Alcohol News and Research

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Anxiety raises heart attack risk

We all know that people with a Type A personality and an off-the-charts hostility level may be courting a heart attack.

8 Jan 2008

Experts say far too much is spent on needless indigestion drugs

According to two experts in Britain the National Health Service (NHS) is needlessly spending at least 100m pounds per year on indigestion drugs.

7 Jan 2008

The dopamine transporter gene influences alcohol withdrawal seizures

The physiological component of alcoholism is defined by tolerance and/or withdrawal: the more severe the dependency on alcohol, the more severe the clinical complications, such as greater intensity and/or complications of alcohol withdrawal.

4 Jan 2008

Upper airway surgery should not be first line treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea in adults

Surgery for obstructive sleep apnoea has no clear benefit and should not be offered as a first treatment, argue researchers in this week's BMJ.

4 Jan 2008

Drinking games and themed parties associated with higher levels of drinking at college

Most studies of college-student drinking have looked at the individual, and have relied on self reports. New findings gathered from on-the-spot observations show that parties with drinking games can predict higher blood-alcohol concentrations (BrACs). Young women at theme parties, especially with sexualized themes and costumes, drink more heavily than men.

4 Jan 2008

Gene therapy can reduce long-term drinking among rodents

Just as the risk of developing alcoholism is strongly influenced by genetic factors, mutations in gene coding - such as the aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2*2) allele - also appear to protect against the risk.

4 Jan 2008

Daily alcohol use causes changes in sexual behavior

A team of researchers at Penn Sate has used an animal model to reveal, for the first time, a physiological basis for the effect of alcohol on male sexual behavior, including increased sexual arousal and decreased sexual inhibition.

4 Jan 2008

Study looks at earliest exposure to alcohol - sipping or tasting

Very little is known about alcohol use by children. New findings show that the introduction to alcohol use may occur as early as eight or 10 years of age, and is an experience that typically occurs in the home.

4 Jan 2008

Treating depression may help alcoholics recover

It's hard to stay on the wagon when you're depressed, according to a new study of problem drinkers.

4 Jan 2008

A tipple or two a day a good thing for the over-65s

Scientists in Britain say for the over-65s one or two drinks every day may be a good thing.

3 Jan 2008

Religion habit cuts anxiety in women

For many, religious activity changes between childhood and adulthood, and a new study finds this could affect one's mental health.

2 Jan 2008

Drivers on cell phones congest traffic

Motorists who talk on cell phones drive slower on the freeway, pass sluggish vehicles less often and take longer to complete their trips, according to a University of Utah study that suggests drivers on cell phones congest traffic.

2 Jan 2008

Doubt over Gordon Brown's promise to tackle booze problems in Britain

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown appears to be about to do a "U-turn" over Britain's controversial 24-hour drinking laws.

2 Jan 2008

Start sex education at age five says top medical expert

One of Britain's top medical experts says children as young as five should be given sex education lessons when they start school.

2 Jan 2008

Fibrosis in the liver stopped and reversed by researchers

University of California, San Diego researchers have proven in animal studies that fibrosis in the liver can be not only stopped, but reversed.

28 Dec 2007

Brief intervention helps emergency patients reduce drinking

Asking emergency department patients about their alcohol use and talking with them about how to reduce harmful drinking patterns is an effective way to lower rates of risky drinking in these patients, according to a nationwide collaborative study supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

28 Dec 2007

No need for reduced alcohol consumption in later life

Provided they stick to the same guidelines about alcohol consumption as younger adults, regular moderate drinking poses no additional risks to the over 65s, and may even bring health benefits, according to two studies from the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England.

20 Dec 2007