Alcohol News and Research

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N-acetylcysteine plus cortisone shows promise against acute alcoholic hepatitis

Acute alcoholic hepatitis is one of the most serious forms of alcoholic liver disease, affecting individuals with chronic excessive alcohol consumption, which generally equates to more than 50 grams of alcohol per day, over a period of more than three to six months. The disease is characterized by liver failure and acute jaundice (icterus), which may induce a coma through liver failure and an ensuing death rate of between 40-45% within the first six months.

11 Nov 2011

Alcohol consumption may decrease risk of death from coronary artery disease

In a prospective, observational study of approximately 150,000 Norwegians, the investigators found that alcohol consumption was associated with a large decrease in the risk of death from coronary artery disease.

11 Nov 2011

A woman’s brain can get damaged faster with alcohol abuse: Study

A latest study has shown that female alcoholics suffer damage to the part of their brain that controls moods, impulses and sleep three times faster than their male counterparts.

10 Nov 2011

Hand washing in hospitals may keep super bugs away: Report

A recent survey of hospitals has shown that the successful implementation of good hand washing practices in hospitals by nurses and doctors is effective in reducing the drug resistant superbugs. This comes after the introduction of a national program to boost hand hygiene compliance rates in hospitals by encouraging staff to use alcohol-based hand rubs before and after treating patients. To make it easier for hospital workers to clean their hands, alcohol-based hand rubs are being installed at the foot or near the head of every bed.

10 Nov 2011

'Social Norms and Alcohol Prevention' to address problem drinking in college students

Perceptions of peer drinking of alcohol may be the strongest predictor of excessive alcohol use among college students according to new research by Clayton Neighbors, a professor and director of the social psychology program in the department of psychology at the University of Houston.

10 Nov 2011

APS supports CDC's call for multifaceted approach to address prescription drug misuse

As reported by the U.S Centers for Disease Control, some 15,000 deaths occurred in the U.S. in 2008 from overdoses of prescription pain medications, and demand for treatment of prescription opioid addiction increased almost six fold between 1999 and 2009.

10 Nov 2011

Helping others helps adolescent helpers reduce cravings for alcohol and drugs

A new study of teens undergoing substance abuse treatment finds helping others helps the adolescent helper by reducing cravings for alcohol and drugs, a major precipitator of relapse.

9 Nov 2011

Treatments can help most HCM patients

Most of the 600,000 Americans with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) -- a genetic heart muscle disease -- can live normal life spans, according to the first science-based guideline for diagnosing and treating this disorder.

9 Nov 2011

Indian researchers receive grant to develop 'E-Nose' for quick TB diagnosis

"Researchers are developing an electronic nose that would sniff out tuberculosis (TB) like a Breathalyzer detects alcohol, putting an end to current time-consuming tests and possibly saving hundreds of thousands of lives each year," the Globe and Mail reports (D'Aliesio, 11/7).

9 Nov 2011

Financial strain may induce alcohol use and smoking among older adults

During financial hard times, some older adults may turn to alcohol or cigarettes as a way to cope, according to a study in the November issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

9 Nov 2011

Bisexual women more likely to suffer from depression, stress and tend to binge-drink

Bisexual women are more likely than their male counterparts to suffer from depression and stress and to binge-drink, according to a new national study led by George Mason University researcher Lisa Lindley.

9 Nov 2011

Racial/ethnic disparities among adolescents with substance-related disorders

Substance use is widespread among adolescents in the United States, particularly among those of Native American, white, Hispanic and multiple race/ethnicity, and these groups are also disproportionally affected by substance-related disorders, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

8 Nov 2011

Link between heavy methamphetamine use and schizophrenia

In the first worldwide study of its kind, scientists from Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) found evidence that heavy methamphetamine users might have a higher risk of developing schizophrenia.

8 Nov 2011

Study examines how men's crime, tobacco and alcohol use change over time

After men become fathers for the first time, they show significant decreases in crime, tobacco and alcohol use, according to a new, 19-year study.

8 Nov 2011

First large-scale study to address treatment of prescription opioid addiction

Individuals addicted to prescription painkillers are more likely to succeed in treatment with the aid of the medication buprenorphine-naloxone (Suboxone), report McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School researchers in today's online edition of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

8 Nov 2011

Smoking primes the brain for cocaine addiction: Study

The study comes from the National Institute on Drug Abuse in Maryland that is the first of its kind to show how nicotine can change the brain in a way that enhances the behavioral effects of cocaine. It could help explain why so many drug-using teenagers tend to start with cigarettes and alcohol before moving on to more illegal substances.

7 Nov 2011

Just couple of glasses of wine a day could raise risk of breast cancer: Study

According to a new major study just two glasses of a wine a day can increase the risk of breast cancer among women by 50%. Researchers also warn that women who drink regularly in their 20s and 30s are far more likely to develop breast cancer in later life, regardless of whether they reduce their alcohol consumption.

7 Nov 2011

Mediterranean Diet beneficial even without weight loss

The benefits of the Mediterranean Diet go beyond weight loss, even when weight loss isn't achieved. Researchers from St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, studied 12 patients without diabetes who had nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and the results of their study demonstrated that liver health was improved even without weight loss.

7 Nov 2011

Study: Young adults in the north west of England consume illegal drugs after mephedrone ban

Young adults in the north west of England have turned to unidentified white powders following the ban on former 'legal high' mephedrone and the falling purity of popular street drugs such as cocaine, according to new research published today in the journal Drug and Alcohol Today.

7 Nov 2011

Experts share latest buzz on allergies to alcohol and tobacco

While the health benefits of drinking wine in moderation continue to make news, for some with allergies even a glass a day may be difficult to swallow. At the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Boston, Nov. 3-8, allergists share the latest buzz on allergies to alcohol and tobacco.

7 Nov 2011