tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81351741105538196242024-02-20T21:39:45.672-08:00TodaysSeniorsNetwork Seniors' Addictions Addictions are not limited to any particular age group. Untold numbers of America's Seniors are addicted to alcohol, drugs, smoking. TodaysSeniorsNetwork addiction section will examine the negative impact of these addictions upon the health and well-being of America's Seniors.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-62406282860545937882017-06-27T13:55:00.002-07:002017-06-27T13:55:56.720-07:00Risky Bingeing: Women in Appalachian Ohio Report Higher Rates of Alcohol Misuse<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">How
much alcohol women drink may depend on where they live. A new study finds
one-fifth of women in Appalachian Ohio imbibe at alarming levels</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9166CtF1kAi6x-jZeBjxxlptmJJ5NcLbxtQWDIYRMl3BXcA6aj9XMX92qML6Km6DcF0JNRdXmFZtC3vK6LQclXUfWkIXwzEKtxP3SC7mERJV_SMVsi8OYYOLOHbDQu-RWI8j84hCHb4/s1600/alcohol+stores.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="325" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9166CtF1kAi6x-jZeBjxxlptmJJ5NcLbxtQWDIYRMl3BXcA6aj9XMX92qML6Km6DcF0JNRdXmFZtC3vK6LQclXUfWkIXwzEKtxP3SC7mERJV_SMVsi8OYYOLOHbDQu-RWI8j84hCHb4/s400/alcohol+stores.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Newswise, June 27, 2017 — Appalachia
— stretching from the southern tier of New York state to northern Alabama,
Mississippi and Georgia — has long experienced deep economic distress and
deprivation, and the gamut of accompanying social problems.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Compared with women living in urban
areas, women who reside in these rural areas face multiple health concerns,
including substance abuse issues, and often at greater rates. While the </span><a href="http://labblog.uofmhealth.org/industry-dx/study-rural-communities-see-steep-increase-babies-born-opioid-withdrawal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">opioid epidemic in rural areas</span></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> has gained attention, the rampant alcohol use has
not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“Alcohol continues to be the most
prevalent and widely used and abused substance among Appalachian adults and is
reported to be the primary reason for seeking substance use treatment in the
region, surpassing drug abuse,” says </span><a href="https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/family-medicine/golfo-k-tzilos-phd" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Golfo K. Tzilos, Ph.D</span></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Tzilos is an assistant professor in
the University of Michigan’s Departments of Family Medicine and Psychiatry and
the U-M Addiction Center. She and </span><a href="https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/family-medicine/mack-t-ruffin-iv-md-mph" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Mack T. Ruffin IV, M.D., MPH</span></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">, professor emeritus and chair of the Department of
Family and Community Medicine at Penn State Hershey Medical Center, studied
excessive drinking behavior in women from rural Appalachian Ohio because of a
surprising lack of empirical data.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Tzilos and Ruffin analyzed data from
the Community Awareness, Resources, and Education (CARE) Project, which
investigated determinants of abnormal cervical cytology. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">More than 6,000 women older than 18
and representing 14 counties in Appalachian Ohio, 95 percent of whom were
non-Hispanic whites, participated in the original study.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Approximately 2,300 of those women
supplied relevant information about their alcohol use and other possible
predictive alcohol abuse variables. Of these, one-fifth (19.9 percent) reported
recent, heavy episodic drinking. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Heavy episodic drinking, or binge
drinking, is defined as consuming four or more alcoholic beverages — beer,
wine, wine coolers, mixed drinks and liquor — in one sitting for women.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Younger women (under age 26) were
five times more likely to binge drink than women older than 50, researchers
found. Those who identified themselves as current smokers, single and with four
or more lifetime sexual partners also had an increased adjusted risk of binge
drinking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“One interpretation of the findings
is that these women are a vulnerable population,” says Tzilos.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“Typically, these women face a
number of disadvantages in their environment, including chronic stressors such
as limited resources and living in poverty, as well as acute stressors such as
exposure to violence and abuse, which can all play a role in the likelihood of
higher rates of alcohol use.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Their results are published in the </span><a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2017-24982-001/" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Journal of</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> <i>Rural
Mental Health</i></span></a><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Clinical takeaways and broader implications<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Binge drinking is associated with a
broad range of hazardous behaviors, including tobacco use, risky sexual
activity, higher risks of unintended pregnancy and </span><a href="http://labblog.uofmhealth.org/rounds/std-treatment-for-two-study-shows-patient-value-cost-savings"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">sexually transmitted infections</span></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. These behaviors can lead to harmful consequences
that can negatively affect society as a whole.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Tzilos says primary care physicians
have an opportunity to act as a conduit between their patients and critical
health resources.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“Clinicians have the opportunity to
inquire about risky alcohol use among their patients,” says Tzilos. “In rural
settings, there are often barriers to health services that women face, including
stigma, cultural concerns of confidentiality and trust, lack of anonymity, and
lack of access and providers.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">This gap is particularly important
to address given that rural women, including those from Appalachian regions,
report a higher rate of health concerns that may be associated with, or a
consequence of, unaddressed or undertreated alcohol misuse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Tzilos and Ruffin’s findings also
reflect what is happening at the national level. Women are increasingly
participating in risky alcohol use at younger ages.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">They suggest increasing sensitivity
to this fact and work to address the obstacles to improving health outcomes for
women from Appalachian communities. This could include leveraging technology to
increase reach and access to screening, treatment and referrals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“My future work will explore the
relationship between stress and alcohol use among women in this region,” says
Tzilos. “It may shed light on opportunities for prevention.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Tzilos also plans to help adapt
integrative strategies to identify and reduce health risk behaviors and to
enhance protective factors among these women.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-87633140578277972182017-06-06T07:36:00.001-07:002017-06-06T07:36:29.686-07:00Social Rejection by Those Closest to You Can Lead to Subsequent Drinking<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYlTiwMJ1nz4rV-_T-0y6U60SIVKD9hc5PcAAJrQLOcp4Dq6SpFWh1k5NshWJ4h9l2CISoLUt_qQwsAdVGDA0X7NP0V2eWJHoXj6n4kG5kWg1cT80Ub8UEUKNiJI2DNYanzqI2tk-QrQ/s1600/alcohol+addiction.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="186" data-original-width="270" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYlTiwMJ1nz4rV-_T-0y6U60SIVKD9hc5PcAAJrQLOcp4Dq6SpFWh1k5NshWJ4h9l2CISoLUt_qQwsAdVGDA0X7NP0V2eWJHoXj6n4kG5kWg1cT80Ub8UEUKNiJI2DNYanzqI2tk-QrQ/s400/alcohol+addiction.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Newswise, June 6, 2017 — The need to belong and experience
social connections is a fundamental human characteristic. Prior research has
shown that social rejection is linked to increases in negative emotions,
distress, and hostility. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This study examined the impact of social rejection on alcohol
use, and whether the impact differed when the social rejection was by close
others, such as friends, spouses or family members, or by strangers or
acquaintances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Researchers gathered data from 77 community participants (41
women, 36 men) who used their smartphones to record their social interactions
and alcohol use for 14 consecutive days. The analysis examined associations
between rejection experiences and daily alcohol use.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Findings indicated that the type of relationship may be a key
factor in whether or not social rejection leads to drinking. More specifically,
on days characterized by rejection by close others, the likelihood of drinking
significantly increased. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In contrast, on days characterized by rejection by
acquaintances, there was no increase in the likelihood of drinking. This
finding contrasts with laboratory studies of rejection that emphasize rejection
and ostracism by strangers rather than known others.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-66014212348232498652017-06-06T07:21:00.001-07:002017-06-06T07:21:53.172-07:00 An Increasing Proportion of Women Who Are 60 Years of Age and Older Are Drinking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7R2LrGbAYbCfM6TcYSBmKESSuSbOhy1cv9fPUQzhdEl41UPVvuab7GX78kB1v6Aa2o6qdwAyKC1oL50JhKlzRnkZQt0TLJc3C1UDEBlQdw2zz0rfGd0lqD2O8FWAgVu_ILQRPWrYm48/s1600/Alcohol%252C+Women+drinking+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="683" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7R2LrGbAYbCfM6TcYSBmKESSuSbOhy1cv9fPUQzhdEl41UPVvuab7GX78kB1v6Aa2o6qdwAyKC1oL50JhKlzRnkZQt0TLJc3C1UDEBlQdw2zz0rfGd0lqD2O8FWAgVu_ILQRPWrYm48/s400/Alcohol%252C+Women+drinking+%25281%2529.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Newswise, June 6, 2017 — Most older Americans drink alcohol.
Given that this segment of the population is projected to almost double by
2050, reaching 112 million, in the future, there will likely be many more older
drinkers in the United States than currently.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Importantly, older individuals are more sensitive to alcohol’s
effects than their younger counterparts, and are also more likely to take
prescription medications that can interact negatively with alcohol, potentially
leading to falls and other injuries. This study examined trends in drinking
status among U.S. adults 60 years of age and older.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Researchers analyzed data from the 1997-2014 National Health
Interview Surveys: 65,303 respondents 60 years of age and older (31,803 men,
33,500 women) were current drinkers; 6,570 men and 1,737 women were binge
drinkers. Analysis of respondents by sex, age group, and birth cohort showed
differing trends over time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The observed upward trends in drinking among adults 60 years
of age and older, particularly women, are of public health concern. Among older
men, the prevalence of current drinking trended upward an average of 0.7% per
year, while average volume and the prevalence of binge drinking remained
stable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Among older women, the prevalence of current drinking trended
upward an average of 1.6% per year, while average volume remained stable;
moreover, the prevalence of binge drinking increased an average of 3.7% per year.
These findings indicate a need for alcohol-related public-health education,
screening, and treatment for the growing older population.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-44662496089003628072017-05-04T08:39:00.001-07:002017-05-04T08:39:45.297-07:00Social Smoking Carries Same Heart-Disease Risks as Everyday Habit<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">One in 10 Americans screened said they sometimes
smoked, study found</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vxgcR3y1pQTYzfqwpddiUdEzWi-x87AW-HP9liJHl2_88V6JkygEPONjlrLYVj3JlZkg4jW7werxmbMZdWPOArJpqCD8KP-BuC6LYZQOoWgpbUZwt6NUR41-aweUTnjYKEl3A8wmBlY/s1600/smoking+is+beautiful+poster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Social Smoking problems" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vxgcR3y1pQTYzfqwpddiUdEzWi-x87AW-HP9liJHl2_88V6JkygEPONjlrLYVj3JlZkg4jW7werxmbMZdWPOArJpqCD8KP-BuC6LYZQOoWgpbUZwt6NUR41-aweUTnjYKEl3A8wmBlY/s400/smoking+is+beautiful+poster.JPG" title="Smoking is glamorous" width="297" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Newswise, May 4, 2017 – Social
smokers’ risk for high blood pressure and high cholesterol is identical to
those who light up every day, new research has found.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">This large, nationally
representative study is the first to look at blood pressure and cholesterol in
social smokers. More than 10 percent of 39,555 people surveyed said they were
social smokers, meaning they didn’t smoke every day. That’s on top of the 17
percent who called themselves current smokers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Among current and social smokers
(after researchers adjusted for differences in factors including demographics
and obesity), about 75 percent had high blood pressure and roughly 54 percent
had high cholesterol.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“Not smoking at all is the best way
to go. Even smoking in a social situation is detrimental to your cardiovascular
health,” said lead author <a href="https://nursing.osu.edu/faculty-and-staff/faculty-directory/gawlik-kate.html">Kate Gawlik</a>, assistant professor
of clinical nursing at The Ohio State University.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“One in 10 people in this study said
they sometimes smoke, and many of them are young and already on the path to
heart disease,” she said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Smoking is a risk factor for
unhealthy blood pressure and cholesterol and both are significant contributors
to cardiovascular disease, the leading killer of men and women worldwide. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0890117117706420">The study</a> appears in the <i>American
Journal of Health Promotion</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“These are striking findings and
they have such significance for clinical practice and for population health,”
said study senior author <a href="https://nursing.osu.edu/faculty-and-staff/faculty-directory/melnyk-bernadette.html">Bernadette Melnyk</a>, dean of Ohio
State’s College of Nursing and chief wellness officer for the university.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Melnyk said doctors and nurses
should strive to identify social smokers and offer them advice and tools to
quit smoking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“This has been a fairly neglected
part of the population. We know that regular smoking is an addiction, but
providers don’t usually ask about social smoking,” Melnyk said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“The typical question is ‘Do you
smoke or use tobacco?’ And social smokers will usually say ‘No’.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Participants in the study were
screened from February 2012 to February 2016 as part of <a href="https://millionhearts.osu.edu/">Ohio
State’s Million Hearts</a> educational program. The U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services in 2012 launched Million Hearts, a
five-year initiative to improve cardiovascular health co-led by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services. Ohio State was the first university-wide partner. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">During the screenings, participants
identified themselves as nonsmokers, current smokers or social smokers. The
screenings also included measures of blood pressure and total cholesterol.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Social smokers in the study were
more likely to be younger (between 21 and 40 years old), male and Hispanic.
After the researchers took into account demographic and biometric differences between
the smokers and social smokers in the study, they found no difference in the
risk of hypertension or high cholesterol.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Social smokers were defined as those
who do not smoke cigarettes daily, but who smoke in certain social situations
regularly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The good news about this study is
there’s plenty of room for intervention and prevention of future death and
disease, the researchers said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“Simple healthy lifestyle behavior
changes including appropriate aspirin therapy, blood pressure control,
cholesterol management, stress management and – very importantly – smoking
cessation can do away with much of the risk of chronic disease,” Melnyk
said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The percentage of participants who
called themselves “current smokers” was in line with estimates from the CDC, which
reports that 17.8 percent of U.S. adults identify as smokers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Gawlik and Melnyk said those who
consider themselves social smokers should be aware that the toll on their
cardiovascular health could be just as great as if they smoked every day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">And this study should prompt
clinicians to rethink how they ask patients about smoking, they said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“Are you a smoker?” isn’t likely to
work with social smokers, because they don’t think of themselves as addicted,
Gawlik said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In the study, the researchers advise
asking “Do you ever smoke cigarettes or use tobacco in social situations such
as at bars, parties, work events or family gatherings?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Another option: “When was the last
time you had a cigarette or used tobacco with friends?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Furthermore, clinicians working with
smokers should be aware that cutting back on smoking isn’t a good answer from a
heart-health perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“Doctors and nurses need to educate
patients that social smoking is still a major health risk and is not a
long-term healthy choice,” Gawlik said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Limitations of the study include the
fact that the researchers don’t have information about prior smoking behavior,
just what the participants reported at the screenings. In addition, the
screenings were open to people who chose to participate, meaning the study
subjects were self-selected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Gawlik said she’d like to know more
about how many of those who smoke socially go on to become everyday smokers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“That’s a huge area for clinical
intervention because you might be able to reach them before they’re completely
and totally addicted,” she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Ohio State has led a national effort
through Million Hearts, which now has over 150 participating organizations and
universities, to provide free education and support to health care providers,
students and community members looking to reduce cardiovascular death and
disease. More information is available at <a href="https://millionhearts.osu.edu/">https://millionhearts.osu.edu/</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-62390843492201170762017-05-02T08:47:00.001-07:002017-05-02T08:47:21.070-07:00Aggression Disorder Linked to Greater Risk of Substance Abuse<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45_Oky4-GGXmdMVyYcjtqg9iOuKzRMuxHvk_MaQVIZU4F4JgSlZMVV1SUi5PAbQU3rdR0KIlWf00qVhCOB_wknZhRv0YDBp3_aNNbscgP6bECliJFnv257gARNP5M1bAYbCeprfpdlto/s1600/alcohol+stores.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Alcohol addiction and aggressive behavior disorder" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45_Oky4-GGXmdMVyYcjtqg9iOuKzRMuxHvk_MaQVIZU4F4JgSlZMVV1SUi5PAbQU3rdR0KIlWf00qVhCOB_wknZhRv0YDBp3_aNNbscgP6bECliJFnv257gARNP5M1bAYbCeprfpdlto/s400/alcohol+stores.JPG" title="graphic alcohol store" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">People with intermittent explosive disorder at five
times greater risk for substance abuse than those who don’t display frequent
aggressive behavior</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Newswise, May 2, 2017 — People with
intermittent explosive disorder (IED)—a condition marked by frequent physical
or verbal outbursts—are at five times greater risk for abusing substances such
as alcohol, tobacco and marijuana than those who don’t display frequent
aggressive behavior, according to a new study by researchers from the
University of Chicago.\<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In the study, published Feb. 28,
2017 in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, Emil Coccaro, MD, and colleagues
analyzed data from more than 9,200 subjects in the National Comorbidity Survey,
a national survey of mental health in the United States. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">They found that as the severity of
aggressive behavior increased, so did levels of daily and weekly substance use.
The findings suggest that a history of frequent, aggressive behavior is a risk
factor for later substance abuse, and effective treatment of aggression could
delay or even prevent substance abuse in young people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">IED affects as many as 16 million
Americans, more than bipolar disorder and schizophrenia combined. It is often
first diagnosed in adolescents, some of whom are as young as 11, years before
substance abuse problems usually develop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> IED runs in families and is thought to have a
significant genetic component, although Coccaro said people tend to treat it as
a social-behavioral issue instead of as a true neurobiological disorder.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“People don’t see this as a medical
problem. They think of it as simply bad behavior they have developed over the
course of their lives, but it isn’t. It has significant biology and
neuroscience behind it,” said Coccaro, who is the Ellen C. Manning Professor of
Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at UChicago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Previous research has implied that
aggressive behavior in IED is due to the presence of other psychiatric
disorders, such as anxiety or depression. But the new UChicago study found no
such relationship. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">While substance abuse, like
excessive drinking, can clearly make aggressive behavior worse, the onset of
IED almost always precedes the development of chronic substance abuse. Coccaro
and his team found that IED preceded substance abuse in 92.5 percent of the
cases where subjects developed both disorders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Coccaro emphasized that early
psychological intervention, medication and cognitive therapy are the most
effective treatments to prevent, or at least delay, substance abuse problems in
adolescents diagnosed with IED.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“What you’re really treating is the
emotional dysregulation that leads to aggression,” Coccaro said. “The earlier
you treat this dysregulation, the more likely you are to offset other disorders
that come later down the road.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The study, “Intermittent Explosive
Disorder and Substance Use Disorder: Analysis of the National Comorbidity
Survey Replication Sample,” was supported by the National Institute of Mental
Health. Additional authors include Jennifer Fanning, PhD, and Royce Lee, MD,
both from the University of Chicago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-47809513864840759812017-05-02T08:18:00.003-07:002017-05-02T08:18:43.863-07:00Study Confirms Link Between Alcohol Consumption, Breast Cancer Risk in Black Women<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbo0buhd005bKeV3qKhanKF_KmjNUEQVXdf7rmfCesveNwtJszK6UpMb0W5thGNhuBYXswi8OcMx1YqofZdgHs13RcZurMRy6WOwWNhzMhWv2aV7yA1FOwaMd7LgisUYo7FMmqeexqNiY/s1600/alcohol%252C+bottles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Black Women Breast Cancer Link alcohol consumption" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbo0buhd005bKeV3qKhanKF_KmjNUEQVXdf7rmfCesveNwtJszK6UpMb0W5thGNhuBYXswi8OcMx1YqofZdgHs13RcZurMRy6WOwWNhzMhWv2aV7yA1FOwaMd7LgisUYo7FMmqeexqNiY/s400/alcohol%252C+bottles.JPG" title="alcohol and seniors addictions" width="302" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Newswise, May 2, 2017– Alcohol
consumption is known to be a risk factor for breast cancer based on studies
predominantly done in white women. Now a University of North Carolina Lineberger
Comprehensive Cancer Center study has found the same risk exists for black
women, an understudied group.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Researchers found in the new study
that black women who drank more than 14 alcoholic drinks per week had a
significantly higher risk of invasive breast cancer than those who drank less. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The findings, published in the
journal Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, confirmed the link
between alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk, which has been seen in
other studies drawn from majority white populations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">And while some breast cancer risk
factors - like age or genetics -- aren’t easily modified, alcohol consumption
is one risk factor that women, regardless of race, can change to potentially
lower their cancer risk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“Minority groups are often
understudied because they represent a smaller proportion of study populations.
This work avoided that limitation by working with a consortium of many
different studies, including more than 20,000 black women,” said Melissa
Troester, PhD, a member of UNC Lineberger and professor of epidemiology in the
UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“We found that the patterns observed
in other studies examining alcohol and breast cancer risk hold in black women,
too.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The researchers analyzed data for
22,338 women from the African American Breast Cancer Epidemiology and Risk
(AMBER) consortium, which combines data from four large breast cancer studies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Researchers evaluated alcohol as a
risk factor for invasive breast cancer as well as for specific breast cancer
subtypes, such as estrogen receptor positive or negative cancer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“Our study demonstrated there is
benefit in creating consortia to focus on understudied groups,” said the
study’s first author Lindsay Williams, a graduate research assistant at UNC
Gillings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">When they studied the data across
all breast cancer subtypes, they found consuming seven or more alcoholic drinks
per week was linked to increased risk of breast cancer across all subtypes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Women who previously drank alcohol,
and later stopped, had lower risk than women who reported recent use –
indicating that women may be able to reduce their risk by drinking less.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">However, they did find significantly
higher risk for some women who have never drank alcohol. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The researchers said that the group
of women that avoids alcohol also sometimes includes women who have other
health conditions, and some of these health conditions can increase risk for
breast cancer. The finding may direct additional research.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“In the future, it may be
worth-while to better characterize women who identify as never drinkers to
understand reasons for abstaining from alcohol,” Williams said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The researchers underscored that the
study is important as alcohol consumption can be changed or addressed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“Overall, our findings among African
American women mirror those reported in the literature for white women, namely
that high levels of alcohol intake – more than one drink per day – are
associated with increased breast cancer risk,” Troester said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“Alcohol is an important modifiable
exposure, and women who are concerned about their risk of breast cancer could
consider reducing levels of exposure.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In addition to Troester
and Williams, other authors include: Andrew F. Olshan, Chi-Chen Hong, Elisa V.
Bandera, Lynn Rosenberg, Ting-Yuan David Cheng, Kathryn L. Lunetta, Susan E.
McCann, Charles Poole, Laurence N. Kolonel, Julie R. Palmer, and Christine B.
Ambrosone.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-82220353264176038712017-03-20T09:10:00.000-07:002017-03-20T09:10:23.033-07:00Anxiety Is a Stronger Harbinger of Alcohol Problems Than Stress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmIvxTOozvMzynlYlJZRstY3YL2MKAdyympQKfhwm1LR_6Kll0Vi9sKrpbOmg4fwERSzuxikwNYWZaQKBCwGDKElJLpWxO6oRGjbECjVY-mXdWS6QmkfPiZW03VL-XvAzRxPYM6ySBDk/s1600/Drinking+alcohol%252C+Party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Anxiety Harbinger of Alcohol Problems" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmIvxTOozvMzynlYlJZRstY3YL2MKAdyympQKfhwm1LR_6Kll0Vi9sKrpbOmg4fwERSzuxikwNYWZaQKBCwGDKElJLpWxO6oRGjbECjVY-mXdWS6QmkfPiZW03VL-XvAzRxPYM6ySBDk/s400/Drinking+alcohol%252C+Party.jpg" title="Alcohol use problems and Anxiety" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Newswise, March 20, 2017 — Stress
and anxiety are widely believed to contribute to drinking. Alcohol is thought
to reduce tension caused by stress (the “flight or fight” response) as well as
alleviate the unpleasant symptoms of anxiety (anticipation of the
unpredictable, impending threats).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Prior research, however, has yielded
inconsistent findings as to the unique relations between stress and anxiety, on
the one hand, and alcohol consumption and alcohol use disorders, on the other
hand. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">This study was designed to examine
how differences in self-reported levels of anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, and
perceived stress impact the frequency and intensity of drinking, alcohol
craving during early withdrawal, and alcohol craving and stress reactivity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Recent drinking was assessed in 87
individuals (70 men, 17 women) with alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Three
distinct measures were used to evaluate anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, and
perceived stress. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A subset of 30 subjects was admitted
to a medical center to ensure alcohol abstinence for one week: measures of
alcohol craving were collected twice daily. On day 4, subjects participated in
a public speaking/math challenge, before and after which measures of cortisol
and alcohol craving were collected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In these heavy drinkers, measures of
anxiety as compared with perceived stress were more strongly associated with a
variety of alcohol-related measures. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">While alcohol studies often use the
terms anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, and stress interchangeably, this study
showed the importance of differentiating among the three terms given their
unique relationships with drinking, craving, and stress reactivity among
individuals with AUDs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-78682786040203287232017-03-09T11:31:00.000-08:002017-03-09T11:31:02.146-08:00Alcohol’s Effect Can Be More Damaging to Women<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTDmZENrfx_S-LiMUxowJ-sC6pTDvuTaHBY0L2Y5_Hio7j44o1LGqRc998Pb8xhdH_Tu0jWgrfpXp4YieRLyUJlzIh-SRY1OyJj3BBrgnuX-Li5Z0OJVxHFkFEOcLrBIwNl9Y5XFlGqE/s1600/Woman+drinking+wine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Alcohol effect can be more damaging to Women" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTDmZENrfx_S-LiMUxowJ-sC6pTDvuTaHBY0L2Y5_Hio7j44o1LGqRc998Pb8xhdH_Tu0jWgrfpXp4YieRLyUJlzIh-SRY1OyJj3BBrgnuX-Li5Z0OJVxHFkFEOcLrBIwNl9Y5XFlGqE/s400/Woman+drinking+wine.JPG" title="Woman drinking wine" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Newswise, March 9, 2017—
Listen up ladies.Women simply don’t metabolize alcohol in the same way as men.
It’s called the telescoping effect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Several research studies have shown that some women who drink
heavily can do as much damage to their bodies in four to five years as a man
who has been drinking for 20 to 25 years, according to Laura Veach, Ph.D.,
director of screening and counseling intervention services at Wake Forest
Baptist Medical Center.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
“It has something to do with the concentration of water and fat, but we’re
really not sure that we understand the whole picture because there is much less
research on how women process alcohol,” Veach said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“We do know that alcohol stays in the liver longer in women
than in men, which may explain why women can experience more impairment and
liver damage.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Knowing what constitutes a standard drink size and learning to
count and visually measure drinks can help women stay healthy, just as getting
an annual physical or skin cancer check does, Veach said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Here are some things to remember:<br />
• According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s website
Rethinking Drinking, a standard drink is five ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer
or one-and-a-half ounces of liquor.<br />
• A regular bottle of wine contains five standard drinks.<br />
• For women, no more than seven standard drinks a week are recommended.<br />
• Risky drinking is considered to be four standard drinks in any one day or
drinking episode.<br />
• It takes about an hour per drink for the liver to metabolize alcohol.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Get a measuring cup and pour out five ounces of wine to see
what that really looks like,” Veach said. “It might surprise you to see how it
looks in a wine glass, especially because the size and shape of glasses can
vary so much. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
“That one simple thing can really help you keep track of how much you are
drinking the next time you’re out with friends and help you avoid risky
drinking.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-63137635259255906042017-02-16T10:13:00.000-08:002017-02-16T10:13:05.760-08:00Think Binge Drinking Is Safer for Your Liver Than Regular Heavy Drinking? Think Again.<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-f3_JcanvebUgOEzFwEPoJoAeTq3oIj8V-UynLJXmIldkwHK0sHPsvLf8pky24cYl93Oi8Yj0VSXQoRwCliD7l1XJbNle3N7YBKFRYNVKMQeebNQkVCXAcC53-PFlE9g3KlhXuEbiQM/s1600/Drinking+alcohol%252C+Party+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Effect of alcohol of body" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-f3_JcanvebUgOEzFwEPoJoAeTq3oIj8V-UynLJXmIldkwHK0sHPsvLf8pky24cYl93Oi8Yj0VSXQoRwCliD7l1XJbNle3N7YBKFRYNVKMQeebNQkVCXAcC53-PFlE9g3KlhXuEbiQM/s400/Drinking+alcohol%252C+Party+%25281%2529.jpg" title="alcohol binge drinking" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Newswise, February 16, 2017 — Alcoholic liver disease (ALD)
occurs on a spectrum of severity. The majority of people who drink excessively
develop a fatty liver, which though often symptom free, can progress to a state
of inflammation, fibrosis, and cell death that can be fatal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Little is known about liver disruption that may occur in
problem drinkers who are not alcohol dependent. To help understand the
development of ALD, this study used a rodent model to examine differences in
liver damage between binge drinkers and heavy drinkers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Researchers at UCSF compared the metabolic effects in mice of
repeated binge-like alcohol drinking, a single binge-drinking session, and
repeated moderate alcohol drinking. Several markers of early- and later-stage
liver disruption were examined.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Results indicated that even limited binge-like alcohol
drinking disrupts liver function, which could lead to more severe forms of
liver damage. These findings point to several aspects of early liver
dysfunction seen in humans, including fatty liver, induction of the liver
metabolic enzyme CYP2E1, and increased alcohol metabolism. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The study, funded by the NIH/NIAAA, also demonstrates the
great potential value of preclinical studies for understanding human disorders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-39954075130493852182017-02-13T14:59:00.002-08:002017-02-13T15:01:05.468-08:00Gambling Addiction Triggers the Same Brain Areas as Drug and Alcohol Cravings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLfTlHXbVCeywAZKuGsyPbFdowzRTHdyNZ5fUf1AV7QtbVvh1vVlRZD9GTfGOWevqfyqZ6HAZDYCJVVBPR5klaosp5AmnxtXXkoWNRAqVlni7MSGwHg5LmHS8dvJdqZEDCcdyxSMXGeY/s1600/Dice%252C+gambling+%252C+Shooting+craps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Gambling and Drug Addiction triggers" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLfTlHXbVCeywAZKuGsyPbFdowzRTHdyNZ5fUf1AV7QtbVvh1vVlRZD9GTfGOWevqfyqZ6HAZDYCJVVBPR5klaosp5AmnxtXXkoWNRAqVlni7MSGwHg5LmHS8dvJdqZEDCcdyxSMXGeY/s400/Dice%252C+gambling+%252C+Shooting+craps.jpg" title="dice, shooting craps" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">Newswise, February 13, 2017 — Gambling addiction activates the
same brain pathways as drug and alcohol cravings, suggests new research.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The study, by international scientists including researchers
from Imperial College London, suggests targeting these brain pathways may lead
to future treatments for the condition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The findings, published in the journal <i>Translational
Psychiatry</i>, also suggest connections between the parts of the brain that
control our impulses may be weakened in people with gambling addiction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This work provides vital clues into the biology of gambling
addiction, which is still largely unknown, explained Dr Henrietta Bowden-Jones,
co-author from the Department of Medicine at Imperial, and director of the
National Problem Gambling Clinic, at Central and North West London NHS
Foundation Trust.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">"Gambling addiction can have a devastating effect not
just on patients, but also their families. It can result in people losing their
job, and leave families and children homeless.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">"We know the condition may have a genetic component - and
that the children of gambling addicts are at higher risk of gambling addiction
themselves - but we still don't know the exact parts of the brain involved.
This research identifies key brain areas, and opens avenues for targeted
treatments that prevent cravings and relapse."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The study, funded by the UK Medical Research Council, found
that two brain areas, called the insula and nucleus accumbens, are highly
active when people with gambling addiction experience cravings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Activity in these areas, which are found deep in the centre of
the brain and involved in decision-making, reward and impulse control, has been
previously linked to drug and alcohol cravings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Problem gambling may affect up to 593,000 people in the UK.
The condition can be treated by talking therapies, such as cognitive
behavioural therapy, or medications that combat cravings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In the research, which was conducted between Imperial and the
National Problem Gambling Clinic, scientists studied 19 patients with gambling
addiction, and 19 healthy volunteers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The most commonly reported problematic forms of gambling among
the patients were electronic roulette and sports gambling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Each volunteer went into a magnetic resonance imaging scanner
- which uses a powerful electromagnet to monitor brain activity - and were
shown various images. These included pictures of gambling scenes, such as a
roulette wheel or a betting shop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All participants were asked to rate their level of craving
when they saw the images.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The team, which included scientists from the University of
British Columbia and the University of Cambridge, then assessed which brain
areas were activated when the volunteers experienced cravings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They found that, in problem gamblers, the insula and nucleus
accumbens were highly active when they were shown an image associated with
gambling, and experienced a craving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Interestingly, the team also found that weaker connections
between the nucleus accumbens and an area called the frontal lobe in problem
gamblers were associated with greater craving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The frontal lobe, which is involved in decision-making, may
help keep the insula in-check by controlling impulses, explained Professor Anne
Lingford-Hughes, co-author from the Department of Medicine at Imperial.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">"Weak connections between these regions have also been
identified in drug addiction. The frontal lobe can help control impulsivity,
therefore a weak link may contribute to people being unable to stop gambling,
and ignoring the negative consequences of their actions. The connections may
also be affected by mood - and be further weakened by stress, which may be why
gambling addicts relapse during difficult periods in their life."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Professor Lingford-Hughes added that monitoring activity and
connections in the insula and nucleus accumbens in gambling addicts may not
only help medics assess effectiveness of a treatment, but may also help prevent
relapse - a common problem in addiction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The group are now investigating which treatments may reduce
activity in these areas, in an attempt to reduce cravings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They would also like to compare the brain activity of problem
gamblers with people who gamble but do not have an addiction, to investigate
why the addiction escalates in some but not others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-63464310874358558862017-02-13T14:27:00.000-08:002017-02-13T14:27:00.864-08:00Ignition Interlock Laws Reduce Alcohol-Involved Fatal Crashes<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGe-9yxawyVbf-tNtxVtS9Ij6QLh4EeCE74IPxoExcjk4GvhUm-pdQu_jLgPf5oHYS22fYQSJjsOZzJNlTXcq8o0B2OV1MiPzm3P5KBq3cLeVPRBpXWkopFPoSt7PenFY5fcsAstATOkM/s1600/car+accident.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGe-9yxawyVbf-tNtxVtS9Ij6QLh4EeCE74IPxoExcjk4GvhUm-pdQu_jLgPf5oHYS22fYQSJjsOZzJNlTXcq8o0B2OV1MiPzm3P5KBq3cLeVPRBpXWkopFPoSt7PenFY5fcsAstATOkM/s400/car+accident.JPG" width="263" /></a><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">--Estimated 1,250 alcohol-involved fatal crashes
were prevented in 21 states where mandatory interlock laws have been
implemented</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Newswise, February 13, 2017 — State laws requiring ignition
interlocks for all drunk driving offenders appear to reduce the number of fatal
drunk driving crashes, a new study by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public
Health and Colorado School of Public Health researchers suggests.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The study — published Jan. 5 in the <i>American Journal
of Preventive Medicine</i> — found that mandatory interlock laws were
associated with a seven percent decrease in the rate of fatal crashes with at
least one driver with a blood alcohol content over the legal limit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The decrease translates into an estimated 1,250 prevented
fatal crashes in states with mandatory interlock laws since states first
started passing such laws in 1993.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">An ignition interlock is an alcohol-sensing device, connected
to the ignition of a vehicle, which detects alcohol in the driver’s breath. If
alcohol in excess of a preset limit is detected by the sensor, the vehicle will
not start. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">While all 50 states have some type of ignition interlock laws,
26 have mandatory laws requiring all individuals convicted of a DUI offense to
use an interlock in order to drive legally, as of March 2016.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This is the first study to look at all the different types of
interlock laws across all 50 states. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The researchers found that interlock laws which are mandatory
for all DUI offenders were much more effective than those applicable to only
some offenders, such as only repeat offenders or those with a very high blood
alcohol content.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In the United States in 2014, alcohol-involved fatal motor
vehicle crashes caused approximately 10,000 deaths, about one-third of all
motor vehicle crash deaths.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Our study demonstrates the value of mandatory ignition
interlock laws across the United States,” says study leader Emma E. “Beth”
McGinty, PhD, MS, deputy director at the Johns Hopkins Center for Mental Health
and Addiction Policy Research at the Bloomberg School. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“We already know that alcohol plays a tragic role in the
number of motor vehicle crash fatalities each year. Interlock laws which are
mandatory for all DUI offenders save lives. "<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To estimate the effects of existing ignition interlock laws,
the researchers studied the effects of interlock laws on trends in
alcohol-involved fatal crashes over a 32-year period, 1982 to 2013, and
controlled for other motor vehicle safety laws and trends in crashes over time.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The team assessed changes in pre- and post-interlock law rates
of alcohol-involved fatal crashes with crash data obtained from the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System
(FARS), and measured them against the different categories of interlock laws:
permissive (at the discretion of a judge), partial (applicable to only some DUI
offenders), and mandatory for all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The researchers used two measures based on FARS data:
alcohol-involved fatal crashes with a driver having a blood alcohol level of
0.08—the legal limit—and a second data set with a driver with a blood alcohol
level greater than 0.15.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Until recently, there hasn’t been any evidence on whether
these laws prevent alcohol-involved fatal crashes, and specifically whether
mandatory/all laws are more effective than permissive and partial laws,”
McGinty says. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Our study suggests that they are effective, and it’s
encouraging to see more and more states moving towards this evidence-based
policy change. Since 2005, we’ve seen over 20 states adopt interlock laws for
all drunk-driving offenses. We’d like to see the remaining states follow suit.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Ignition Interlock Laws: Effects on Fatal Motor Vehicle
Crashes, 1982–2013” was written by Emma E. McGinty, PhD, MS; Gregory Tung, PhD,
MPH,; Juliana Shulman-Laniel, MPH; Rose Hardy, MPH; Lainie Rutkow, JD, PhD,
MPH; Shannon Frattaroli, PhD, MPH; and Jon S. Vernick, JD, MPH.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The study was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (#1R49CE002466-01).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-34960470474287469822017-02-10T09:44:00.001-08:002017-02-10T09:44:14.739-08:00More than a Quarter of U.S. Adults, Roughly 9 Percent of U.S. Youth Use Tobacco<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOGA7aRPgRjf8ChzinkduPhNGJ3N31quowcrdDoTkOEb0KEpmuY3XFJujPHTUVvuzbGLkVIW-mn9kWrkVpdSrRk7rhH8U5iDv1y6U1eq9WBku1S5Y-eG6ZWwEnIm-2ErrfN9KqBSHWQk/s1600/Cigarettes%252C+quitting+smoking.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOGA7aRPgRjf8ChzinkduPhNGJ3N31quowcrdDoTkOEb0KEpmuY3XFJujPHTUVvuzbGLkVIW-mn9kWrkVpdSrRk7rhH8U5iDv1y6U1eq9WBku1S5Y-eG6ZWwEnIm-2ErrfN9KqBSHWQk/s400/Cigarettes%252C+quitting+smoking.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Roswell Park scientists report findings from first
wave of PATH Study in New England Journal of Medicine</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Newswise, February 10, 2017. — More than 1 in 4 adults and
nearly 1 in 10 youth use tobacco, according to findings from the Population
Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, published online ahead of print
in the New England Journal of Medicine. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The PATH Study, established in 2011 through collaboration
between the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Drug Abuse
and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products, is a
uniquely large, nationally representative longitudinal study designed to
examine tobacco use behaviors and health among the U.S. population over
multiple years of follow-up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The PATH Study is being conducted by Westat of Rockville, Md.,
with Roswell Park Cancer Institute as the scientific lead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Tobacco use continues to be an overwhelming economic and
personal burden in this country. This research provides a unique and much-needed
long-term approach to understanding tobacco use and the impact those behaviors
have on individuals and on society as a whole,” says Andrew Hyland, PhD, Chair
of the Department of Health Behavior at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and
principal investigator of the PATH Study.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The present study reports findings from the baseline wave of
data collection, conducted from September 2013 to December 2014. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As part of that first wave of the PATH Study data collection,
32,320 adults and 13,651 youths (ages 12-17) were asked about their use of 12
types of tobacco products, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, pipe
tobacco, hookah, smokeless tobacco and snus. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
<br />
The research team found that 27.6% of American adults are current tobacco users
and 8.9% of youth reported using tobacco in the previous 30 days. Use of
multiple tobacco products was common among both adult and youth users, with
cigarettes and e-cigarettes being the most common combination. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
<br />
“These findings will serve as the baseline for comparison to future waves of
PATH Study data in our effort to understand changes in use of tobacco products
over time, including switching among types of products, quitting tobacco, and
trajectories of use of multiple products,” says Karin Kasza, MA, Senior Research
Specialist in the Department of Health Behavior at Roswell Park and lead author
of the study published today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“The study documents that tobacco use is about much more than
just cigarettes,” adds study co-author Wilson M. Compton, MD, Deputy Director
of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Both youth and adults use a
remarkably broad variety of tobacco products.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“The findings from the PATH Study will help inform the FDA’s
efforts to regulate tobacco products in such a way that reduces harm and
protects public health. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“We look forward to findings from future study waves that will
help us better understand patterns of tobacco use in the U.S. and, ultimately,
how such behaviors influence health,” says David L. Ashley, PhD, Director of
the Center for Tobacco Products’ Office of Science.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Additional PATH Study partners are the Truth Initiative, the
University of California at San Diego, University of Waterloo, Geisel School of
Medicine at Dartmouth, Medical University of South Carolina, Rutgers University
and University of Minnesota.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This manuscript is supported with federal funds from the
National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, and the Food
and Drug Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, under a
contract to Westat (Contract No. HHSN271201100027C). The study,
“Tobacco-Product Use by Adults and Youths in the United States in 2013 and
2014,” is available at </span><a href="http://www.nejm.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">nejm.org</span></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For an online version of this release, please visit:<br />
<a href="https://www.roswellpark.org/media/news/more-quarter-us-adults-roughly-9-percent-us-youth-use-tobacco">https://www.roswellpark.org/media/news/more-quarter-us-adults-roughly-9-percent-us-youth-use-tobacco</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-74919112861895018932017-02-03T07:41:00.000-08:002017-02-03T07:41:00.919-08:00Police Sobriety Checkpoints Can Reduce Drunk Driving Better Than Increased Penalties<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpjga9uK9bKBM8wE-bPUj7i1mgJ0tP-rhVwmMiZ9OWlo6st03CNYTZnHxlQNh8RKj1q5sU4M1u6AdaETp96dWKKt1ELw0aVEo6x8m4pxAzZyxwziaXmDysRoSIF0xXumlCsVicX3pTcM/s1600/driving+side+mirror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Police Sobriety Checkpoints Reduce Drunk Driving" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpjga9uK9bKBM8wE-bPUj7i1mgJ0tP-rhVwmMiZ9OWlo6st03CNYTZnHxlQNh8RKj1q5sU4M1u6AdaETp96dWKKt1ELw0aVEo6x8m4pxAzZyxwziaXmDysRoSIF0xXumlCsVicX3pTcM/s400/driving+side+mirror.jpg" title="automobile side mirror" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Newswise, February 3, 2017 — Driving while impaired (DWI)
causes more than 10,000 deaths per year in the United States. Although
enforcing criminal sanctions for DWI is the traditional response, the success
of these measures has been inconsistent.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This study looked at risk perceptions as a method of reducing
the frequency of DWI - in other words, whether the threat of being apprehended
for DWI can deter people from engaging in this behavior.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Researchers examined survey data collected from individual
drivers, police, and defense attorneys specializing in DWI in eight U.S.
cities. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They compared two measures to determine which was a better
deterrent of alcohol-impaired driving: the threat of being apprehended for DWI
or harsher penalties for DWI.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Individuals reported that a greater perceived chance of being
pulled over for DWI corresponded to less alcohol-impaired driving on their
part. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Conversely, individual perceptions of DWI penalties were
unrelated to their self-reports of current or future alcohol-impaired driving.
The authors suggested that increasing the certainty of apprehension by
increasing police staffing and/or conducting more sobriety checks would likely
be more effective in reducing alcohol-impaired driving than legislating
increased penalties.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-20038721194854231062017-01-14T10:07:00.002-08:002017-01-14T10:07:56.382-08:00 Problem Drinking in Older Adults<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3tRea6Tda1GDSixOsPAixDb8ZpkiR8-0VDJ2P1QK6iPmxfyAp0y2Zl61bQ0007A2GwpkpEiP2_rjNr1OzOaGyF4V-WN_LTZW_-mvAH3epo5g76b0DKTbbnrQM0jU1XeI4qW5AT7OJD8/s1600/alcohol+stores.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Seniors' addictions problem drinking in older adults" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3tRea6Tda1GDSixOsPAixDb8ZpkiR8-0VDJ2P1QK6iPmxfyAp0y2Zl61bQ0007A2GwpkpEiP2_rjNr1OzOaGyF4V-WN_LTZW_-mvAH3epo5g76b0DKTbbnrQM0jU1XeI4qW5AT7OJD8/s400/alcohol+stores.JPG" title="liquor store graphic" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Newswise, January 14, 2017 – Older adults suffering from
multiple chronic health conditions and depression are nearly five times as
likely to be problem drinkers as older adults with the same conditions and no
depression, according to researchers at the University of Georgia. Their study
is the first to document the connection between multiple chronic illnesses,
depression and alcohol use in seniors.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This information could help health care providers identify
which older adults are most likely to experience problem drinking and lead to
better preventive care for this segment of society.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The study, conducted by researchers from the UGA School of
Social Work, utilized data from the National Social Life, Health and Aging
Project, a nationwide survey of older adults that is funded by the National
Institutes of Health. Researchers looked at more than 1,600 individuals aged 57
to 85 who identified as active alcohol consumers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Among problem drinkers, or individuals who reported a high
amount of negative consequences associated with alcohol use, the researchers
found that more than half—66 percent—reported having multiple chronic health
conditions, or MCC, and 28 percent reported having symptoms of depression. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The researchers also found that older adults who experienced
MCC combined with depression were those who experienced the highest likelihood
of problem drinking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
<br />
“These findings suggest that effective training in screening and referral for
mental health and alcohol use issues for health care providers of older adults
may better serve the approximate 4 million older adults who currently
experience problem drinking in the U.S.,” said Orion Mowbray, assistant
professor at the UGA School of Social Work and lead author of the study.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Previous efforts to prevent and manage disease in older adults
have focused on a single disease at a time, said Mowbray. Few physicians
consider the combination of multiple chronic conditions in connection with
depression as a potential sign for increased alcohol misuse, although screening
and follow-up counseling for behavioral problems is known to help.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“There is sufficient evidence that even brief interventions
delivered in medical-related settings can have a positive influence on reducing
problem drinking among most older adults,” said Mowbray. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“These interventions can include screening for signs of
depression in individuals with long-term health problems, engaging the
individual in a conversation about the risks of problem drinking, and providing
a referral for brief alcohol-related treatment.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Other contributors to the paper include Tiffany Washington,
assistant professor of social work, social work doctoral student Greg Purser
and Jay O’Shields.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The study, “Problem drinking and depression in older adults
with multiple chronic health conditions,” was published in the October issue of
the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, and will be presented this
month at the Society for Social Work and Research’s annual conference in New
Orleans. It is available online at <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.14479/full" target="_blank">http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.14479/full</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-52367587859745323782016-10-09T10:30:00.000-07:002016-10-09T10:30:07.863-07:00 Older Adults with Long-Term Alcohol Dependence Lose Neurocognitive Abilities<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRVPKv7M3PO67xf0HvaS_KFCu7jIlJnS_Vlb2K15jfDWIowMfFm6QFygkKnVXhGve2G2pFSS0bbHpKkCzItLcC5sI0Ki_vT4KClYnK7nJelEqLyRaikzVcUfhoNt7bY4FpCAoU4_ad4g/s1600/alcohol+stores.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Older Adults with Long Term Alcohol Dependence" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRVPKv7M3PO67xf0HvaS_KFCu7jIlJnS_Vlb2K15jfDWIowMfFm6QFygkKnVXhGve2G2pFSS0bbHpKkCzItLcC5sI0Ki_vT4KClYnK7nJelEqLyRaikzVcUfhoNt7bY4FpCAoU4_ad4g/s400/alcohol+stores.JPG" title="Alcohol Store Graphic" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">Newswise, October 9, 2016— Heavy
drinking can lead to neurophysiological and cognitive changes ranging from
disrupted sleep to more serious neurotoxic effects. Aging can also contribute
to cognitive decline. Several studies on the interaction of current heavy
drinking and aging have had varied results.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This study sought to elucidate the
relations among age, heavy drinking, and neurocognitive function.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Researchers had 66 participants (35
women, 31 men), recruited from the Brown University Center for AIDS Research,
undergo a comprehensive neurocognitive battery of testing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Current heavy drinkers (n=21) were classified
using National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism criteria and
structured clinical interviews and, further, were compared to non-drinkers and
moderate drinkers (n=45). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">About 53 percent of the total
population had a lifetime history of alcohol dependence (AD). Neurocognitive
data were grouped according to global cognitive function, attention/executive
function, learning, memory, motor function, verbal function, and speed of
processing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Results showed that current heavy
drinking in older adults was associated with poorer global cognitive function,
learning, memory, and motor function. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Furthermore, a lifetime history of
AD was associated with poorer function in the same neurocognitive domains, as
well as the attention/executive domain, notwithstanding age. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In summary, although current heavy
drinking is associated with significant impairment in a number of
neurocognitive domains, it appears that a history of AD is associated with
lasting negative consequences for neurocognitive function.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-56645082968804324522016-10-09T09:46:00.000-07:002016-10-09T09:46:26.064-07:00Specific Trauma Experiences Contribute to Women’s Alcohol Use, Differs by Race<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKjz5Ok_Qxy9o2qDvUZsTp2JEtl4qPPJN3CCYN02Px_haXRXHTWefOQHB30ivqejccp_L9FSIPa2Nv9opEAjnnkgCthA9YzY_9yr6o2LlbShyphenhyphenZooKk8uYyRMRAR0aFX9ZftFsP_izkV4/s1600/Alcohol%252C+Women+drinking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Trauma experience contribute to women's alcohol use" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKjz5Ok_Qxy9o2qDvUZsTp2JEtl4qPPJN3CCYN02Px_haXRXHTWefOQHB30ivqejccp_L9FSIPa2Nv9opEAjnnkgCthA9YzY_9yr6o2LlbShyphenhyphenZooKk8uYyRMRAR0aFX9ZftFsP_izkV4/s400/Alcohol%252C+Women+drinking.jpg" title="Women and Alcohol Use" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Newswise, October 9, 2016 — Trauma
exposure has consistently been reported as a risk factor for alcohol use and
related problems. Further, racial differences in alcohol use, alcohol use
disorder (AUD), and trauma exposure between European American (EA) and African
American (AA) women have been reported previously.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">This study sought to identify racial
differences in alcohol involvement, and to examine the risk conferred by
specific trauma exposures and PTSD for different stages of alcohol involvement
in EA and AA women.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Researchers examined data from the
Missouri Adolescent Female Twins Study: the mean age of the 3,787 women at time
of interview was 24.5 years; 85.4 percent were EA, 14.6 percent AA. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Trauma exposures were defined as
sexual abuse (SA), physical abuse (PA), witnessing another person being killed
or injured, experiencing an accident, or experiencing a disaster. Trauma
exposure was examined as a predictor of alcohol initiation, transition to the
first AUD symptom, and transition to an AUD diagnosis – while also considering
other substance involvement, parental characteristics, and commonly co-occurring
psychiatric disorders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Results showed that trauma
experiences were important contributors to all stages of alcohol involvement in
EA women only, with different trauma types conferring risk for each stage of
alcohol involvement. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">For example, in EA women SA was
associated with alcohol initiation prior to the age of 14; PA predicted the
transition from initiation to the first AUD symptom; and PA, witnessing injury
or death, and SA predicted the transition to an AUD diagnosis. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">There were no such findings in AA
women. Further, PTSD was not revealed as a significant predictor of AUD in
either EA or AA women. The findings suggest that trauma, independent of PTSD,
directly contributes to alcohol involvement. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Further, they highlight the
importance of considering racial differences when looking at linkages between
traumatic experiences and alcohol involvement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-31995062980854606692016-09-14T11:49:00.000-07:002016-09-14T11:49:05.725-07:00STRONG ALCOHOL POLICIES CAN HELP PREVENT SUICIDE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLhOFqW9QtBH3OjHCJ3VS0gbE7RnXE73pRmyczMnGYYwnmIDj5B9hG_1bVyMmc8h4T_qEIh7UTdztOucRIOJXeCG7WGFEoNapoMEmuUdviLQ1lZXMBKKQD1tmCSAjYkzOo6fO7GKP1Mo/s1600/alcohol+addiction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Strong alcohol policies can help prevent suicide" border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLhOFqW9QtBH3OjHCJ3VS0gbE7RnXE73pRmyczMnGYYwnmIDj5B9hG_1bVyMmc8h4T_qEIh7UTdztOucRIOJXeCG7WGFEoNapoMEmuUdviLQ1lZXMBKKQD1tmCSAjYkzOo6fO7GKP1Mo/s400/alcohol+addiction.jpg" title="alcohol and suicide" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Newswise, September 13, 2016— Suicide was the tenth leading
cause of death in the United States in 2013. There is clear evidence that
intoxication and chronic, heavy drinking are often associated with suicide.
While alcohol policies are known to be effective in reducing excessive
drinking, this review undertakes a critical look at the literature on the
relationship between alcohol policies and suicide.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The authors summarize the associations between various types
of alcohol policies and suicide, both in the U.S. and internationally, as found
in English-language literature published between 1999 and 2014. Overall, a
number of studies suggest that restrictive alcohol policies have a protective
effect on reducing suicide at a general population level. Due to substantial
between-states variation in alcohol policies, U.S.-based studies contributed
substantially to the literature. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The findings highlight the importance of population-based
alcohol policies in suicide prevention. Better implementation of effective
alcohol policies can reduce alcohol availability at a population level, which
in turn, reduces the average risk of suicide, especially in those cases where
alcohol is involved. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This is consistent with the prevention paradox, which posits
that the majority of cases of a health condition arise from members at low or
moderate risk of the disease, while members at high risk only contribute a
minority of cases. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This population-based approach is likely to maximize public
health benefits and have a long-lasting influence on reducing suicide. This is
because this population-based approach is likely to shift the distribution of
population suicide risk in a favorable (lower) direction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The authors point out that the literature has a number of
methodological limitations, such as measurement and selection bias, and a
restricted focus, in which the effects of a limited number of alcohol policies
are considered without accounting for other alcohol policies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-48379286631953533912016-08-03T11:51:00.000-07:002016-08-03T11:51:01.479-07:00Loyola Study Finds That Excessive Alcohol Consumption Impacts Breathing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qzlRMfVbzaBDNH0mZdlXAzFR_o1OVvt6DKp45LY5JTpgcZkq3q8mpKc_3FUq2gSEiZVpDrvKfqJxxF1VypaReIAsXyUObqTHYDxzvlgmR8hL9SLIrce30-W1ZyJzHGoFfEurzy7eXk4/s1600/Drinking+alcohol%252C+Party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Excessive alcohol consumption leads to shortness of breath" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qzlRMfVbzaBDNH0mZdlXAzFR_o1OVvt6DKp45LY5JTpgcZkq3q8mpKc_3FUq2gSEiZVpDrvKfqJxxF1VypaReIAsXyUObqTHYDxzvlgmR8hL9SLIrce30-W1ZyJzHGoFfEurzy7eXk4/s400/Drinking+alcohol%252C+Party.jpg" title="Alcohol at party" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Newswise, August 3, 2016-- A study
led by researchers from Loyola Medicine and Loyola University Chicago has
discovered a potential new health concern related to excessive alcohol consumption.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">
<br />
Adults who drink excessively were found to have less nitric oxide in their
exhaled breath than adults who don’t drink. The finding, published in the
journal Chest, is significant because nitric oxide helps protect against
certain harmful bacteria.<br />
<br />
“Alcohol appears to disrupt the healthy balance in the lung,” said lead author
Majid Afshar, MD, MSCR. Dr. Afshar is a Loyola Medicine pulmonologist and an
assistant professor in the division of pulmonary and critical care medicine and
department of public health sciences of Loyola University Chicago Stritch
School of Medicine.<br />
<br />
This is the first study to report such a link between excessive alcohol
consumption and nitric oxide.<br />
<br />
Dr. Afshar is among the 50 researchers in Loyola’s Alcohol Research Program who
are studying the effects of alcohol on multiple organ systems. They are
researching the molecular, cellular and physiological responses to acute, binge
and chronic alcohol consumption. Studies center on endocrine, gastrointestinal,
immune, nervous and skeletal systems.<br />
<br />
Dr. Afshar and colleagues examined data from the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention’s National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES).
NHANES conducts interviews and physical examinations to assess the health and
nutritional status of Americans.<br />
<br />
The Loyola researchers examined data from 12,059 adults who participated in
NHANES between 2007 and 2012. Excessive drinkers were defined as heavy drinkers
(more than one drink per day on average for women and more than two drinks per
day for men) and people who binge drink at least once per month (four or more
drinks per occasion for women and five or more drinks for men).<br />
<br />
In the sample population researchers examined, 26.9 percent of the participants
were excessive drinkers. After controlling for asthma, smoking, diet,
demographics and other factors, researchers found that exhaled nitric oxide
levels were lower in excessive drinkers than in adults who never drink, and the
more alcohol an excessive drinker consumed, the lower the level of nitric
oxide.<br />
<br />
Nitric oxide is a colorless gas produced by the body during respiration. A
nitric oxide molecule consists of one nitrogen atom and one oxygen atom. Nitric
oxide and similar molecules play an important role in killing bacteria that cause
respiratory infections.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In an asthma patient, the amount of
exhaled nitric oxide in a breath test provides a good indication of how well
the patient’s medication is working. Excessive alcohol consumption might
complicate the results of such tests. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“Lung doctors may need to take this into
consideration,” Dr. Afshar said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Dr. Afshar and colleagues concluded:
“Accounting for alcohol use in the interpretation of [exhaled nitric oxide]
levels should be an additional consideration, and further investigations are
warranted to explore the complex interaction between alcohol and nitric oxide
in the airways.”<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The study is titled “Exhaled nitric
oxide levels among adults with excessive alcohol consumption.” The study was
funded in part by the National Institutes of Health.<br />
<br />
Dr. Afshar’s co-authors are Guichan Cao, MS, Ramon Durazo, PhD and Richard C.
Cooper, MD of Loyola’s department of public health sciences; Jill A. Poole, MD
and Joseph H. Sisson, MD of the University of Nebraska and Elizabeth J. Kovacs,
PhD, who was at Loyola at the time of the study and now is at the University of
Colorado<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-66589737184493636902016-06-30T09:00:00.001-07:002016-06-30T09:00:45.834-07:00“Inflamm-Aging:” Alcohol Makes It Even Worse <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC1TGnAYBBeet2_H0oa2YNrMEUbSdC5GOFgOMUrhRFaaT8duxuBz-PvNcCG_YaQllUGnMrGVDDk86sG6_iv4AxjWU5ymM8NtbiC76Iwf3sIen_GFGzVyyFD6QGN-Qk82GpXKzXzF1qOLA/s1600/alcohol+stores.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Alcohol makes some inflammation worse" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC1TGnAYBBeet2_H0oa2YNrMEUbSdC5GOFgOMUrhRFaaT8duxuBz-PvNcCG_YaQllUGnMrGVDDk86sG6_iv4AxjWU5ymM8NtbiC76Iwf3sIen_GFGzVyyFD6QGN-Qk82GpXKzXzF1qOLA/s400/alcohol+stores.JPG" title="Liquor Store Graphic" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Newswise. June 30, 2016 — The immune system in the elderly is
dysfunctional and infections are more prevalent, more severe, and harder to
defeat.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Drinking alcohol has a variety of damaging effects on the
immune system and organs – like the gut, liver and lung – which can be worsened
by pre-existing conditions as well as consumption of prescription and
over-the-counter medications that aged individuals often take. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This presentation addresses how alcohol affects the elderly
more dramatically, and also suppresses their ability to battle infections, like
pneumonia, much more severely than it does younger individuals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Our laboratory has been studying inflammatory and immune
responses in the aged for well over a decade,” said Brenda J. Curtis, Ph.D., a
research assistant professor at the University of Colorado Denver. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“We know that even healthy elderly individuals have an
elevated basal inflammatory state, known as ‘inflamm-aging.’ Advanced age alone
is a risk factor for a poor prognosis after injury or infection. Adding alcohol
to the fragile immune milieu of the aged reduces their ability to fight
infections.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Our research suggests that alcohol intoxication perturbs the
immune system of the aged both throughout the body and in local regions, like
the lung,” added Elizabeth J. Kovacs, Ph.D., director of Burn Research</span><span style="font-family: "MS Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Gothic";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">and professor in the department of surgery at the</span><span style="font-family: "MS Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Gothic";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">University of Colorado Denver / Anschutz Medical Campus. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">“</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We have shown that alcohol
exposure makes macrophages less effective at clearing pathogens and releasing
molecules important for recruiting other immune cells to the site of infection,
and that this is worsened in the elderly.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Innate immune cells control the immediate response to an
infection, including neutrophils and macrophages, Curtis explained. These cells
work together to find and eradicate infectious organisms. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">However, drinking alcohol can impair innate immune function, thereby
rendering the individual more susceptible to infections.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“This is due in part to direct effects of ethanol on innate
immune cells,” said Curtis. “Even short-term exposure of macrophages to alcohol
reduces their ability to migrate to a site of infection as well as their
ability to destroy the pathogen.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“In addition, the effects of alcohol on the elderly are more
potent than they are in younger individuals in part because of the
pro-inflammatory state of the aged,” noted Kovacs. “Aged individuals also have
decreased lung function and cough strength, which further escalates the risk
for developing pneumonia.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-16170485752114112242016-06-30T08:46:00.000-07:002016-06-30T08:46:08.272-07:00“The Anonymous People” Documentary: 25 Million Americans Will No Longer Be Quiet<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrEe_YQo8PTefksOkKptMVyOjjZUHYBLmovKSQOrOLMSpAXc5DUF9yHjRqyisiRv_nCiEWCIYFnOsqOhB8WKU4ppPS-A2WNK8ll1vguvTq80EMK-60h7daM3dqbKk9C3Thjw3XtDhoutM/s1600/alcohol+addiction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Anonymous People Documentary on Alcoholism" border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrEe_YQo8PTefksOkKptMVyOjjZUHYBLmovKSQOrOLMSpAXc5DUF9yHjRqyisiRv_nCiEWCIYFnOsqOhB8WKU4ppPS-A2WNK8ll1vguvTq80EMK-60h7daM3dqbKk9C3Thjw3XtDhoutM/s400/alcohol+addiction.jpg" title="alcoholism" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Newswise, June 30, 2016 — Current public perceptions about
alcohol- and other drug-use disorders are out of step with scientific
knowledge. There remains a general belief that these disorders are essentially
moral failings and/or bad choices.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This view is completely at odds with research demonstrating
that these disorders are indeed a brain disease. A documentary called “The
Anonymous People” features personal narratives that call for a fundamental
reframing of the national conversation about alcohol and substance-use
disorders and recovery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“It is important for scientists to have a good sense of what
alcohol-use disorders look like in the real world,” said George F. Koob, Ph.D.,
NIAAA director. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“It is an ‘equal opportunity’ disease that cuts across
economic, occupational, racial/ethnic, and gender lines. It is a disease that
is profoundly devastating at the personal and societal level. It is a disease
that, to this day, is shrouded in stigma and shame.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Koob was part of the panel that discusses this documentary
after its screening at the 39th Annual Research Society on Alcoholism in New
Orleans June 25-29, 2016.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“The recovery community is undergoing a transformation,” added
Robert Huebner, Ph.D., director of the NIAAA Division of Treatment and Recovery
Research. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“In the past, it focused on anonymity and consisted primarily
of small groups meeting in church basements. Now we see a very assertive
recovery community that is not shy about talking about recovery in public, is
organized on a national level, and is politically active at the state,
regional, and national level.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">He added that NIAAA, and the addiction-research field, grew
out of multiple historical currents, including the rise of Alcoholics
Anonymous, organizations like the National Council on Alcoholism and the
Society of Americans for Recovery, and the leadership and courage of Senator
Harold Hughes (D-Iowa).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“This documentary represents a very different way of talking
about people with alcohol-use disorders and their recovery,” said Lorenzo
Leggio, M.D., Ph.D., M.Sc., CPN Section Chief, NIAAA and NIDA. “The people in
this documentary make a strong case for rejecting common stereotypes and
terminology when describing individuals with alcohol- and other drug-use
disorders. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They argue for bringing their stories of recovery out of the
shadows and talking about recovery in positive rather than negative terms.
Individuals describe themselves as being ‘in long-term recovery, without using
alcohol or drugs since a certain date.’ This sounds very different from
traditional characterizations of personal recovery which declare first and
foremost that one is an alcoholic or addict.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This focus on deliberately reframing one’s recovery echoes the
call by Senator Hughes for people in recovery to start saying that they have
“gotten well” rather than referring to themselves as a “recovering alcoholic,”
added Leggio.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> “Moreover, this
documentary significantly seeks to characterize an alcohol-use disorder as a
health problem, rather than a moral issue. Furthermore, this film challenges
the field of alcohol research to address the issue of long-term recovery, given
that the focus of much of our clinical research has been on acute care. We need
more research on the complex set of factors that support long-term recovery and
effective interventions to support it. Patients who achieve long-term
abstinence can, especially in stressful situations, relapse after years of
abstinence. This documentary reminds physicians and other health-care providers
to follow their patients with alcohol-use disorders beyond acute care. In this
regard, the long-term relationships between physicians, patients, and their
families can play a key role in helping a patient's recovery efforts.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Language is fundamentally important, agreed Koob and Huebner.
“We need to get away from using terms like ‘alcoholic’ and ‘addict’ and frame
this disorder as we would any other health problem,” said Koob. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“People who suffer from alcohol-use disorders or whose loved
ones suffer from this disease need to feel comfortable about seeking help from
their doctors.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Practitioners need to see people who suffer from alcohol-use
disorders as patients for whom appropriate clinical care and treatment can and
should be provided – no different from patients suffering from other health
problems such as cancer or infectious diseases,” added Huebner. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“The community at large needs to see alcohol-use disorders as
a serious medical problem that can be treated via shared efforts. Indeed, this
documentary shows that recovery from alcohol- and other drug-use disorders is
possible. The personal narratives demonstrate this very well and complement the
findings of NIAAA-supported research on the prevention and treatment of
alcohol-use disorders.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-51113514132279049622016-06-17T09:45:00.000-07:002016-06-17T09:45:47.910-07:00Six in Ten Adults Prescribed Opioid Painkillers Have Leftover Pills<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjso2tojViPDeXOpR32IhBTtRYujwz9Xja9kGhzhdn-DzzM8rz1RvHAxbg6mUscC9lYmd76VBhJVUMgdRcJzhltcZcyWCEm6QtzoI9m301FohrUJK5DNN6cQMN18kvE43jLcY0iohgI0s0/s1600/prescriptoin+drugs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="60 Percent of Adults have Leftover Opioid Painkillers" border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjso2tojViPDeXOpR32IhBTtRYujwz9Xja9kGhzhdn-DzzM8rz1RvHAxbg6mUscC9lYmd76VBhJVUMgdRcJzhltcZcyWCEm6QtzoI9m301FohrUJK5DNN6cQMN18kvE43jLcY0iohgI0s0/s400/prescriptoin+drugs.JPG" title="Pills, prescriptions" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Despite abuse epidemic, physicians prescribing
more pills than patients are using; patients say they will save extra pills for
future use</span></i>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Newswise, June 17, 2016 — In the midst of an epidemic of
prescription painkiller addiction and overdose deaths, a new Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg School of Public Health survey suggests that more than half of
patients prescribed opioids have leftover pills – and many save them to use
later.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The researchers, reporting June 13 in JAMA Internal Medicine,
also found that nearly half of those surveyed reported receiving no information
on how to safely store their medications, either to keep them from young
children who could accidentally ingest them or from adolescents or other adults
looking to get high. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Nor were they given information on how to safely dispose of
their medications. Fewer than seven percent of people with extra pills reported
taking advantage of “take back” programs that enable patients to turn in unused
pain medication either to pharmacies, police departments or the Drug
Enforcement Administration for disposal.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“These painkillers are much riskier than has been understood
and the volume of prescribing and use has contributed to an opioid epidemic in
this country,” says study leader Alene Kennedy-Hendricks, PhD, an assistant
scientist in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Bloomberg
School. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“It’s not clear why so many of our survey respondents reported
having leftover medication, but it could be that they were prescribed more
medication than they needed.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Says the study’s senior author Colleen L. Barry, PhD, MPP, a
professor who directs Bloomberg’s Center for Mental Health and Addiction Policy
Research: “The fact that people are sharing their leftover prescription
painkillers at such high rates is a big concern. It’s fine to give a friend a
Tylenol if they’re having pain but it’s not fine to give your OxyContin to
someone without a prescription.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Over the past decade, there has been a sharp increase in the
rates of prescription painkiller addiction and overdose deaths. Drug overdose –
the majority of which involve opioid pain relievers – was the leading cause of
injury death in 2014 among people between the ages of 25 and 64, and drug
overdose has surpassed car crashes as the leading cause of injury death among
this group.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In March, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
urged doctors to avoid prescribing powerful opioid painkillers for patients
with chronic pain, saying the risks from such drugs outweigh the benefits for
most people. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Prolonged use of these medications can lead to addiction,
putting people at much higher risk for overdose and raising the risk of heroin
use since it is cheaper, worsening the heroin epidemic.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For the study, a collaboration between the Johns Hopkins
Center for Mental Health and Addiction Policy Research and the Johns Hopkins
Center for Injury Research and Policy, the researchers used GfK’s
KnowledgePanel to construct a national sample of 1,032 U.S. adults who had used
prescription painkillers in the previous year. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The survey was fielded in February and March 2015. Among those
who were no longer using prescription pain relievers at the time of survey (592
respondents), 60.6 percent reported having leftover pills and 61.3 percent of
those with leftover pills said they had kept them for future use rather than
disposing of them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Among all respondents, one in five reported they’d shared
their medication with another person, with a large number saying they gave them
to someone who needed them for pain. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Nearly 14 percent said they were likely to share their
prescription painkillers with a family member in the future and nearly eight
percent said they would share with a close friend.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Fewer than 10 percent said they kept their opioid pain
medication in a locked location. Nearly half said they weren’t given
information on safe storage or proper disposal of leftover medication. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">More than 69 percent of those who got instructions said they
had received information about turning over the remaining medication to a
pharmacist or a “take back” program, but few actually did. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Fewer than 10 percent reported throwing leftover medication
out in the trash after mixing it with something inedible like used coffee
grounds, a safe method for disposing of medication.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kennedy-Hendricks says that physicians should, when
prescribing these medications, discuss the inappropriateness of sharing and how
to safely store and dispose of them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“We don’t make it easy for people to get rid of these
medications,” she says. “We need to do a better job so that we can reduce the
risks not only to patients but to their family members.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Says Barry: “We’re at a watershed moment. Until recently, we
have treated these medications like they’re not dangerous. But the public, the
medical community and policymakers are now beginning to understand that these
are dangerous medications and need to be treated as such. If we don’t change
our approach, we are going to continue to see the epidemic grow.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Medication sharing, storage, and disposal practice among U.S.
adults with recent opioid medication use” was written by Alene
Kennedy-Hendricks, PhD; Andrea Gielen, ScD; Eileen McDonald, MS; Emma E.
McGinty, PhD, MS; Wendy Shields, MPH; and Colleen L. Barry, PhD, MPP. This
study was supported by an unrestricted research grant from AIG.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-18007461251622863742016-05-25T10:32:00.000-07:002016-05-25T10:32:13.092-07:00National Organizations Band Together to Ensure that Congress Passes Comprehensive Policies to Combat the U.S. Opioid Epidemic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtrJGzdUCwG_1tp-DhRIP_EMG4yMsImqslwANJwjJTsPNw3q9GF9OR9DmbJ2KE3tJlvRu2xiWudQYsY6gdoVDx4EchLc3ySmntsYM880Bidfv9VlevjVE6y3omihP4DE0W8tsC3KzzFU/s1600/capitol.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtrJGzdUCwG_1tp-DhRIP_EMG4yMsImqslwANJwjJTsPNw3q9GF9OR9DmbJ2KE3tJlvRu2xiWudQYsY6gdoVDx4EchLc3ySmntsYM880Bidfv9VlevjVE6y3omihP4DE0W8tsC3KzzFU/s400/capitol.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>The Coalition to Stop Opioid Overdose Launches to Advance
Legislation that Will Address this Public Health Crisis</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">WASHINGTON, May 25, 2016 -- More than 10 million
Americans report misusing opioids. In response to this unprecedented and
growing epidemic in the United States, the Coalition to Stop Opioid Overdose
launched today, uniting diverse stakeholders around the common goal of
achieving meaningful legislative solutions to address opioid misuse and
overdose. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Coalition is composed of leading state and national groups
that are committed to advancing meaningful legislative and regulatory policies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Congress, the Administration, public health agencies and a
number of state legislatures have taken important initial steps to combat the
opioid epidemic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Last week the House passed 18 bills. In March, a wide-ranging
bill was passed by the full Senate and the Senate Committee on Health,
Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) approved additional important legislation,
which is pending before the full Senate. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Now is the critical time to build on this progress and ensure
that comprehensive legislation aimed at addressing opioid misuse, overdose and
addiction is passed and funded appropriately, according to R. Corey Waller, MD,
DFASAM, Chair of the American Society of Addiction Medicine's Legislative
Advocacy Committee.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">"There remains an urgent need for simple and achievable
prevention, treatment and recovery policies that can reduce opioid
overdose," says Dr. Waller. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">"Now is the time for us to come together as a unified
group to ensure that Congress sends meaningful legislation to the President's
desk this year." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Coalition's efforts will focus around five key strategies
to combat the opioid epidemic: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Improving
access to medication-assisted treatment for those with opioid
addiction <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Expanding
availability of naloxone in health care settings and beyond <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Implementing
enhanced prescription drug monitoring programs that track the dispensing
and prescribing of controlled substances <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Raising
the level of opioid prescriber education <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Enacting
the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Addiction is a chronic disease that too often goes untreated.
More than half of Americans (56 percent) say that they or someone they know has
misused, been addicted to, or died from prescription pain medications,
according to a recent <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">Kaiser
Health Tracking Poll</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When patients can't access treatment and recovery support
services, addiction can lead to disability or premature death. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, the rate of death from opioid-related overdose has quadrupled since
2000. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Drug overdoses are the leading cause of accidental death in the
United States, surpassing even traffic fatalities. And emergency room visits
linked to misuse of prescription opioids are up by more than 50 percent since
2004.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">"Emergency physicians see first-hand the devastating
consequences of opioid misuse. We often pick up the pieces, from first-contact
psychiatric care to acute resuscitation after overdose," says Jay Kaplan,
MD, FACEP, President of the American College of Emergency Physicians. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">"We need to do more to prevent these life-shattering, or
even life-ending, events."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The epidemic is compounded by the vast gap in access to opioid
addiction treatment. There are three FDA-approved medications approved to treat
opioid use disorder. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Patients need access to all available options so they can find
what works for them; however, current prescribing limits restrict access to one
of these treatment options. Additionally, there is a lack of access to
medication that can help prevent and reverse opioid overdose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Coalition held its inaugural meeting at the U.S. Capitol
Visitor Center in Washington D.C. where speakers, including Dr. Kaplan, Justin
Luke Riley, Advocate, Young People in Recovery and Yngvild Olsen, MD, MPH,
Director at Large of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, discussed
strategies for addressing the opioid epidemic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The following organizations have joined the Coalition to date,
including:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">American
Academy of PAs <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">American
Association of Nurse Practitioners <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">American
College of Emergency Physicians <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">American
Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">American
Medical Student Association <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">American
Society of Addiction Medicine <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Association
of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Facing
Addiction <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">National
Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">National
Association of Social Workers <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Association of Recovery Schools <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Young
People in Recovery<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For more information about the Coalition to Stop Opioid
Overdose, please visit <a href="https://www.blogger.com/National%20Organizations%20Band%20Together%20to%20Ensure%20that%20Congress%20Passes%20Comprehensive%20Policies%20to%20Combat%20the%20U.S.%20Opioid%20Epidemic%20The%20Coalition%20to%20Stop%20Opioid%20Overdose%20Launches%20to%20Advance%20Legislation%20that%20Will%20Address%20this%20Public%20Health%20Crisis%20%20%20WASHINGTON,%20May%2025,%202016%20--%20More%20than%2010%20million%20Americans%20report%20misusing%20opioids.%20In%20response%20to%20this%20unprecedented%20and%20growing%20epidemic%20in%20the%20United%20States,%20the%20Coalition%20to%20Stop%20Opioid%20Overdose%20launched%20today,%20uniting%20diverse%20stakeholders%20around%20the%20common%20goal%20of%20achieving%20meaningful%20legislative%20solutions%20to%20address%20opioid%20misuse%20and%20overdose.%20%20%20The%20Coalition%20is%20composed%20of%20leading%20state%20and%20national%20groups%20that%20are%20committed%20to%20advancing%20meaningful%20legislative%20and%20regulatory%20policies.%20%20Congress,%20the%20Administration,%20public%20health%20agencies%20and%20a%20number%20of%20state%20legislatures%20have%20taken%20important%20initial%20steps%20to%20combat%20the%20opioid%20epidemic.%20%20%20Last%20week%20the%20House%20passed%2018%20bills.%20In%20March,%20a%20wide-ranging%20bill%20was%20passed%20by%20the%20full%20Senate%20and%20the%20Senate%20Committee%20on%20Health,%20Education,%20Labor%20and%20Pensions%20(HELP)%20approved%20additional%20important%20legislation,%20which%20is%20pending%20before%20the%20full%20Senate.%20%20%20Now%20is%20the%20critical%20time%20to%20build%20on%20this%20progress%20and%20ensure%20that%20comprehensive%20legislation%20aimed%20at%20addressing%20opioid%20misuse,%20overdose%20and%20addiction%20is%20passed%20and%20funded%20appropriately,%20according%20to%20R.%20Corey%20Waller,%20MD,%20DFASAM,%20Chair%20of%20the%20American%20Society%20of%20Addiction%20Medicine's%20Legislative%20Advocacy%20Committee.%20%20%22There%20remains%20an%20urgent%20need%20for%20simple%20and%20achievable%20prevention,%20treatment%20and%20recovery%20policies%20that%20can%20reduce%20opioid%20overdose,%22%20says%20Dr.%20Waller.%20%20%20%22Now%20is%20the%20time%20for%20us%20to%20come%20together%20as%20a%20unified%20group%20to%20ensure%20that%20Congress%20sends%20meaningful%20legislation%20to%20the%20President's%20desk%20this%20year.%22%20%20The%20Coalition's%20efforts%20will%20focus%20around%20five%20key%20strategies%20to%20combat%20the%20opioid%20epidemic:%20%20%20%E2%80%A2Improving%20access%20to%20medication-assisted%20treatment%20for%20those%20with%20opioid%20addiction%20%20%E2%80%A2Expanding%20availability%20of%20naloxone%20in%20health%20care%20settings%20and%20beyond%20%20%E2%80%A2Implementing%20enhanced%20prescription%20drug%20monitoring%20programs%20that%20track%20the%20dispensing%20and%20prescribing%20of%20controlled%20substances%20%20%E2%80%A2Raising%20the%20level%20of%20opioid%20prescriber%20education%20%20%E2%80%A2Enacting%20the%20Comprehensive%20Addiction%20and%20Recovery%20Act%20%20%E2%80%A2%20Addiction%20is%20a%20chronic%20disease%20that%20too%20often%20goes%20untreated.%20More%20than%20half%20of%20Americans%20(56%20percent)%20say%20that%20they%20or%20someone%20they%20know%20has%20misused,%20been%20addicted%20to,%20or%20died%20from%20prescription%20pain%20medications,%20according%20to%20a%20recent%20Kaiser%20Health%20Tracking%20Poll.%20%20%20When%20patients%20can't%20access%20treatment%20and%20recovery%20support%20services,%20addiction%20can%20lead%20to%20disability%20or%20premature%20death.%20%20%20According%20to%20the%20U.S.%20Centers%20for%20Disease%20Control%20and%20Prevention,%20the%20rate%20of%20death%20from%20opioid-related%20overdose%20has%20quadrupled%20since%202000.%20%20%20Drug%20overdoses%20are%20the%20leading%20cause%20of%20accidental%20death%20in%20the%20United%20States,%20surpassing%20even%20traffic%20fatalities.%20And%20emergency%20room%20visits%20linked%20to%20misuse%20of%20prescription%20opioids%20are%20up%20by%20more%20than%2050%20percent%20since%202004.%20%20%22Emergency%20physicians%20see%20first-hand%20the%20devastating%20consequences%20of%20opioid%20misuse.%20We%20often%20pick%20up%20the%20pieces,%20from%20first-contact%20psychiatric%20care%20to%20acute%20resuscitation%20after%20overdose,%22%20says%20Jay%20Kaplan,%20MD,%20FACEP,%20President%20of%20the%20American%20College%20of%20Emergency%20Physicians.%20%20%20%22We%20need%20to%20do%20more%20to%20prevent%20these%20life-shattering,%20or%20even%20life-ending,%20events.%22%20%20The%20epidemic%20is%20compounded%20by%20the%20vast%20gap%20in%20access%20to%20opioid%20addiction%20treatment.%20There%20are%20three%20FDA-approved%20medications%20approved%20to%20treat%20opioid%20use%20disorder.%20%20%20Patients%20need%20access%20to%20all%20available%20options%20so%20they%20can%20find%20what%20works%20for%20them;%20however,%20current%20prescribing%20limits%20restrict%20access%20to%20one%20of%20these%20treatment%20options.%20Additionally,%20there%20is%20a%20lack%20of%20access%20to%20medication%20that%20can%20help%20prevent%20and%20reverse%20opioid%20overdose.%20%20The%20Coalition%20held%20its%20inaugural%20meeting%20at%20the%20U.S.%20Capitol%20Visitor%20Center%20in%20Washington%20D.C.%20where%20speakers,%20including%20Dr.%20Kaplan,%20Justin%20Luke%20Riley,%20Advocate,%20Young%20People%20in%20Recovery%20and%20Yngvild%20Olsen,%20MD,%20MPH,%20Director%20at%20Large%20of%20the%20American%20Society%20of%20Addiction%20Medicine,%20discussed%20strategies%20for%20addressing%20the%20opioid%20epidemic.%20%20%20The%20following%20organizations%20have%20joined%20the%20Coalition%20to%20date,%20including:%20%E2%80%A2American%20Academy%20of%20PAs%20%20%E2%80%A2American%20Association%20of%20Nurse%20Practitioners%20%20%E2%80%A2American%20College%20of%20Emergency%20Physicians%20%20%E2%80%A2American%20Congress%20of%20Obstetrics%20and%20Gynecology%20%20%E2%80%A2American%20Medical%20Student%20Association%20%20%E2%80%A2American%20Society%20of%20Addiction%20Medicine%20%20%E2%80%A2Association%20of%20Women's%20Health,%20Obstetric%20and%20Neonatal%20Nurses%20%20%E2%80%A2Facing%20Addiction%20%20%E2%80%A2National%20Association%20of%20Clinical%20Nurse%20Specialists%20%20%E2%80%A2National%20Association%20of%20Social%20Workers%20%20%E2%80%A2The%20Association%20of%20Recovery%20Schools%20%20%E2%80%A2The%20National%20Center%20on%20Addiction%20and%20Substance%20Abuse%20%20%E2%80%A2Young%20People%20in%20Recovery%20%E2%80%A2%20For%20more%20information%20about%20the%20Coalition%20to%20Stop%20Opioid%20Overdose,%20please%20visit%20http://www.stopopioidoverdose.org/.%20%20About%20the%20Coalition%20to%20Stop%20Opioid%20Overdose%20The%20Coalition%20to%20Stop%20Opioid%20Overdose%20is%20an%20organization%20of%20state%20and%20national%20groups%20that%20are%20committed%20to%20advancing%20meaningful%20legislative%20and%20regulatory%20policies%20in%20response%20to%20the%20opioid%20epidemic.%20%20%20The%20Coalition%20seeks%20to%20address%20the%20U.S.%20opioid%20epidemic%20by%20engaging%20policy%20makers,%20public%20health%20leaders,%20chronic%20pain%20and%20addiction%20specialists,%20individuals%20in%20and%20seeking%20recovery%20and%20family%20members,%20so%20that%20legislation%20and%20policies%20get%20the%20support%20needed%20to%20pass%20Congress%20this%20year%20and%20become%20law.%20Financial%20support%20for%20the%20Coalition%20is%20provided%20by%20the%20following:%20Adapt%20Pharma,%20The%20American%20Society%20of%20Addiction%20Medicine,%20CleanSlate%20Centers,%20Indivior,%20Merck%20and%20Proove.">http://www.stopopioidoverdose.org/ . <o:p></o:p></a></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">About the Coalition to Stop Opioid Overdose<br />
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Coalition to Stop Opioid Overdose is an organization of state and national
groups that are committed to advancing meaningful legislative and regulatory
policies in response to the opioid epidemic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Coalition seeks to address the U.S. opioid epidemic by
engaging policy makers, public health leaders, chronic pain and addiction
specialists, individuals in and seeking recovery and family members, so that
legislation and policies get the support needed to pass Congress this year and
become law.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Financial support for the Coalition is provided by the
following: Adapt Pharma, The American Society of Addiction Medicine, CleanSlate
Centers, Indivior, Merck and Proove.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-80760886948981047202016-05-12T08:34:00.000-07:002016-05-12T08:34:00.903-07:00Alcohol-Induced Blackouts: The Last Five Years of Research<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKVfJNR-0YcrIM7OO7oDW69bF0AkQrVJ025JKcF-O7ExIHPbSE5WlyBHI5G5BsHYvAyi0fTxXX-4zeXLA83S2oeK44P18gowC7w7G3QvitnaTBDH7wUnocrpXWF95e28p9VSZNZbGdDQ/s1600/face+mask.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Alcohol-induced blackouts consequences" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKVfJNR-0YcrIM7OO7oDW69bF0AkQrVJ025JKcF-O7ExIHPbSE5WlyBHI5G5BsHYvAyi0fTxXX-4zeXLA83S2oeK44P18gowC7w7G3QvitnaTBDH7wUnocrpXWF95e28p9VSZNZbGdDQ/s400/face+mask.JPG" title="Face mask" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Newswise, May 12, 2016— Alcohol-induced blackouts, defined as
memory loss of all or a portion of events that occurred during a drinking
episode, are reported by approximately 50 percent of drinkers, and are
associated with a wide range of negative consequences, including injury and
death.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Identifying the factors that contribute to and result from
alcohol-induced blackouts is critical for developing effective prevention
programs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This manuscript is an updated review of clinical research that
has focused on alcohol-induced blackouts. It outlines practical and clinical
implications of these findings and provides recommendations for future
research.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The authors conducted a comprehensive, systematic literature
review of all articles published from January 2010 through August 2015 that
examined vulnerabilities, consequences, and possible mechanisms for
alcohol-induced blackouts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The review yielded 26 studies on alcohol-induced blackouts: 15
studies examined prevalence and/or predictors of alcohol-induced blackouts, six
publications described the consequences of alcohol-induced blackouts, and five
studies explored potential cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms underlying
alcohol-induced blackouts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The research suggests that individual differences, not just
alcohol consumption, increase the likelihood of experiencing an alcohol-induced
blackout, and the consequences of the blackouts extend beyond those related to
the drinking episode to include psychiatric symptoms and neurobiological
abnormalities. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The authors suggest that prospective studies and a
standardized assessment of alcohol-induced blackouts are needed to fully
characterize factors associated with them and to improve prevention strategies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-14356462208610860952016-05-12T08:27:00.000-07:002016-05-12T08:28:39.334-07:00 Using “Heavy Drinking Days” to Measure Treatment Effectiveness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwO7AZ39u7tJs1UKDhF0Jl7btnCzhX-R4Vb1uB2yr2XKidzZ5cEDRjKt1OaxYYOQ_1PdWOAi9jTcRz37nY2pJ9uOVXRsPQtmSEMKUSY8BtApaE-OIdx7M-VWmMbzQUeEhRrNOnfDVT1Q/s1600/question+mark.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Questions about Alcohol Abuse Treatment Effectiveness" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwO7AZ39u7tJs1UKDhF0Jl7btnCzhX-R4Vb1uB2yr2XKidzZ5cEDRjKt1OaxYYOQ_1PdWOAi9jTcRz37nY2pJ9uOVXRsPQtmSEMKUSY8BtApaE-OIdx7M-VWmMbzQUeEhRrNOnfDVT1Q/s400/question+mark.JPG" title="Question Mark" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 19.9733px;">Newswise, May 12, 2016 — One of the challenges in evaluating the effectiveness of alcohol treatment is determining what constitutes a “good” outcome or meaningful improvement. While abstinence at the end of treatment is clearly a good outcome, a focus on abstinence ignores the benefits of patients reducing their drinking to less problematic levels so that they can function better and incur fewer social costs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 19.9733px;">This study estimates the relationship between drinking practices at the end of a treatment program and subsequent health-care costs, with an emphasis on heavy and non-heavy drinking levels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 19.9733px;">Researchers used data from the COMBINE trial, which randomized 1,383 adult participants with alcohol dependence to nine different combinations of medications and psychosocial interventions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 19.9733px;">For this study, the authors examined heavy drinking days (HDDs) – defined as five or more drinks for men, four or more for women – and non-heavy drinking days (non-HDDs) during the last 30 days of COMBINE treatment for 748 patients (524 men, 224 women) enrolled in the COMBINE Economic Study. Total costs were treated as a function of drinking indicators.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 19.9733px;">Results indicate that having HDDs at the end of treatment is associated with higher costs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 19.9733px;">For example, patients with HDDs had 66.3 percent higher health-care costs than those who were abstinent, and having more than two HDDs was associated with the highest costs (76.1%). Furthermore, patients who had only HDDs at the end of treatment had worse subsequent outcomes than those who had both non-HDDs and HDDs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 19.9733px;">These findings offer a new context for evaluating treatment outcomes and provide new information on the association of drinking with adverse consequences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8135174110553819624.post-76460442485175277642016-05-12T07:34:00.000-07:002016-05-12T07:34:21.604-07:00Patients Abusing Drugs and Alcohol Are Self-Medicating Chronic Pain<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZRtzsMMuGhCzu04E_F_0NFdhewR8ekTGHrou6ONRGKZbJdjhe3Xz2IjO6CwFqGoexvHPo4hEDAz_SWNfW9cLZF74mh9UsxkmZF26L6lpgiVMvfHEc69AAzFiGOsJ2oZyEz9Xa4I-iJk/s1600/prescriptoin+drugs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Addictive use of drugs, alcohol self-medicating chronic pain" border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZRtzsMMuGhCzu04E_F_0NFdhewR8ekTGHrou6ONRGKZbJdjhe3Xz2IjO6CwFqGoexvHPo4hEDAz_SWNfW9cLZF74mh9UsxkmZF26L6lpgiVMvfHEc69AAzFiGOsJ2oZyEz9Xa4I-iJk/s320/prescriptoin+drugs.JPG" title="Pills medicadtions" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Newswise, May 12, 2016--With opioid addiction and prescription
drug abuse considered one of the biggest public health threats of our time in
the U.S., many are asking why so many Americans are struggling with addiction
to illegal drugs and prescription medications. New research suggests that
chronic pain may be part of the answer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In a study that appears in the May issue of the <i>Journal of
General Internal Medicine</i>, researchers at Boston University School of
Medicine and Boston Medical Center have found that the majority of patients
misusing drugs and alcohol have chronic pain and many are using these
substances to "self-medicate" their pain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">According to the researchers, many illegal drugs such as
marijuana and heroin have pain-relieving properties. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The researchers screened approximately 25,000 patients in
primary care for illegal drug use and misuse of prescription medications. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Among these patients, 589 who screened positive for substance
use were asked questions about chronic pain and their substance use. Substance
use was defined as use of illegal drugs (heroin, marijuana, cocaine, etc.), use
of prescription drugs in ways other than prescribed or high risk alcohol use.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They found that 87 percent of those who screened positive for
illegal drug use, misuse of prescription drugs or heavy alcohol use suffered
from chronic pain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Half of these patients graded the pain as severe. In the subgroup
that was using illegal drugs, 51 percent reported using one or more drug
specifically to alleviate physical pain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In those using prescription drugs without a prescription or
using more than prescribed, 81 percent identified self-medication of pain as
the reason for misuse. With regard to high risk alcohol use, the majority (79
percent) did so to manage pain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">"While the association between chronic pain and drug
addiction has been observed in prior studies, this study goes one step further
to quantify how many of these patients are using these substances specifically
to treat chronic pain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“It also measures the prevalence of chronic pain in patients
who screen positive for illegal drug use and prescription drug abuse,"
explained corresponding author Daniel Alford, MD, MPH, associate professor of
medicine and assistant dean of Continuing Medical Education and director of the
Safe and Competent Opioid Prescribing Education (SCOPE of Pain) program at
BUSM. He is also the director of BMC's Clinical Addiction Research and
Education Unit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The results of this study suggest that counseling focused only
on informing patients about the negative consequences of drug and alcohol use
may miss a key aspect of why people are using these substances. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">"Pain should be treated as part of the long-term strategy
for recovery. If drugs are being used to self-medicate pain, patients may be
reluctant to decrease, stop, or remain abstinent if their pain symptoms are not
adequately managed with other treatments including non-medication-based
treatments," added Alford.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">###<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This research was part of the ASPIRE study, which was funded
by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (RO1 DA025068) and the Massachusetts
Department of Public Health both of which received funding from the Center for
Substance Abuse Treatment (TI018311). Other support included the National
Center for Research Resources (UL1RR025771).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14189094284251598454noreply@blogger.com0