A study led by MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC) researchers is the first to examine parents' rules about prohibiting both electronic cigarette and regular cigarette use in homes and cars.
“Snus” may be less harmful for smokers unable or unwilling to quit tobacco
Although parents have an important influence on drinking among students during their first year of college, there is limited research addressing whether parenting later in college has a similar effect. Researchers followed 1,429 students at three large public universities to examine the associations between parents’ permissiveness toward alcohol use and monitoring of students’ behavior and students’ drinking outcomes. Students completed surveys during the fall semesters of their first and fourth years of college. The study used a structural equation model, a form of causal modeling, to examine associations between parental permissiveness of college student alcohol use, parental monitoring of students’ behavior and students’ drinking and alcohol-related consequences at the two time points, controlling for parental modeling of risky drinking, peer norms, sex, and campus.
First study of its kind suggests cryptocurrency trading appeals to people struggling with gambling
New research published in Depression and Anxiety indicates that, unlike other anxiety disorders, social anxiety disorder may have a direct effect on alcoholism.
When adolescent boys viewed fake-warning ads for electronic cigarettes, those marketing messages stuck with them, according to the new study, which appears in the journal Tobacco Control and was led by Brittney Keller-Hamilton of The Ohio State University.
Neutrons used to study how an antibacterial peptide fights bacteria; decade-long study finds higher CO2 levels caused 30 percent more wood growth in U.S. trees; ultrasonic additive manufacturing to embed fiber optic sensors in heat- and radiation-resistant materials could yield safer reactors; ORNL analyzes “dark spots” where informal neighborhoods may lack power access; new Transportation Energy Data Book released.
Young adults at risk of developing problems with addiction show key differences in an important region of the brain, according to an international team led by researchers at the University of Cambridge.
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a common addictive disease that affects the brain. The risk of developing AUD is due, nearly equally, to environmental and genetic effects. More than 3,000 genes have been linked to AUD or the response to alcohol. Brain imaging studies have revealed alterations in brain structure and function related to AUD. However, few studies have linked genes to brain findings in individuals with an AUD diagnosis.
Although the use of alcohol and marijuana is common in college students, those who suffer from anxiety symptoms in social settings are particularly vulnerable to problematic use of these substances. Studies have shown that substance use by these students serves to help them cope with social anxiety.
“Addiction is something we’re all going to encounter no matter what kind of medicine we end up practicing,” said Shane Stone, a fourth-year student at Wake Forest School of Medicine who led the effort to establish a student interest group in addiction medicine at the school.
Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine have identified a clear group of characteristics that predict heightened risk for experiencing increased anxiety or worsening of mood that interferes with daily activities when using a smoking cessation drug. Results are published in the February 27 online edition of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
There are two cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) in the human body that can be targeted to alleviate certain pathological conditions, including chronic pain. While the CB1 receptors are mostly found in the nervous system and are responsible for psychoactive effects, the CB2 receptors are predominantly present in the immune system. Studies indicate that CB2 is a promising target for immunotherapy, as well as treating inflammatory and neuropathic pain, and neurodegenerative diseases. It has also been shown that molecules blocking CB2 can reduce tumor growth.
University of Iowa study is the first to dig deep into the differences in the way men and women handle excessive alcohol consumption.
Only a minority of adults with an alcohol use disorder (AUD) seek treatment for it. Although women are more likely than men to seek treatment for most medical or psychiatric disorders, men are more likely to seek alcohol treatment. To understand the basis for differences in alcohol service use, researchers used a national, longitudinal study that included data on treatment utilization, the perceived need for help, and reasons for not seeking help for an AUD. They analyzed data from nearly 2,600 white, African-American, or Hispanic adults with a diagnosis of alcohol abuse or dependence in 2000-2001 who were re-interviewed in 2004-2005.
The American Psychological Association has asked the U.S. attorney general to act immediately to evaluate the more than two dozen cannabis grower applications that have been languishing for more than two years at the Department of Justice, noting that the scientific community is eager to advance the research on both the harmful and therapeutic effects of marijuana and its derivatives.
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