Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sleep disturbance and alcohol problems are common among military veterans, and often occur together, with a large toll on physical and mental health. A new study published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research examines the interplay of PTSD symptoms and disturbed sleep, and how they affect the risk of alcohol problems over time.
It’s sometimes thought that smokers who can’t light up are likely to reach for food in lieu of cigarettes. But new research from the University at Buffalo suggests that smoking abstinence doesn’t greatly affect the motivation for food. The study, published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, used cues and actual money to learn how much smokers might spend for cigarettes, food and water during abstinence. The results provide new insights for how different systems control motivation and reward.
A minority of people who use illicit opioids indicated a preference for fentanyl, the super-potent synthetic opioid that accounts for much of the recent rise in U.S. overdose deaths, according to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
One out of every five tweets mentioning JUUL indentified for a new analysis also references addiction-related themes.
Alcohol biosensors suitable for use by everyday drinkers are a step closer, following a positive study of prototype devices published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. Keeping track of alcohol intake can be challenging, given variation in standard drink sizes and impaired awareness as blood alcohol levels rise. Discreet devices that track alcohol levels could help people make more informed decisions about when to stop drinking and could potentially reduce alcohol-related road deaths.
Alcohol and other drug intoxication in minors is a public health challenge. European surveys reveal that schoolchildren start drinking alcohol at an average age of 12, and a third of Spanish 14 to 18 year-olds admit to binge drinking ─ consuming five or more drinks per occasion ─ within the last month. Although alcohol is the most commonly abused substance among minors in Western countries, poly-drug use (often involving cannabis and alcohol) is increasingly common.
Problem drinking has become more common in the US in recent decades. The San Diego Prospective Study (SDPS), which began in 1978, revealed an almost two-fold increase in alcohol problems and alcohol use disorder among the current generation of young-adult drinkers compared to their fathers
The boys of fall are back, but how your team fares this season could be the least of your worries.
Incidents related to methanol and counterfeit alcohol are increasing around the world. A leading international Wine & Spirits distributor is taking proactive steps to promote awareness and insure their popular liquor and wine brands are authentic and safe.
More women are drinking alcohol, but there is little evidence to explain the increase in consumption. New research found variations in the amount and frequency women drink based on age, race, education, marital status and other factors.
-- A drug used to slow cognitive decline in adults with Alzheimer's disease appears to reverse brain inflammation and neuron damage in rats exposed to alcohol during adolescence.
New research shows that brief parent-targeted interventions in the primary care setting can increase communication between parents and their teens about sexual and alcohol-related behavior. This method may offer an important strategy for parents to influence adolescent behaviors and health outcomes.
Mothers who drink moderate to high levels of alcohol during pregnancy may be changing their babies’ DNA, according to a Rutgers-led study.
People in early-stage recovery from alcohol use disorder can struggle to recognize facial expressions of emotion ─ particularly anger ─ according to a study published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. The findings build on mounting evidence that long-term alcohol misuse may impair the brain’s ability to process facial emotion. As facial expressions are important for interpersonal and social functioning, this might contribute to the development of interpersonal difficulties, which are common among people with alcohol use disorder and reduce the likelihood of a successful recovery.
Women who consume alcohol during pregnancy — even in small amounts — have a 19% greater risk of miscarriage than women who don’t use alcohol, according to a new study by Vanderbilt researchers.
A research team has been awarded a five-year, $1.8 million grant from the NIH to study chronic inflammation of the liver, a major factor in the development of liver cancer.
Chronic misuse of alcohol can cause damage to the structure and function of the brain, and this in turn can impair decision-making and further exacerbate problem drinking. The cerebral cortex – a folded layer of cells that forms the outer layer of the brain ─ is of particular interest, as this is where a majority of information processing takes place. Neuroimaging studies have revealed that greater alcohol intake is associated with a thinner cortex. However, when comparing the thickness of different regions of the cortex, findings have differed across studies ─ possibly because of modest sample sizes, and because many studies did not account for potential differences between males and females. Researchers from the McMaster University’s Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research in Ontario, Canada and the University of Georgia, USA have now published new findings in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research on the association between the thickness of different regions of
More than a tenth of adults age 65 and older currently binge drink, putting them at risk for a range of health problems, according to a study by researchers at NYU School of Medicine and the Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research (CDUHR) at NYU College of Global Public Health.
Alcohol use during pregnancy can have harmful consequences on the fetus including restricted growth, facial anomalies, and neurobehavioral problems. No amount of alcohol use during pregnancy has been proven safe. Yet a recent survey of midwives and nurses who provide prenatal care showed that 44% think one drink per occasion is acceptable while pregnant, and 38% think it is safe to drink alcohol during at least one trimester of pregnancy.
Just half of 11-19 year old drinkers recall seeing health messages or warnings on alcohol packaging - despite being an important target market for this information, according to new research.
Researchers are investigating if a medication used to regulate blood sugar can alter motivation to use alcohol by targeting the brain’s stress response system.
Being able to see green spaces from your home is associated with reduced cravings for alcohol, cigarettes and harmful foods, new research has shown.
Women living with HIV are less likely than men to achieve viral suppression with antiretroviral therapy. Reduction in alcohol use is a possible strategy to improve health outcomes in women with HIV, with evidence that unhealthy alcohol use (>7 drinks per week or >4 drinks per occasion for women) is associated with poorer adherence to treatment, lower rates of viral suppression, and faster disease progression. Several medications are available on prescription to help reduce drinking, including naltrexone, which is taken as a once-daily pill; however, none have been studied in relation to clinical outcomes in people with HIV. Researchers from universities in Florida have conducted a clinical trial, published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research , to understand the effect of naltrexone on drinking behavior and clinical outcomes in women with HIV who engage in unhealthy alcohol use, exceeding recommended drinking levels.
Drinking too much too quickly can cause alcohol-induced blackout – where the individual stays conscious but cannot later remember what happened. Blackout drinking can lead to accidents and risky behaviors, and may have long-term effects on brain function. Despite the risks, drinking to blackout is common, particularly among young adults ─with evidence that some young people drink with the specific intention of blacking out. However, the motives underlying this drinking behavior are unknown. A new report in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Researchexamines how blackouts are discussed on Twitter, with a focus on people’s intentions and motives for blacking out.
Alcohol consumption in later life has increased over the past decade. Although moderate alcohol intake in older adults has been previously linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and death, recent studies have suggested little ─ if any ─ health benefit to alcohol. Assessing the relationship between alcohol intake and mortality is extremely challenging, partly because of the need to disentangle the effect of alcohol from that of other factors that influence health, and also because people’s drinking habits often change over time. However, research methodology and data quality continue to improve. A new report in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research presents a 16-year follow-up of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) ─ one of the largest and most rigorous US studies of the relationship between alcohol consumption and mortality to date.
Babies born after being exposed to both opioids and benzodiazepines before birth are more likely to have severe drug withdrawal, requiring medications like morphine for treatment, compared to infants exposed to opioids alone, according to a Vanderbilt University Medical Center study published in Hospital Pediatrics.
Bottles of beer, wine and spirits contain potentially harmful levels of toxic elements, such as lead and cadmium, in their enamelled decorations, a new study shows.
How do the people we love shape our drinking? Researchers know that both genetic and environmental factors – the latter including relationships with other people – influence alcohol outcomes such as abuse or dependence. Interdisciplinary research indicates that romantic relationships can even alter the impact of genetic influences on alcohol outcomes. These results and others will be shared at the 42nd annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) in Minneapolis June 22-26.
Many factors influence alcohol consumption during adulthood. Individuals who experience early adversity (EA) in their lives tend to be more vulnerable to stress-related drinking or other stress-related addiction. This vulnerability can be exacerbated by an existing genetic predisposition. These findings and others will be shared at the 42nd annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) in Minneapolis June 22-26.
Sitting while watching television, but not sitting at work, is associated with a greater risk of heart attack, stroke, or early death, Columbia researchers have found.
Alcohol and cannabis are commonly used together, and their co-use has public health implications. A preliminary study looked at the effects of two cannabinoids – delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and cannabidiol (CBD) – on drinking and craving. The study found that higher levels of THC are associated with greater co-use of alcohol, whereas CBD-based products may be associated with lower levels of alcohol co-use. These results and others will be shared at the 42nd annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) in Minneapolis June 22-26.
Alcohol is a complicated beverage; it can have stimulating, sedating, and various subjective effects. These effects can, in turn, predict future drinking behavior as well as risk for alcohol problems.
There is a lack of agreement about the relationship between marijuana and alcohol use. Does marijuana use increase or decrease alcohol consumption? Research based on interviews with users of both marijuana and alcohol reveals that recreational users tend to drink more alcohol, and medicinal users drink less alcohol, on marijuana-use days. These results and others will be shared at the 42nd annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) in Minneapolis June 22-26.
Nearly half of Americans older than 65 years of age self-report as current drinkers. Most do not develop alcohol use disorders; however, it remains unclear if growing older entails greater vulnerability to alcohol’s effects. Research on the impact of “social” drinking – comparable to a glass or two of wine with dinner – among older adults has found a notable impact on daily activities such as the ability to operate a car. These results and others will be shared at the 42nd annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) in Minneapolis June 22-26.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) – commonly known as domestic violence, and long associated with drinking – is a significant public health problem. Examination of patients treated at urban Emergency Departments (EDs) shows that choice of drinking venues, such as bars or restaurants, and amount consumed there, appear to have little influence on IPV risk. These results and others will be shared at the 42nd annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) in Minneapolis June 22-26.
Although drinking alone does not necessarily mean that someone has a drinking problem, solitary drinking by youth is alarming for several reasons: it may lead to heavier drinking, numerous psychosocial problems, and long-term alcohol problems. Findings from two large samples of underage drinkers show that solitary drinking can be influenced by social discomfort, especially among underage female drinkers. These results and others will be shared at the 42nd annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) in Minneapolis, June 22-26, 2019.
In this issue, find new public health research on marijuana use in high school students, nutrition labeling and a barbershop HIV intervention
A team of researchers from McMaster University has mapped at atomic resolution a toxic protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease, allowing them to better understand what is happening deep within the brain during the earliest stages of the disease.
Analyzing language shows that identifying certain groups of words significantly improves upon predicting some medical conditions in patients
A new University of Michigan study challenges a popularized view about what's causing the growing gap between the lifespans of more- and less-educated Americans—finding shortcomings in the widespread narrative that the United States is facing an epidemic of "despair."
Nurses play a critical role in promoting compassionate care for patients and families affected by alcohol use disorder (AUD), including evidence-based medication-assisted treatment (MAT) approaches, according to a paper in the July/September Journal of Christian Nursing, official journal of the Nurses Christian Fellowship. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
There is no amount, pattern or timing of alcohol use during pregnancy proven safe for a developing fetus. Repeat: there is no amount, pattern or timing of alcohol use during pregnancy proven safe for a developing fetus. Drinking in pregnancy can have a range of harmful consequences for the child ─ including poor growth, learning and behavioral difficulties, problems with movement and co-ordination, and distinctive facial features ─ that are collectively known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Screening for alcohol use during pregnancy is a necessary first step in preventing FASD, but studies have suggested that primary care providers do not screen consistently and can be hesitant to follow up with women who report drinking. New research published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research has evaluated midwives’ and nurse-midwives’ understanding of the risks of drinking in pregnancy, and their screening practice.
Study provides new information on the genetic basis of suicide attempt
Teenagers who don’t get enough sleep may be at an increased risk of engaging in unsafe sexual behaviors, such as not using condoms or having sex under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.
Exposure to adversity as a child can affect how the body responds to stress, and may increase the risk of negative health behaviors and addictions in adulthood. However, the impact of early life adversity may depend partly on an individual’s genetic makeup. The ‘COMT’ gene is of particular interest ─ it occurs in two common variant forms, MET and VAL, that differentially affect key molecules involved in the human stress response, and these gene variants may also influence vulnerability to our early environment.
People who drink alcohol while using medications that interact with it are higher risk of harm from overdose, falls, and traffic accidents. In recent years, there has been a documented increase in alcohol-related adverse drug reactions
Simultaneous use of alcohol and marijuana is riskier than using either substance alone, because their effects can interact and cause excessive depression of the central nervous system. This can result in more negative consequences such as driving under the influence, accidents, cognitive impairment, and symptoms of substance use disorders, as well as alterations in mood and well-being.
A Rutgers expert is available to speak about the risk of alcohol poisoning as we enter a season filled with end-of-school celebrations, outdoor BBQs and vacations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 2,200 alcohol poisoning deaths occur in the United States each year, an average of six people each day; 76 percent of those deaths are men.
Exposure to stigma elicits negative mood and alcohol craving among sexual minority young adults who are heavy drinkers, according to findings from a novel study at American University, Washington, DC, and Brown University, Rhode Island.
Alcohol policy experts and researchers have rated policies typically included in official campus alcohol policies on their likely effectiveness; in doing so, they have developed an evidence-based approach for colleges to use in analyzing and updating their campus alcohol policies. Their review found that fewer than half of the specific approaches to reduce problematic alcohol consumption are “most effective."
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