September/October 2004 Annals of Family Medicine tip sheet
...tes counseling young patients about reducing their alcohol use successfully reduced high-risk drinking among ... clinical trial testing the effectiveness of brief alcohol counseling, the authors found that counseling resulted in long-term reductions in high-risk drinking...Using fruitflies to examine alcohol tolerance
...hysiological, behavioral and subjective effects of alcohol that occur with repeated exposure to the drug. A ... is produced by repeated or continuous exposure to alcohol over longer periods of time." "Theories about the root causes of alcoholism often invoke the develop...Identifying genes that contribute to a low level of response to alcohol
A low level of response (LR) to alcohol is predictive of future risk of alcoholism. Previo...developing alcoholism, particularly disinhibition, alcohol metabolizing patterns, and a low level of response (LR) to alcohol. A low LR to alcohol seems to be...Latest buzz in research: Intoxicated honey bees may clue scientists into drunken human behavior
...ees as a model for learning more about how chronic alcohol use affects humans, particularly at the molecular ...bees and humans work the same. Knowing how chronic alcohol use affects genes and proteins in the honey bee brain may help us eventually understand how alcoholi...Reductions in blood oxygen levels in newborns could contribute to ADHD development
... environmental toxins or maternal use of nicotine, alcohol or drugs. Also, researchers generally have believed that the newborn brain is somewhat resistant to subtle disturbances in blood oxygenation. This study demonstrates in rats, however, that while long-term decreases in the release of dopamine can oc...Study: Inadequate physical activity worsens as teenagers become adults
... behaviors related to family, school and religion, alcohol and drug use, sexual activity and other health-related subjects. "Very few teens were active when young, and even fewer remained active into adulthood," Gordon-Larsen said. "We saw similar differences, although of less magnitude, for TV and ...Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) appears to modify elements of alcoholism
...ated, but may also play a role in vulnerability to alcohol withdrawal-associated delirium tremens. Among th...ated, but may also play a role in vulnerability to alcohol withdrawal-associated delirium tremens. "The cell bodies of the dopamine system originate in the v...Genetic influences on taste perception of alcohol may influence alcohol intake
...dependent contributions to the taste perception of alcohol as well as alcohol intake. Genetic variation in taste influences the sensations from alcoholic beverages, and could be...Concord grape juice increased HDL, lowered inflammatory marker linked to heart disease
... linked to drinking red wine and attributed to the alcohol found in the wine. Given that Concord grape juice..., to a certain extent, by concerns about promoting alcohol consumption. This has led to the exploration of non-alcoholic grape products. In the past, we have...University of Texas at Austin researchers identify drug-tolerance mechanism in flies
...ies (Drosophila) to a 15-minute exposure to benzyl alcohol coated on the inner walls of test tubes. Flies tha...dings of the National Academy of Sciences . Benzyl alcohol (BA) is usually used as an anesthetic. Although few people seek it as a drug, the same behavioral an...Eating red meat may increase the risk of rheumatoid arthritis
...nd a reduction in disease risk for women who enjoy alcohol in moderation. Such associations, however, are sti... grams, and vitamin D, as well as coffee, tea, and alcohol consumption. Patients had a lower intake of vitamin C, although the association of this factor with...Genetic defect confers risk of major depression, resistance to SSRI drug therapy
...had a family history of mental illness or drug and alcohol abuse, six had exhibited suicidal behavior or had ...and a family history of mental illness or drug and alcohol abuse -- further suggesting a higher susceptibility for certain neuropsychiatric disorders in the pr...Alcohol vulnerability linked to action of insulin
...fruit flies is reduced, the intoxicating effect of alcohol increases. Earlier research has demonstrated that ...her substances the body senses as rewards, such as alcohol or drugs of abuse." Insulin functions in the brains of animals from worms to mammals, and the pa...Cigarette smoking exacerbates alcohol-induced brain damage
...ividuals report smoking regularly. Chronic, heavy alcohol consumption is already known to cause brain damage... also cause brain damage, both in conjunction with alcohol use as well as independently. These findings have important implications for both alcohol/smoking tr...Alcoholism and excessive food intake may share chemical pathways in the brain
...in microinjections can increase rodents' voluntary alcohol intake. Conversely, microinjection of a galanin receptor antagonist can reduce rodents' alcohol consumption. Galanin may play a role in both excessive food intake and alcohol consumption. Galanin...A genetic difference at the opiate receptor gene affects a person's response to alcohol
...m is involved in craving and the motivation to use alcohol and drugs. Thus, it is alcohol's effects on endog...nous opioids that act as the gateway through which alcohol may influence this system." "It is well known that alcohol dependence tends to run in families," sai...Desires for fatty foods and alcohol share a chemical trigger
...s hunger for food and fat also triggers thirst for alcohol and may play a role in chronic drinking, according...the brain, chose to drink increasing quantities of alcohol even while consuming normal amounts of food and water. The finding helps explain one of the mechanis...15-year study shows strong link between fast food, obesity and insulin resistance
...s including television viewing, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and smoking, but determined that increase in body weight and insulin resistance from fast-food intake seemed to be largely independent of these other lifestyle factors," said Ludwig. Fast-food frequency was lowest for white women (about ...Thinking small: Texas A&M team creates lab-on-a-chip
...to move and levitate several substances, including alcohol solutions, oils, some types of powders and even red blood cells and bacteria. It could be theoretically possible to reduce an entire chemistry lab to a few postage-stamp sized chips. "Try to picture individual chemical beakers (droplets) being merged...EB and IUPS - Where cures of tomorrow can be seen in the science of today
...bility of the body's clock mechanism if exposed to alcohol during brain development. Other topics include the...oactive compounds and metabolism; carbohydrate and alcohol metabolism; nutrient-gene interactions; lactation; nutritional and behavioral factors in obesity; ne...