Feature Channels: Alcohol and Alcoholism

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26-May-2016 6:05 AM EDT
Unique Effects of Caffeinated Alcohol Consumption in Adolescents
Research Society on Alcoholism

This review examines three areas of study – one, the biological pathways of alcohol-linked breast cancer; two, the epidemiological risk relationship between drinking and breast cancer; and three, the global burden of breast cancer incidence and mortality that is attributable to drinking – with a focus on light drinking.

   
26-May-2016 6:05 AM EDT
Even Light Drinking May Increase Breast Cancer Risk
Research Society on Alcoholism

This review examines three areas of study – one, the biological pathways of alcohol-linked breast cancer; two, the epidemiological risk relationship between drinking and breast cancer; and three, the global burden of breast cancer incidence and mortality that is attributable to drinking – with a focus on light drinking.

   
26-May-2016 7:05 AM EDT
Alcohol Decreases Use of Condoms, Increases HIV Risk
Research Society on Alcoholism

Alcohol use, especially at binge levels, is associated with sexual HIV-risk behavior, but the mechanisms through which alcohol increases sexual risk taking are not well understood. This study addresses that gap.

   
Released: 25-May-2016 3:05 PM EDT
What Can Pavlov’s Dogs Tell US About Drinking?
Concordia University

s those cues can become desirable in and of themselves, as shown in a new study published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience by researchers from Concordia University in Montreal.

Released: 24-May-2016 9:05 AM EDT
Alcohol Exposure During Adolescence Leads to Chronic Stress Vulnerability
Binghamton University, State University of New York

Drinking during early to mid-adolescence can lead to vulnerability to chronic stress, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York. A research team led by Linda Spear, distinguished professor of psychology at Binghamton University, gave alcohol to rats every other day, starting from early to mid-adolescence. When the team looked at the same rats in adulthood, they found that adult males didn’t show hormonal stress adaptation, making them more vulnerable to chronic stress.

19-May-2016 12:00 AM EDT
Alcohol Intervention Programs Ineffective on Fraternity Members
American Psychological Association (APA)

Interventions designed to reduce alcohol use among fraternity members are no more effective than no intervention at all, according to an analysis of 25 years of research involving over 6,000 university students published by the American Psychological Association.

Released: 17-May-2016 9:05 AM EDT
Top Stories 5-17-2016
Newswise Trends

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Released: 16-May-2016 10:05 AM EDT
Top Stories 5-16-2016
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12-May-2016 7:05 AM EDT
Review Finds Fathers’ Age, Lifestyle Associated with Birth Defects
Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University

A growing body of research is revealing associations between birth defects and a father’s age, alcohol use and environmental factors, say researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center. They say these defects result from epigenetic alterations that can potentially affect multiple generations.

Released: 13-May-2016 9:05 AM EDT
Top Stories 5-13-2016
Newswise Trends

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Released: 12-May-2016 2:05 PM EDT
Genetic Link Found Between Impulsivity and Binge-Drinking Teens
University of Sussex

Psychologists have discovered a new genetic link between impulsivity and teenage binge-drinking.

   
Released: 12-May-2016 12:00 AM EDT
Chronic Drinking Interferes with Absorption of Critical Vitamins by Pancreas
American Physiological Society (APS)

Chronic exposure to alcohol interferes with the pancreas’ ability to absorb vitamin C, potentially predisposing the body to pancreatitis and other pancreatic diseases, a new study in the American Journal of Physiology—Cell Physiology reports. The findings provide a link between chronic alcohol use and poor pancreatic health.

Released: 11-May-2016 9:05 AM EDT
Top Stories 5-11-2016
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Released: 10-May-2016 1:05 PM EDT
Alcohol Accelerates Liver Damage in People Living with Hepatitis C
Elsevier BV

More comprehensive approaches to care needed, according to a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

10-May-2016 9:00 AM EDT
Top Stories 5-10-2016
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Released: 9-May-2016 12:05 PM EDT
Study Finds Many Patients Abusing Drugs and Alcohol Are Self-Medicating Chronic Pain
Boston University School of Medicine

With opioid addiction and prescription drug abuse considered one of the biggest public health threats of our time in the U.S., many are asking why so many Americans are struggling with addiction to illegal drugs and prescription medications. New research suggests that chronic pain may be part of the answer.

Released: 29-Apr-2016 1:05 PM EDT
Hormone and Neurotransmitter Systems Disturbed in Alcoholics' Brains
University of Eastern Finland

The brain tissue of persons with alcohol dependence shows a variety of changes compared to non-alcoholic control persons. All alcoholics' brains share some characteristics, but some are exclusive to the brain tissue of anxiety-prone type 1 alcoholics or impulsive type 2 alcoholics, according to a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland.

Released: 28-Apr-2016 10:05 AM EDT
Chronic Heavy Alcohol Consumption May Make It Harder to Quit Smoking
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

Chronic heavy alcohol consumption may lead to an increase in the rate of nicotine metabolism, which could be a contributing factor to poor smoking cessation rates in smokers addicted to alcohol.

Released: 27-Apr-2016 1:05 PM EDT
One-Fifth of Young Drinkers Report Consuming 'Jello Shots,' BU Study Finds
Boston University School of Medicine

About one in five underage youths reported consuming alcoholic jello shots in the past 30 days, and those youths were more likely to binge drink, consume more alcohol, and to have been involved in physical fights related to their drinking than their peers who did not consume jello shots, a study led by a Boston University School of Public Health researcher shows.

19-Apr-2016 12:05 PM EDT
Using “Heavy Drinking Days” to Measure Treatment Effectiveness
Research Society on Alcoholism

One of the challenges in evaluating the effectiveness of alcohol treatment is determining what constitutes a “good” outcome or meaningful improvement. While abstinence at the end of treatment is clearly a good outcome, a focus on abstinence ignores the benefits of patients reducing their drinking to less problematic levels so that they can function better and incur fewer social costs. This study estimates the relationship between drinking practices at the end of a treatment program and subsequent health-care costs, with an emphasis on heavy and non-heavy drinking levels.

   
19-Apr-2016 12:05 PM EDT
Alcohol Availability Affects Local Crime Patterns
Research Society on Alcoholism

Restrictions on alcohol availability may be an important crime-control policy, given that alcohol availability appears to influence crime by increasing consumption and alcohol-induced impulsivity. In 2003, Pennsylvania repealed its Sunday alcohol-sales ban for a portion of its state-run liquor stores. This paper investigates whether this change in alcohol policy, which affected alcohol availability, had an impact on crime occurring within the vicinity of liquor stores that opened on Sundays in Philadelphia.

   
19-Apr-2016 1:05 PM EDT
Alcohol-Induced Blackouts: The Last Five Years of Research
Research Society on Alcoholism

Alcohol-induced blackouts, defined as memory loss of all or a portion of events that occurred during a drinking episode, are reported by approximately 50 percent of drinkers, and are associated with a wide range of negative consequences, including injury and death. Identifying the factors that contribute to and result from alcohol-induced blackouts is critical for developing effective prevention programs. This manuscript is an updated review of clinical research that has focused on alcohol-induced blackouts. It outlines practical and clinical implications of these findings and provides recommendations for future research.

   
Released: 15-Apr-2016 1:05 PM EDT
Self-Understanding Helps Criminal Substance Abusers
Aarhus University

Impulsiveness, crime and problems with social interaction. Many substance abusers also struggle with antisocial personality disorders, which makes it difficult for them to complete a drug or alcohol treatment programme. New research from the Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research at Aarhus BSS reveals that just six additional counselling sessions may lower the drop-out rate and increase the outcome of the treatment programme.

   
Released: 11-Apr-2016 11:05 AM EDT
Maryland’s 2011 Alcohol Sales Tax Reduced Alcohol Sales, Study Suggests
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Maryland’s 2011 increase in the alcohol sales tax appears to have led to fewer purchases of beer, wine and liquor in the state, suggesting reduced alcohol use, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research indicates.

   
Released: 8-Apr-2016 3:05 PM EDT
Simultaneous Cocaine, Alcohol Use Linked to Suicide Risk
Brown University

In a general sense, medical studies support the popular intuition -- a staple of movies and literature -- that suicidal behavior and substance misuse are linked. But the relationship between the two is not so simple. A new study of hundreds of suicidal emergency department (ED) patients from around the U.S. found that the significance of the link varied with age, gender and race. Across the board, however, the use of cocaine and alcohol together was a red flag.

Released: 4-Apr-2016 9:05 PM EDT
Closer Examination Reveals Changes to the “Gender Gap” in Drinking
Research Society on Alcoholism

Previous research on an apparent narrowing of the historical “gender gap” in drinking prevalence found that girls were more likely to start drinking before 18 years of age compared to boys. This research seeks to extend these epidemiological findings by estimating the fine-grained, age-specific incidence of becoming a drinker among 12- to 24-year-old U.S. males and females, and comparing incidence estimates with prevalence proportions.

Released: 4-Apr-2016 9:05 PM EDT
Fluctuations in Student Drinking During the Calendar Year
Research Society on Alcoholism

Heavy drinking by students is common during the college years and is associated with potentially serious consequences. While student drinking tends to fluctuate throughout the calendar year, with marked increases during celebrations, most studies of the issue are limited to the academic year itself, relatively few focus specifically on special heavy drinking events, and even fewer include drinking during summer break and subsequent school return. This study uses longitudinal data to address these gaps.

Released: 4-Apr-2016 9:05 PM EDT
Examining Alcohol Use Prior to Suicides and Motor Vehicle Crash Deaths
Research Society on Alcoholism

Injury death – including those due to intentional injury, with suicide most common, as well as unintentional injury, with motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) causing a majority – is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Postmortem examinations commonly test for blood alcohol concentration (BAC). This study utilizes postmortem data to examine the hypotheses that high, and very high, BACs are more common among MVC decedents than among suicide decedents, whereas low alcohol levels are more common among suicide decedents.

Released: 4-Apr-2016 9:05 PM EDT
Effects of Alcohol, Methamphetamine, and Marijuana Exposure on the Placenta
Research Society on Alcoholism

In the United States, prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is the most common preventable cause of developmental delay. Animal studies have shown some of the adverse effects of PAE on placental development, but few studies have examined these effects in humans. This is the first study to examine the effects of prenatal exposure to methamphetamine, marijuana, and cigarette smoking on human placental development.

Released: 4-Apr-2016 9:30 AM EDT
The Addiction Medicine Foundation Accredits Four More Fellowship Programs, Bringing Total Accredited Programs to 40
The Addiction Medicine Foundation (TAMF)

The Addiction Medicine Foundation today announced the accreditation of four additional fellowship programs to train addiction medicine physicians. The Foundation has supported the establishment of 40 addiction medicine fellowship training programs to date, based at major medical schools and hospitals across North America.

Released: 31-Mar-2016 10:05 AM EDT
Study Finds Addiction Associated with Poor Awareness of Others
Case Western Reserve University

Developmental psychologist finds adolescents with severe alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems have a low regard for others, as indicated by higher rates of driving under the influence and having unprotected sex with a history of sexually transmitted disease.

Released: 30-Mar-2016 5:05 PM EDT
Opioid Relapse Rates Fall with Long-Term Use of Medication for Adults Involved in Criminal Justice System
NYU Langone Health

A clinical trial from NYU Langone Medical Center and others finds use of long-term, extended-release naltrexone leads to decreases in opioid addiction relapse. Learn more.

Released: 30-Mar-2016 12:05 PM EDT
Curbing Opioid Abuse
Texas A&M University

Most people know that heroin is a dangerous drug, but its cousins, the legal, pharmaceutical opioids, such as codeine or hydrocodone, must be safe, right?

Released: 30-Mar-2016 12:05 AM EDT
Nobel Laureate, Leading Experts Speak in APS President’s Symposium Series
American Physiological Society (APS)

Leading research experts will discuss the physiology behind organ injury in alcohol abuse, the health impacts of diet, and adaptations to stress as part of the President's Symposium Series at the Experimental Biology 2016 meeting in San Diego. The series is anchored with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Lecture by Nobel Laureate Roger Tsien, PhD.

16-Mar-2016 9:40 AM EDT
In-Car Breathalyzers for DUI Offenders Curb Drunk-Driving Deaths by 15 Percent
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

State laws that require drivers who’ve been convicted of drunk driving to pass a breathalyzer-type test before starting their cars saved an estimated 915 lives between 2004 and 2013, according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The findings represent a 15 percent reduction in drunk driving-related deaths compared to states without legislation requiring DUI offenders to use “mandatory ignition interlock.”

Released: 16-Mar-2016 3:05 PM EDT
Cancer-Causing Gene Triggered by Alcohol May Increase Breast Cancer Risk
University of Houston

A University of Houston researcher and his team have discovered an important link between alcohol and breast cancer by identifying a cancer-causing gene triggered by alcohol.

Released: 14-Mar-2016 9:05 AM EDT
Medical Students, Burnout and Alcohol
Mayo Clinic

Medical students are more prone to alcohol abuse than their peers not attending medical school, especially if they are young, single and under a high debt load. That’s according to a study on medical student burnout by researchers at Mayo Clinic. The findings appear in the journal Academic Medicine.

Released: 11-Mar-2016 11:05 AM EST
The Dangers and Risks of Binge Drinking
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Experts take an in-depth look into a favorite college pastime by understanding the dangers and risks of alcohol.

Released: 8-Mar-2016 9:05 AM EST
For Both Men and Women, Pregnancy and Alcohol Are Toxic Mix
Texas A&M University

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) set off a firestorm of controversy this month when they suggested that women stop drinking alcohol if they are trying to get pregnant, or could get pregnant.

Released: 3-Mar-2016 2:05 PM EST
New Research Finds Short-Term Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke After Alcohol Consumption
Beth Israel Lahey Health

BOSTON – While the protective connection between moderate alcohol consumption and heart health has been well-studied, new research from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health suggests that the association is more complicated than is widely accepted. Researchers found that in the hour following even moderate consumption of alcohol, the risk of heart and stroke doubled.

Released: 1-Mar-2016 2:05 PM EST
Studies Explain Adolescents' Vulnerability to Addictive Drugs
eLife

Researchers have discovered one reason why adolescents are more prone to drug addiction than adults, with findings that could lead to new treatments for addictive disorders.

26-Feb-2016 12:05 PM EST
Tracking the Tracker: the Long Road for Pennsylvania’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program
Pennsylvania Medical Society

Prescription drug abuse is at a crisis level in Pennsylvania. In this story from the Pennsylvania Health News Service, the history of the crisis and the long political path the Commonwealth took to build a prescription drug monitoring system for physician use is examined.

Released: 24-Feb-2016 1:05 PM EST
Sleep Changes Seen with Fetal Alcohol Exposure Partly Explain Lifelong Learning and Mood Problems
NYU Langone Health

Slow-wave sleep – during which the brain turns events into permanent memories – is fragmented in adulthood in people exposed to high levels of alcohol in the womb. This is according to a study conducted by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center and recently published online in the journal Neuroscience.

Released: 23-Feb-2016 9:05 AM EST
Alcohol Exposure During Pregnancy Affects Multiple Generations
Binghamton University, State University of New York

When a mother drinks alcohol during pregnancy, even a small dose, she can increase the chances that the next three generations may develop alcoholism, according to a new study from Binghamton University. A research team led by Nicole Cameron, assistant professor of psychology at Binghamton University, was the first to investigate the effects of alcohol consumption during pregnancy on alcohol-related behavior (consumption and sensitivity to the effect of alcohol) on generations that were not directly exposed to alcohol in the uterus during the pregnancy.

   
11-Feb-2016 10:05 AM EST
Embargoed AJPH Research: Ebola Treatment in Sierra Leone, Alcohol Industry Actions to Reduce Drunk Driving, Tobacco-Free Pharmacy Laws and Tobacco Retailer Density
American Public Health Association (APHA)

In this month’s release, find new embargoed research about using community-based approaches to treating Ebola in Sierra Leone; the alcohol industry’s actions to reduce drunk driving; and tobacco-free pharmacy laws’ effect on tobacco retailer density.

16-Feb-2016 9:05 AM EST
Industry Initiatives to Prevent Drinking and Driving Lack Scientific Evidence of Effectiveness, Study Suggests
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

The majority of the alcohol industry’s actions around the world to reduce drinking and driving either lack evidence of effectiveness or haven’t been studied, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.

11-Feb-2016 2:05 PM EST
Overdose Deaths From Common Sedatives Have Surged, New Study Finds
Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Headlines about America’s worsening drug epidemic have focused on deaths from opioids—heroin and prescription painkillers such as OxyContin. But overdose deaths have also soared among the millions of Americans using benzodiazepine drugs, a class of sedatives that includes Xanax, Valium, and Klonopin, according to a study led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Health System and the Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania. Their findings appear online today in the American Journal of Public Health.

Released: 18-Feb-2016 1:05 PM EST
That First Drink Is a Learning Experience
Jackson Laboratory

In a recent study published in The Journal of Neuroscience, a research team led by Dr. Dorit Ron at the University of California, San Francisco examined whether a single exposure to alcohol can induce memory and behavioral changes that could promote future drinking.



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