Archive for May, 2009
Low Level of Response at Early Age Is an Alcoholism Indicator
It is logical to believe that those who have a high tolerance for alcohol could be at a greater risk for developing alcohol-use disorders (AUDs). This high tolerance – or relatively little reaction – to alcohol is also known as a low level of response (LR).
Daily Drinking Increases Risk of Binge Drinking
People who think that having one alcoholic beverage per night is healthy should think again. According to a new study published in the journal Addiction, having even one drink three to four times per week greatly increases the risk of binge drinking, particularly among young men.
Cancer Drugs May Help Treat Alcoholism
New studies on flies and mice have shown that a class of cancer drugs could help beat alcohol addiction. The research showed that when treated with the drugs, animals with a mutant version of a gene called “happy hour” grow increasingly resistant to the effects of alcohol. The gene normally works by blocking the Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) pathway, which plays a role in cancer. Drugs that are designed to inhibit the EGF receptor have been approved by the FDA for the treatment on non-small-cell lung cancer.
Study Shows Smoking Makes Recovery from Heavy Drinking Harder
It is well-known that heavy drinking over time damages the body and those with alcohol-use disorders (AUDs) have an increased chance of damage to the brain, especially the frontal and parietal cortices. A recent Science Daily piece highlighted that many individuals who have AUDs are also heavy smokers.
New Website Helps People Evaluate Their Drinking Risks
After determining the about 30 percent of Americans drink at levels that raise their risk of medical, legal, or social problems, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism created a new website that helps people identify whether they are at risk of becoming dependent on alcohol.
Alcohol Increases Positive Memories and Weakens Negative Ones
“What happened last night?” “Oh, man, I hope I didn’t do anything embarrassing.” “How did I get home?” These are common questions asked by heavy drinkers the morning after a drinking session. We’ve understood for some time now that alcohol decreases the brain’s ability to form new memories, but we now also know that of the remembered events, many more positive memories are recalled than negative ones. This helps explain why many people remember the happy moments of socializing with friends while drinking but not the negative, often embarrassing events that happen later in the drinking session.
‘Cure’ for Alcoholism Has Its Fans, Detractors
Chronic alcoholics often lament that if there were a medical cure to help them stop drinking, they’d take it.
Alcohol-Dependent Judge Sentenced to Nearly Three Years in Sex Case
Alcoholism affects people from all walks of life—from those living in poverty to successful doctors and lawyers: It does not discriminate. This fact was further solidified when US District Judge Samuel Kent was sentenced to nearly three years in prison in a sex-abuse case and ordered to participate in an alcohol-abuse program while incarcerated.
Social Drinker or Alcoholic?
There was a time, not so long ago, when it was considered manly to be able to consume large amounts of alcohol without showing the effects of it. In some places and in many cultural sub strata like fraternities it is often still thought to be so. However, there is a growing awareness that being an alcoholic does not mean that a person spends his life in an alcohol-fueled daze. It is the dependency on liquor that defines an alcoholic as much as the effect it has on him.
Studies Offer Contradicting Arguments for Moderate Alcohol Consumption
While recent reports have touted the benefits of moderate drinking, there may be more facts to consider before deciding to make alcohol consumption part of your everyday diet. Miller-McCune recently posted a report that suggests there may be more negative news than we once thought.