Archive for November, 2010
Binge Drinking Linked to Higher Risk of Heart Disease
A new study has found that binge drinking could lead to increased rates of heart disease. The study compared drinking patterns of middle-aged men in France and Belfast, and found that both countries consume the same amount of alcohol over a week. However, in Belfast alcohol tends to be consumed over one or two days rather than regularly throughout the week as in France, and the amount of alcohol consumed in Belfast over the weekend is about two to three times higher than France.
Alcohol Rated as Most Harmful Substance
Is it possible that alcohol is actually the most harmful drug? A new system used for ranking drugs on the basis of harm caused to the user and others drives alcohol right to the top of the list, according to a recent Science Daily release.
Drinking and Dopamine: Genetics and Alcoholism
There is a combination of genetic and environmental factors that raise a person’s risk for developing an addiction to alcohol. Though science has suggested through studies that there are genetic differences that cause a person to be more susceptible to alcoholism, there has never been a definitive research project to that conclusion.
Cortisol Management Important in Alcohol Relapse Prevention
Relapse sabotages successful recovery for many alcoholics and is considered a usual and predictable part of the disorder for many. Some, however, struggle with multiple relapses throughout their lives despite concerted efforts to recover from chronic, severe and even life-endangering alcohol-induced consequences. Some do not sustain significant periods of abstinence even after repeated attempts, multiple treatments and, by all appearances, doing the ‘right thing’. Several recovery clichés are usually referenced to account for those ‘frequent flyers’ that are in an out of treatment facilities, 12 Step programs and recovery.
Blood Alcohol Concentration Limits in the U.S. High in Comparison to Other Countries
It’s Saturday night in Sweden, and several people are out at a nightclub. Many have an alcoholic beverage in their hand, but it’s likely they won’t be driving themselves home. The country is just one example of places where blood alcohol concentration legal limits are low, at .02 g/100 ml, compared to the U.S. level of .08, according to a Time news article.
Alcohol Consumption among Problem Drinkers
Alcohol consumption varies widely among individuals. Understanding changes in alcohol consumption over time is also a complex process, and in the past, most examination of the habits of problem drinkers was conducted with individuals in treatment for alcohol dependence. Those who never entered a treatment program or who made changes within the framework of a support group were not a part of the analysis.
A recent study sought to understand alcohol consumption among problem drinkers in the general population. The participants the researchers recruited were not enrolled in any treatment program. Some were positively influenced by social network strategies, such as those used in Alcoholics Anonymous.
Regular Consumption of Energy Drinks Linked to Heavy Alcohol Use
Regularly consuming energy drinks like Red Bull, Monster, and Rockstar is associated with higher levels of alcohol consumption and alcohol dependence, according to a new study.
Indiana University Succeeds in Cutting Down College Drinking with Multi-Tiered Effort
Indiana University took a multi-tiered approach to curb binge drinking among students, a program that has been successful over the last two and a half years. Freshmen living on campus had significant drops in the average numbers of drinking consumed per week, in the percentage of people who drank at least once a week in the last year, and in the percentage of students who engaged in binge drinking during the previous week.
Drinking and Driving Ruins the Life of Former NY Yankee
Even sports fans that don’t normally follow “regular” news are keeping watch on a trial that just opened in Broward County, Florida. Jury selection has begun in the DUI manslaughter case against former New York Yankee Jim Leyritz.
Research Identifies Gene Variant That Could Protect Against Alcoholism
Scientists for years have studied the human brain and body to better understand why some individuals are more prone to alcoholism while others are not. A Science Daily release examined the work of researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine who have discovered a gene variant that could offer protection against alcoholism.
