- A new study analyzes the relationship between alcohol outlets and overnight hospital stays due to assaults.
- Results indicate the greater the density of alcohol outlets, especially bars, the higher the rates of assault.
- The authors speculate that failure to regulate…
The greater the number of bars in a neighborhood, the higher the rates of assault
Personality and parental alcoholism interact to influence an individual’s risk of becoming an alcoholic
- New findings show that interaction between a personality trait called “novelty seeking” and parental alcoholism can both increase risk of, and protect against, developing individual alcoholism.
- High novelty seeking is a strong risk factor for alcoholism among children…
Meconium: baby’s first stool may provide clues to fetal alcohol exposure
- Fetal alcohol exposure is usually determined through self-reported maternal consumption.
- New research shows that certain fatty acid ethyl esters ( FAEEs) in meconium may provide dependable biomarkers of fetal alcohol exposure.
- FAEEs ethyl linoleate and ethyl…
Extreme drinking
A minority of students are consuming two to three times beyond the binge-drinking threshold
- Approximately 40 percent of college freshmen have self reported binge drinking, defined as four+ drinks per occasion for females and five+ drinks for males .
- A new study reveals…
Light-to-moderate prenatal alcohol exposure can lead to cognitive deficits 10 years later
- Many people are aware that heavy drinking during pregnancy can result in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
- Recent analysis shows that even light to moderate drinking early in the pregnancy, especially the second trimester, can significantly predict deficits in IQ at age 10 among offspring…
Stress, alcoholics, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Alcoholics without PTSD had a blunted biological stress response, and greater chance of relapse
- Stress is believed to contribute to the initiation, development and/or maintenance of alcohol problems.
- New findings indicate that alcoholics with and without post-traumatic…
Women who drink alcohol during pregnancy
- Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can be harmful to the fetus.
- Recent analysis shows that alcohol consumption among women of child-bearing age (18 to 44 years) remains at levels of concern, particularly among women younger than 30 years of age.
- Two groups are…
Individuals with a family history of alcoholism: will they too become alcoholics?
Those who are male and have behavioral disinhibition have the highest risk of developing alcoholism
- Individuals with a family history of alcoholism (FH+) have a greater risk of developing alcoholism themselves than do persons with no family history.
- FH+ individuals who…
Prenatal alcohol exposure can alter circadian rhythms in offspring
- Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders exhibit altered sleeping and eating patterns, as well as other behavioral problems such as attention deficits and depression.
- Alterations in these behaviors may indicate that their biological rhythms, which are controlled by…
Alcohol-induced bone disease
Alcohol can inhibit the formation of new bone cells called osteoblasts, thereby decreasing bone formation
Chronic and heavy alcohol consumption is known to contribute to low bone mass, decreased bone formation, an increased incidence of fractures, and delays in fracture healing. A…