Alcohol Addiction News and Research

RSS

Stomach hormone ghrelin may lead to new treatments for alcohol dependence

Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg, have discovered a new brain mechanism involved in alcohol addiction involving the stomach hormone ghrelin. When ghrelin’s actions in the brain are blocked, alcohol’s effects on the reward system are reduced. It is an important discovery that could lead to new therapies for addictions such as alcohol dependence.

30 Jun 2009

Rise in alcohol deaths worldwide down to women drinkers

Canadian researchers have found that as many as 1 in 25 deaths worldwide can be attributed to alcohol and this rise since 2000 is mainly due to increases in the number of women drinking.

28 Jun 2009

Histamine affects alcohol-related behaviour

The histamine-3 receptor is important in terms of alcohol-related behaviour, and a drug affecting that receptor may have qualities that alter alcohol-related behaviour.

16 Jun 2009

Survey examines health outcomes of American Indians in Alabama

American Indians in Alabama have better outcomes than the rest of the state's population in some health indicators but are less healthy in other areas, according to a survey released by the Alabama Department of Public Health, the Montgomery Advertiser reports.

28 May 2009

Perceived barriers to treatment for adolescent depression

Although teen depression poses a widespread problem for which proven treatments exist, few depressed teens receive any care.

26 May 2009

Cancer drugs erlotinib and gefitinib might treat alcoholism

A class of drugs already approved as cancer treatments might also help to beat alcohol addiction. That's the conclusion of a discovery in flies of a gene, dubbed happyhour, that has an important and previously unknown role in controlling the insects' response to alcohol.

22 May 2009

Schizophrenia, substance abuse, and violent crime

In the debate surrounding violent crimes referred to as "acts of madness" or the like, it is often assumed that the violence is a direct result of the perpetrator's mental illness.

20 May 2009

Australia's top medical experts throw their weight behind alcopops tax increase

Australia's top medical experts have called for the retention of the 'alcopops' tax and have wholeheartedly thrown their support behind the Federal Government's plans to reintroduce the tax.

11 May 2009

Calorie restriction causes temporal changes in the liver and skeletal muscle metabolism

Moderate calorie restriction causes temporal changes in the liver and skeletal muscle metabolism, whereas moderate weight loss affects muscle, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute.

4 May 2009

New insights into addictive behaviours

Addictive behaviour is determined by conscious, rapid thought processes, not necessarily by the content of visual stimuli as previously thought according to research funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

30 Apr 2009

Research finds gene bringing together animal and human research in alcoholism

An important genetic study conducted through Mayo Clinic has identified vital new information concerning alcoholism in subjects with European ancestry, according to a recent issue of Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research.

23 Apr 2009

Liquid calorie intake a big cause of weight gain

Liwei Chen, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Public Health, is the lead author of a research paper showing that weight gain and obesity are more linked to an increase in liquid calories, particularly sugar-sweetened beverages, than calories from solid food.

22 Apr 2009

Low aerobic capacity linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Poor aerobic fitness is strongly associated with obesity and its consequent risks of heart disease, strokes and diabetes - now considered worldwide epidemics.

14 Apr 2009

Many adults feel that alcopops encourage underage drinking

Opening a tall cool beverage during the ball game or at a backyard cookout on a hot day is what families do.

6 Apr 2009

Moderate alcohol intake may be beneficial to bone health

In an epidemiological study of men and post-menopausal women primarily over 60 years of age, regular moderate alcohol intake was associated with greater bone mineral density (BMD).

2 Apr 2009

Is telmisartan effective in treating non-alcoholic steatohepatitis?

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are well-recognized causes of progressive liver disease leading to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

2 Apr 2009

Multiple childhood maltreatments lead to underage binge drinking

Researchers from Boston University found that multiple types of child maltreatment are robust risk factors for underage binge drinking based on a national multi-year study that explored the influence of social environment on the health of adolescents.

2 Apr 2009

High novelty-seeking and low avoidance of harm contribute to alcohol dependence

Personality factors can influence the development of alcohol dependence (AD).

2 Apr 2009

Two or more alcoholic drinks a day may increase pancreatic cancer risk

Men and women who consume two or more alcoholic drinks a day could increase their risk of developing pancreatic cancer, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention , a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

2 Apr 2009

Alcohol portrayals in films and advertisements make people drink more

New research has shown for the first time that portrayals of alcohol in films and TV advertisements have an immediate effect on the amount of alcohol that people drink.

2 Apr 2009