The American Family Physician journal published a succinct and informative overview from the British Medical Journal on how Alcohol misuse appears in primary care and emergency department settings.
It is worth reading. Click here.
Showing posts with label Alcoholism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alcoholism. Show all posts
Friday, June 4, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
In case you wonder what alcohol abuse can do to your body
Medical complications of alcohol abuse
Cardiovascular: Cardiomyopathy; hypertension; ischemic heart disease; acute myocardial infarction
Gastrointestinal: Alcohol hepatitis; cirrhosis of the liver; pancreatitis; cancer of the mouth, larynx, pharynx, esophagus, liver, and colon/rectum/appendix
Neurologic: Wernicke’s encephalopathy; Korsakoff’s syndrome; decline in cognitive abilities; decreased gray and white matter; increased ventricular and sulcal volume; peripheral neuropathy
Other: Renal dysfunction; osteoporosis; breast cancer
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Less than 1 in 9 Americans with Alcohol use diorders recognize their need for treatment
Based on a study reported in the December, 2009, issue of the journal, Psychiatric Services, fewer than 1 in 9 people in the United States with Alcohol Use Disorders recognize their need for treatment.
You can read the abstract by clicking here.
You can read the abstract by clicking here.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Prevalence of substance abuse problems much higher in gay youth.
A meta-analsis published in the March, 2008 issue of the journal, Addiction, found that substance abuse is much higher in teens with a same sex sexual orientation.
Here are the conclusions as stated in the abstract:
The odds of substance use for LGB youth were, on average, 190% higher than for heterosexual youth and substantially higher within some subpopulations of LGB youth (340% higher for bisexual youth, 400% higher for females). Causal mechanisms, protective factors and alternative explanations for this effect, as well as long-term substance use outcomes in LGB youth, remain largely unknown.
Here are the conclusions as stated in the abstract:
The odds of substance use for LGB youth were, on average, 190% higher than for heterosexual youth and substantially higher within some subpopulations of LGB youth (340% higher for bisexual youth, 400% higher for females). Causal mechanisms, protective factors and alternative explanations for this effect, as well as long-term substance use outcomes in LGB youth, remain largely unknown.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Alcholhol and sports in Australia - a growing concern
Australians get serious about alcohol and sports. It is time for the same in the U.S.
Video lasts 3: 17
Video lasts 3: 17
Sunday, July 26, 2009
From the glass to the brain in 6 minutes - Alcohol can really go to your head
Science Daily reported on 06/26/09 on a study which appeared in the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism that alcohol can go from the glass to the drinker's brain in 6 minutes.
Here is a snippet from the Science Daily's article:
Just one drink can quickly go to your head. Researchers in Heidelberg tested this well-known adage. Only six minutes after consuming an amount of alcohol equivalent to three glasses of beer or two glasses of wine, leading to a blood alcohol level of 0.05 to 0.06 percent, changes have already taken place in the brain cells, as the scientists in Heidelberg proved using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Previously the only available data was from animal trials.
Here is a snippet from the Science Daily's article:
Just one drink can quickly go to your head. Researchers in Heidelberg tested this well-known adage. Only six minutes after consuming an amount of alcohol equivalent to three glasses of beer or two glasses of wine, leading to a blood alcohol level of 0.05 to 0.06 percent, changes have already taken place in the brain cells, as the scientists in Heidelberg proved using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Previously the only available data was from animal trials.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
1 in 25 deaths world wide due to alcohol
Science Daily reported on 06/27/09 that 1 in 25 deaths world wide is due to alcohol. We don't need to worry about atomic nihiliation, or terrorism, or climate change, we are killing ourselves with tobacco, alcohol, and too much food (obesity).
Here is a snippet from the Science Daily article:
Research from Canada's own Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) featured in this week's edition of the Lancet shows that worldwide, 1 in 25 deaths are directly attributable to alcohol consumption. This rise since 2000 is mainly due to increases in the number of women drinking.
CAMH's Dr Jürgen Rehm and his colleagues found that alcohol-attributable disorders are among the most disabling disease categories within the global burden of disease, especially for men. And in contrast to other traditional risk factors for disease, the burden attributable to alcohol lies more with younger people than with the older population.
Here is a snippet from the Science Daily article:
Research from Canada's own Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) featured in this week's edition of the Lancet shows that worldwide, 1 in 25 deaths are directly attributable to alcohol consumption. This rise since 2000 is mainly due to increases in the number of women drinking.
CAMH's Dr Jürgen Rehm and his colleagues found that alcohol-attributable disorders are among the most disabling disease categories within the global burden of disease, especially for men. And in contrast to other traditional risk factors for disease, the burden attributable to alcohol lies more with younger people than with the older population.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
The blood alcohol content (BAC) calculator
The blood alcohol content (BAC) calculator. It's neat. Give it a try.
You can access it by clicking here.
You can access it by clicking here.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
What are the medications used to treat alcoholism?
Medications are not the answer to addiction. However, sometimes they can be helpful tools. Here is a good, succinct overview of medications that can be used for alcoholism from the National Insitute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Here is a snippet from the article:
Here is a snippet from the article:
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Alcohol Among GIs is soaring.
Alcohol abuse among GIs is soaring. Here is a snippet from a USA Today article from 06/19/09:
The rate of Army soldiers enrolled in treatment programs for alcohol dependency or abuse has nearly doubled since 2003 — a sign of the growing stress of repeated deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Army statistics and interviews.
Soldiers diagnosed by Army substance abuse counselors with alcoholism or alcohol abuse, such as binge drinking, increased from 6.1 per 1,000 soldiers in 2003 to an estimated 11.4 as of March 31, according to the data. The latest data cover the first six months of the fiscal year that began in October.
"We're seeing a lot of alcohol consumption," Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army's vice chief of staff, told top officers during a briefing on the Army's growing number of suicides.
The rate of Army soldiers enrolled in treatment programs for alcohol dependency or abuse has nearly doubled since 2003 — a sign of the growing stress of repeated deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Army statistics and interviews.
Soldiers diagnosed by Army substance abuse counselors with alcoholism or alcohol abuse, such as binge drinking, increased from 6.1 per 1,000 soldiers in 2003 to an estimated 11.4 as of March 31, according to the data. The latest data cover the first six months of the fiscal year that began in October.
"We're seeing a lot of alcohol consumption," Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army's vice chief of staff, told top officers during a briefing on the Army's growing number of suicides.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Why do we ban smoking and look the other way when it comes to alcohol?
This is an excellent letter to the editor which appeared in The Daily Republic published in Mitchell, South Dakota, on March 13, 2009.
To the Editor:
I am a non-smoker. If I go in a business that is smoky, I leave, take my business elsewhere. My question is why smoking?
What about alcohol? Alcohol is society’s oldest and most popular drug.
Drunk driving is the nation’s most frequently committed violent crime.
Half of all teenage fatalities are alcohol-related. Someone is killed by a drunk driver every 40 minutes.
In 2007, alcohol-impaired driving accounted for 30 to 34 percent of all driving fatalities in South Dakota. Adolescents are more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol on learning and memory.
In 2008, 92.2 percent of 12th-graders reported that alcohol is “very easy” or “fairly easy” to get. The brain does not finish developing until the early 20s. Alcohol affects all parts of the brain, also the heart rate, coordination, speech and destroys brain cells.
Beer is the drink most commonly consumed by people stopped for alcohol-impaired driving or involved in alcohol related crashes. A first-time drunk driving offender on average has driven drunk 87 times prior to being arrested, 50-70 percent of drunk drivers whose licenses are suspended continue to drive.
The risk of a driver who has one or more DWI convictions becoming involved in a fatal crash is about 14 times the risk of a driver with no DWI conviction.
One South Dakota county recently reported alcohol as a factor in about 90 percent of criminal activity. Not to mention fetal alcohol syndrome, the leading cause of mental retardation in the U.S., only one aspect of the effect alcohol has on the family.
The facts go on and on yet we continue to ignore them. Why have we chosen to ban smoking, but look the other way when it comes to drinking? The effects are just as devastating to the innocent.
Marlene Hargreaves
Stickney
To the Editor:
I am a non-smoker. If I go in a business that is smoky, I leave, take my business elsewhere. My question is why smoking?
What about alcohol? Alcohol is society’s oldest and most popular drug.
Drunk driving is the nation’s most frequently committed violent crime.
Half of all teenage fatalities are alcohol-related. Someone is killed by a drunk driver every 40 minutes.
In 2007, alcohol-impaired driving accounted for 30 to 34 percent of all driving fatalities in South Dakota. Adolescents are more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol on learning and memory.
In 2008, 92.2 percent of 12th-graders reported that alcohol is “very easy” or “fairly easy” to get. The brain does not finish developing until the early 20s. Alcohol affects all parts of the brain, also the heart rate, coordination, speech and destroys brain cells.
Beer is the drink most commonly consumed by people stopped for alcohol-impaired driving or involved in alcohol related crashes. A first-time drunk driving offender on average has driven drunk 87 times prior to being arrested, 50-70 percent of drunk drivers whose licenses are suspended continue to drive.
The risk of a driver who has one or more DWI convictions becoming involved in a fatal crash is about 14 times the risk of a driver with no DWI conviction.
One South Dakota county recently reported alcohol as a factor in about 90 percent of criminal activity. Not to mention fetal alcohol syndrome, the leading cause of mental retardation in the U.S., only one aspect of the effect alcohol has on the family.
The facts go on and on yet we continue to ignore them. Why have we chosen to ban smoking, but look the other way when it comes to drinking? The effects are just as devastating to the innocent.
Marlene Hargreaves
Stickney
Sunday, March 15, 2009
New study finds that portrayals of drinking alcohol on TV and films leads to people drinking more
We have known for some time that depicting smoking in movies encourages people especially young people to smoke and now a new study finds that portraying the drinking of alcohol leads people to drink.
These findings for people in recovery who may see drinking on TV and in films as triggers.
As a public health policy it would be advantageous to discourage the portrayal of alcohol use on TV and in films.
From ScienceDaily on March 5, 2009:
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.
The research, published online March 4 in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism, found that people who watched films and commercials in which alcohol drinking featured prominently immediately reached for a bottle of beer or wine and drank an average of 1.5 bottles more than people who watched films and commercials in which alcohol played a less prominent role.
A little further down it reads:
"Our study clearly shows that alcohol portrayals in films and advertisements not only affects people's attitudes and norms on drinking in society, but it might work as a cue that affects craving and subsequent drinking in people who are drinkers. This might imply that, for example, while watching an ad for a particular brand of beer, you are not only more prone to buy that brand next time you are in the supermarket, but also that you might go immediately to the fridge to take a beer."
To read the Science Daily report click here.
These findings for people in recovery who may see drinking on TV and in films as triggers.
As a public health policy it would be advantageous to discourage the portrayal of alcohol use on TV and in films.
From ScienceDaily on March 5, 2009:
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.
The research, published online March 4 in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism, found that people who watched films and commercials in which alcohol drinking featured prominently immediately reached for a bottle of beer or wine and drank an average of 1.5 bottles more than people who watched films and commercials in which alcohol played a less prominent role.
A little further down it reads:
"Our study clearly shows that alcohol portrayals in films and advertisements not only affects people's attitudes and norms on drinking in society, but it might work as a cue that affects craving and subsequent drinking in people who are drinkers. This might imply that, for example, while watching an ad for a particular brand of beer, you are not only more prone to buy that brand next time you are in the supermarket, but also that you might go immediately to the fridge to take a beer."
To read the Science Daily report click here.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Drugs kill - 19 Year old Geneseo College Student found dead from alcohol poisoning on March 1, 2009
19 year old Geneseo student found dead on March 1, 2009 from alcohol poisoning.
From March 2, 2009 Democrat and Chronicle:
New York State Police today said a 19-year-old college student found dead yesterday morning had consumed a large quantity of alcohol and was pledging a “drinking club.”
State Police Maj. Mark Koss said between 20 and 30 people attended a party Saturday night at 4359 Lower Court St. in Geneseo, where Arman Partamian, a sophomore at the State University College at Geneseo, died. He was found dead yesterday morning in the house by another Geneseo student.
To read the whole article, click here.
Ironically, I had tried two years ago to get Livingston County in which Geneseo is located to participate in GCASA's Tip Line program and they rejected our offer saying that the Sheriff's office already operates a Tip Line.
To read more about GCASA's Tip Line, click here.
This is article #7 in a series on Drugs Kill.
From March 2, 2009 Democrat and Chronicle:
New York State Police today said a 19-year-old college student found dead yesterday morning had consumed a large quantity of alcohol and was pledging a “drinking club.”
State Police Maj. Mark Koss said between 20 and 30 people attended a party Saturday night at 4359 Lower Court St. in Geneseo, where Arman Partamian, a sophomore at the State University College at Geneseo, died. He was found dead yesterday morning in the house by another Geneseo student.
To read the whole article, click here.
Ironically, I had tried two years ago to get Livingston County in which Geneseo is located to participate in GCASA's Tip Line program and they rejected our offer saying that the Sheriff's office already operates a Tip Line.
To read more about GCASA's Tip Line, click here.
This is article #7 in a series on Drugs Kill.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Delerium Tremens, DTs
Yesterday on Are You As Smart As A Substance Abuse Professional #2 we asked what drug can it be deadly to withdraw from? The answer was alcohol which can cause delerium tremens.
Hre is a video which lasts 3:56 of man going through delerium tremens. He is very agitated and has a seizure which then leads to a coma.
Hre is a video which lasts 3:56 of man going through delerium tremens. He is very agitated and has a seizure which then leads to a coma.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
20% of U.S. population binge drink at least once per year
Overall, about 20% of the U.S. population over 18 reports having 5 or more drinks (the definition of binge drinking) on one or more days in the last year.
The 20 -45 year old age group was almost twice as high at around 40% or almost half.
Here is the bar chart displaying the data from the 2007 study.
Click on the imgage to enlarge for easier reading.
For more information click here.
The 20 -45 year old age group was almost twice as high at around 40% or almost half.
Here is the bar chart displaying the data from the 2007 study.
Click on the imgage to enlarge for easier reading.
For more information click here.Saturday, October 25, 2008
Dr. Donahue reviews basic phamacology of alcohol
"Dr. Donahue" a regular health column in syndication in various newspapers across United States is printed daily in The Daily News. On Thursday, 10/23/08, Dr. Donahue answers some basic questions about the pharmacology of alcohol. It is worth reading and if you already are familiar with the information, reviewing.
Click on image to enlarge for easier reading.
This is article #5 on the pharmacology of medications and other substances
Click on image to enlarge for easier reading.
This is article #5 on the pharmacology of medications and other substances
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