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Low-to-moderate drinking may not be protective against certain health conditions, and “safe” alcohol use guidelines may be substantially off base. These are among the implications of a review of studies that use a novel research method.
When drinking choices are perceived as “just one drink,” with each single drink representing relatively slight risk, it may ironically lead to heavier drinking and alcohol-related harms.
Certain drinking behaviors beyond just the quantity of alcohol consumed may predict the likelihood a person will experience an alcohol-induced blackout, a condition where someone is conscious and engaging with their surroundings but will be unable to remember some or any of what occurred.
A Johns Hopkins Medicine-led research team has added to evidence that a chemical found naturally in cannabis (also known as marijuana) can — in the right amounts — lessen the anxiety-inducing effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive sister chemical found in cannabis.
A new analysis by researchers at UCLA Health found that mortality rates of middle-aged Black Americans caused by the “deaths of despair” -- suicide, drug overdose and alcoholic liver disease – surpassed the rate of white Americans in 2022.
Heavy alcohol use may increase middle-aged adults’ risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to research to be presented this week at the American Physiology Summit in Long Beach, California. The Summit is the flagship annual meeting of the American Physiological Society (APS).
Some people have genes that protect them from alcohol abuse. An examination of databases at 23andMe reveal that those same alcohol-protective variants have associations with conditions and behaviors that may have nothing to do with alcohol.
A recent study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session has unveiled startling findings regarding the association between alcohol consumption and the risk of coronary heart disease, particularly among young to middle-aged women.
When and how mothers drink alcohol during pregnancy has major implications for fetal and child development, according to two new studies in Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research. The effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) include stillbirth, preterm delivery, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).
People with symptoms of insomnia may be likely to increase their drinking over time, according to a study published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research. In the study of adult drinkers, people who had worse insomnia symptoms at the outset of the study tended to increase the amount they drank and the number of times they binge drank during the subsequent year. The researchers found that, even at subclinical levels, insomnia symptoms were a significant predictor of future drinking in adults, suggesting that insomnia symptoms should be addressed to help reduce the risk of problem drinking.
While highly effective, specialty alcohol treatment may present barriers, such as cost and stigma. A variety of strategies and other factors—often in combination—help people address their problem drinking without the use of specialized alcohol services, according to a study of untreated people in recovery from alcohol use disorder.
Making alcohol-free beer more widely available on draught in pubs and bars may help people switch from alcoholic to alcohol-free beer, a new study published in Addiction today [21 March], has found. Pubs and bars taking part in the University of Bristol, UK, led trial saw an increase in sales of healthier non-alcoholic draught beer.
Cameras similar to those already on newer model cars, combined with facial recognition tools, could read the "tells" of impairment in the face and upper body of a driver, University of Michigan engineers have shown.
Skilled facilitators of an alcohol intervention based on motivational interviewing are key to promoting safer drinking behaviors among young adults experiencing homelessness, a new study suggests. The study is the first to examine the effects of the group process on emerging adults’ drinking outcomes using several different measures of group dynamics. Some young adults experiencing homelessness can access services at drop-in centers, but interventions must be brief and feasible in resource-stretched environments. Previous studies of AWARE, an intervention based on motivational interviewing in a four-session group format, found reductions in drinking in this vulnerable population. It is not well understood, however, which aspects of the group experience—process, structure, and clinician behavior—contribute to these outcomes. Research points to the importance of change talk (e.g., “I’m quitting for the summer”), cohesion (group bonding), climate (group engagement and mutual support), and
People who experienced a disaster had a higher prevalence of problem alcohol use in the years after the disaster, and the rates of problem alcohol use increased over time. A study of nuclear power plant workers who experienced a disaster found that those who were exposed to life-threatening danger, discrimination, death of a colleague, or major property loss had an increased prevalence of problem alcohol use. However, for some, the increase in problem drinking did not occur until more than a year after the disaster. The study’s findings, recently published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, point to the prolonged impacts on people who experience disaster and the importance of providing long-term monitoring and support beyond the immediate aftermath of the disaster.
People who tend to act rashly when upset may be more likely to expect alcohol to affect them—both positively and negatively—and may be more likely to want to drink to improve their mood. Mood changes, whether positive, negative, or neutral, did not alter these beliefs, according to a study of college students published in a recent issue of Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research. This study helps to inform further research on the relationship between impulsivity and alcohol misuse.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launched across the U.S. nearly 2 years ago. But college students — who are particularly vulnerable to substance use problems and related mental health crises — appear disinclined to use it, according to new research.
At least one in four contemporary songs references alcohol, according to an analysis of multiple studies that hints at the effects of music exposure on listeners’ drinking.
A new study by Flinders University has uncovered links between a patient’s initial diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder, or BPD, and their recurrent visits to hospital.
A modeling study projecting the economic and social burden of alcohol-associated liver disease by 2040 is featured in the February 2024 issue of AJG, just one month after the new ACG Clinical Guideline on Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease
Allostatic load refers to a disorder of the body’s stress response, which has been shown to increase the risk of mortality and various health risks, as well as being associated with mental disorders.
An intersectional study of alcohol treatment completion rates reveals striking disparities for racial and ethnic minoritized women when compared to White men.
A neighborhood alcohol control project in Sacramento that reduced cases of child abuse and neglect soon after implementation still had a positive impact seven years later, a new study found.
Accidental death is the most common type of mortality among United States military members and Veterans who served in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Investigators from the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai and colleagues found that women with fatty liver disease related to alcohol consumption have almost twice the risk of dying within a certain time period than men with the same condition.
Arsenic is everywhere in the environment and is a top-tier carcinogen for humans, posing serious health risks through food, water, and soil exposure. Grasping the factors that affect how it's absorbed and stored in our bodies is key to evaluating the related health dangers. While alcohol consumption is common across the globe and known for its various health effects, its interplay with how arsenic is absorbed and its resulting toxicity has been largely overlooked until this recent study.
Many people with a family history of alcohol use disorder (AUD) struggle with certain cognition issues that often accompany AUD itself, even if they don’t themselves drink dangerously, according to a novel study. The findings suggest that these issues may be markers of vulnerability for the condition. A family history of AUD—having one or more first-degree relatives with the disorder—increases the risk of developing it, owing to genetic and environmental factors. Differences in cognitive functioning, especially in executive function (EF) and social cognition (SC), may predispose people to AUD and be amplified by chronic drinking. EF involves mental flexibility, inhibiting responses, and working memory, among other processes. SC facilitates social interactions through theory of mind (understanding others’ mental states), emotion recognition, and empathy. Research on healthy people with a family history of AUD has identified EF and SC differences in their neural networks, though little i
Following a brief intervention delivered to certain heavy drinkers, alcohol use and risky social ties decreased among those students’ close social connections who were also heavy drinkers, according to a novel study of first-year college students’ alcohol consumption and social networks.
Taking away the largest serving of wine by the glass – in most cases the 250ml option – led to an average reduction in the amount of wine sold at pubs and bars of just under 8%, new research led by a team at the University of Cambridge has discovered
AI language models are booming. The current frontrunner is ChatGPT, which can do everything from taking a bar exam, to creating an HR policy, to writing a movie script.
Using artificial intelligence to scan surgery patients’ medical records for signs of risky drinking might help spot those whose alcohol use raises their risk of problems during and after an operation, a new study suggests.
Veterans with alcohol use disorder (AUD) appear to benefit from a non-invasive technique that uses magnetism to stimulate neurons in areas of the brain linked to psychiatric disorders.
A new ACG Clinical Guideline on alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is featured in the January 2024 issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Hepatitis linked to alcohol, the most severe form of alcohol-associated liver disease, is increasingly prevalent, severe, and likely to involve emergency departments, according to a new analysis.
An artificial intelligence-based program efficiently and accurately identified patients’ risky alcohol use by analyzing their health records, according to a study published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research.
Would you pour your friends a glass of wine from a cask or sip your favourite red from a can? Researchers at UniSA's Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science are exploring how wine marketers can influence people to consider packaging options other than glass bottles.
Taking a break from drinking alcohol even for just one month can lead to surprising and significant improvements in both physical and mental health, according to Jennifer Steiner, an assistant professor at Florida State University.
Adam Roy, food and beverage expert in Michigan State University’s Broad College of Business, explores what it takes to craft a delicious nonalcoholic beverage, provides tips for a successful Dry January and more.
Health care workers want you to think long and hard before getting behind the wheel, even if you had just a little. A Penn State Health expert discusses the grim statistics – and how you can avoid becoming one.
An online treatment for insomnia may improve both sleep and problem drinking patterns in people who drink heavily, according to a study in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research.
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