Abstinence News and Research

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Abstinence is a voluntary restraint from indulging a desire or appetite for certain bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to abstention from sexual intercourse, alcohol or food. The practice can arise from religious prohibitions or practical considerations.

New study sheds light on irregular heartbeat risk

Two new, basic animal research studies shed light on alcohol consumption and the heart. The first study may help explain why binge drinking sometimes causes an irregular heartbeat and a possible way to prevent it. The second study investigated why alcohol may have a negative impact on heart function in women taking estrogen replacement therapy.

23 Jul 2024

New guidance for assessing muscle-building supplement use in teens and young adults

A commentary published in the Journal of Adolescent Health concludes that the use of muscle-building dietary supplements among adolescents and young adults, particularly boys and young men, is widespread and driven by pressures to adhere to the muscular and lean body ideal.

15 Jul 2024

Financial incentives can improve smoking cessation among socioeconomically disadvantaged adults

A study published today by a University of Oklahoma researcher shows that financial incentives can make a big difference in helping smokers quit.

2 Jul 2024

Challenging the chronic brain disease model of addiction

Addiction is not simply a chronic brain disease and considering it as such can limit treatment options and increase stigma, an extensive research review suggests.

1 Jul 2024

Study finds lower cancer risk with alcohol abstinence and rehabilitation

A new study conducted by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Bordeaux University Hospital, France, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has found that individuals with alcohol dependence who undergo rehabilitation or maintain abstinence experience significantly lower risks of developing alcohol-associated cancers.

26 Jun 2024

Personal choices drive young adults' alcohol abstinence with cannabis as a common substitute

Personal decisions, such as disinterest and avoiding drunkenness, are the primary reasons young adults abstain from alcohol, with financial concerns also playing a significant role, according to a recent study.

24 Jun 2024

Survey highlights inadequate sexual health education for LGBTQ+ adolescents

Children across the United States who identify as LGBTQ+ say the sexual health education curricula they receive is leaving them without essential information to make informed decisions about their sexual health – which could force them to seek potentially dangerous advice elsewhere.

17 Jun 2024

HEALing Communities Study: Data-driven intervention did not reduce opioid-related overdose death rates

A data-driven intervention that engaged communities to rapidly deploy evidence-based practices to reduce opioid-related overdose deaths – such as increasing naloxone distribution and enhancing access to medication for opioid use disorder – did not result in a statistically significant reduction in opioid-related overdose death rates during the evaluation period, according to results from the National Institutes of Health's HEALing (Helping to End Addiction Long-Term) Communities Study.

17 Jun 2024

Short-term alcohol abstinence worsens gut health in alcohol use disorder patients

A study published in PLoS ONE found that short-term abstinence from alcohol in AUD patients exacerbates gut dysbiosis and increases mental distress, contrary to expected improvements.

14 Jun 2024

Study demonstrates efficacy of treat-to-target in early axial spondyloarthritis

Early therapeutic interventions in inflammatory rheumatic diseases have proven successful in inducing drug-free remission, and EULAR - The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology - recommends early intervention in arthritis, since conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARD) have been shown to slow disease progression in both rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis.

13 Jun 2024

Rising syphilis cases highlight gaps in public knowledge on symptoms and treatment

Syphilis cases are on the rise around the globe, but many Americans don't know the symptoms.

12 Jun 2024

Clinical trial demonstrates efficacy of two-drug therapy for methamphetamine addiction

A clinical trial on a two-drug therapy for methamphetamine use disorder reduced use of the highly addictive drug for up to 12 weeks after initiation of treatment, UCLA-led research suggests.

10 Jun 2024

FDA urged to relax decades-old tissue donation restrictions for gay and bisexual men

The federal government in 2020 and 2023 changed who it said could safely donate organs and blood, reducing the restrictions on men who have had sex with another man.

24 May 2024

California pays meth users to get sober

Here in the rugged foothills of California's Sierra Nevada, the streets aren't littered with needles and dealers aren't hustling drugs on the corner.

22 May 2024

Uncovering the psychological toll of entrenched school practices on children

Many programs 'deeply entrenched in school culture' are harmful to children and can cause potentially lasting damage, psychologists have warned.

13 May 2024

Heightened risk of adverse neonatal outcomes from prenatal exposure to both cannabis and nicotine

A recent JAMA Network Open study found that combined prenatal use of nicotine and cannabis significantly increases risks for adverse perinatal outcomes, such as higher rates of hypertensive disease, preterm delivery, and elevated infant mortality compared to using neither or only one substance.

9 May 2024

Varenicline dosage increase helps persistent smokers quit

For most smokers, quitting on the first attempt is likely to be unsuccessful, but a new study from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found patients were more likely to quit if their cessation regimen was altered and doses were increased.

3 May 2024

ChatGPT could be an effective tool to help reduce vaccine hesitancy

New research being presented at this year's ESCMID Global Congress (formerly ECCMID) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) suggests that the free-to-use, widely accessible ChatGPT could be an effective tool to help reduce vaccine hesitancy among the general public, as well as providing helpful advice on sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in conjunction with sexual health clinics, by improving knowledge and access to care.

10 Apr 2024

Even moderate alcohol use by pregnant patients may affect babies' prenatal development

University of New Mexico researchers have found that even low to moderate alcohol use by pregnant patients may contribute to subtle changes in their babies' prenatal development, including lower birth length and a shorter duration of gestation.

2 Apr 2024

New study to test novel psychedelic compound as potential treatment for alcohol use disorder

Modern mental health company Clerkenwell Health announced today that it is working with clinical-stage biotechnology company Beckley Psytech on a Phase IIa study investigating whether a novel psychedelic compound, combined with psychological support, could be an effective treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD).

29 Mar 2024