( examiner news )"Study after study after study" -- now "over 100 of them" -- show moderate drinkers "less likely to have heart attacks" and "less likely to die from them," Dr. Arthur Klatsky told Brewers Assn this morning. Dr Klatsky is pioneer alcohol and health researcher who did some of most important studies on moderate drinking and reduced risk of coronary artery disease.
Ben Steinman reports from last week’s National Craft Brewers Conference. The report is published here with permission and originally appeared in his daily subscriber publication INSIGHTS Express Vol 11, No 40a April 23, 2009
Results of those 100+ studies are "remarkably unanimous" from "all kinds of populations." The mechanism is also "pretty well established": alcohol raises HDL (good cholesterol), which Dr Klatsky says "explains 50% of benefit." It's alcohol itself that "provides most of benefit." Benefits of antioxidants (in wine) are "not proven" and "wonder" substance resveratrol would have to be consumed in doses that amount to "500 liters of red wine a day."
Abraham Lincoln spoke of beer:
“It is true that many were greatly injured by intoxicating drink, but none seemed to think the injury arose from the use of a bad thing, but from the abuse of a good thing.” Feb 22, 1842 -- (Washington County Temperance Society.- Springfield Illinois)
“I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth they can be depended on to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer.”
Why do researchers focus on wine? And why then the "persistence and prevalence" of belief that wine is more beneficial, asked Boston Beer chairman Jim Koch during questions and answer session.
Then Dr. Klatsky really got going: "A lot of people doing the research are wine drinkers," he pointedly noted. So much research has become focused on wine that it is "more than a cottage industry, it is a McMansion industry." And lo and behold, when there are studies on wine, "the wine industry is not loathe to promote it." Finally he said it's a "catchy idea" and "people remember it."
( by : Charlie Papazian )
Chart details: * (AHD-ACRF) Atlas of Cardiovascular Risk Factors
Ch. 12 Fig. 21 24p6 W/ 19p6 D
Author: Arthur L. Klatsky, MD, Senior Consultant in Cardiology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, Oakland, California, USA Editor: Tony Artist: WW
( examiner.com )
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Saturday 9 May 2009
Alcohol and Gum Disease
( apalomatreatment news )Researchers find a link between heavy drinking and this growing health problem.
We’ve all heard the warnings about gum disease: It can be a precursor to heart disease, lung disease and diabetes. So you brush and floss, but what else can you do to keep your mouth healthy? Cut down on your alcohol consumption.
For the first time, researchers have proven a connection between heavy alcohol consumption and an increase in the risk of developing gum disease. Oral biologists at the University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine found the link. (The also found that a diet low in antioxidant vitamins puts you at risk, too.)
As alcohol consumption increased from five drinks per week to 10, 15 and 20, the risk of periodontal disease rose from 10 percent to 20, 30 and then 40 percent, giving researchers confidence that there was a clear link.
The studies were presented at the combined meeting of the American Association for Dental Research and International Association for Dental Research.
( http://lapalomatreatment.com )
Read More......
We’ve all heard the warnings about gum disease: It can be a precursor to heart disease, lung disease and diabetes. So you brush and floss, but what else can you do to keep your mouth healthy? Cut down on your alcohol consumption.
For the first time, researchers have proven a connection between heavy alcohol consumption and an increase in the risk of developing gum disease. Oral biologists at the University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine found the link. (The also found that a diet low in antioxidant vitamins puts you at risk, too.)
As alcohol consumption increased from five drinks per week to 10, 15 and 20, the risk of periodontal disease rose from 10 percent to 20, 30 and then 40 percent, giving researchers confidence that there was a clear link.
The studies were presented at the combined meeting of the American Association for Dental Research and International Association for Dental Research.
( http://lapalomatreatment.com )
Read More......
Friday 8 May 2009
Alcoholic Liver Disease
Alcohol abuse is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. It is estimated that in the United States as many as 10 % of men and 3 % of women may suffer from persistent problems related to the use of alcohol. The Fourth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) published by the American Psychiatric Association divides alcohol use disorders into "alcohol dependence" and "alcohol abuse." Alcohol dependence is indicated by evidence of tolerance and/or symptoms of withdrawal such as delirium tremens (DTs) or alcohol withdrawal seizures (rum fits) upon cessation of drinking. Alcohol abuse is characterized by recurrent performance problems at school or on the job that result either from the after effects of drinking alcohol or from intoxication on the job or at school. In addition, patients with alcohol abuse disorders may use alcohol in physically adverse circumstances (e.g. while driving) and may miss work or school or neglect child care or household responsibilities because of alcohol use. Legal difficulties related to alcohol use are also common. Patients with alcohol abuse disorders often continue to consume alcohol despite the knowledge that continued consumption poses significant social or interpersonal problems for them. People with alcohol use disorders often consume alcohol despite knowing that they suffer from alcohol-related medical problems such as liver disease.
Alcohol affects many organ systems of the body, but perhaps most notably affected are the central nervous system and the liver. Almost all ingested alcohol is metabolized in the liver and excessive alcohol use can lead to acute and chronic liver disease. Liver cirrhosis resulting from alcohol abuse is one of the ten leading causes of death in the United States.
From data obtained in autopsy studies, it appears that between 10 % and 15 % of alcoholics have cirrhosis at the time of death. It is unknown why some alcoholics develop liver disease while others do not. One possibility is that there are genetic factors that predispose some alcoholics to liver disease. Some data also suggest that co-factors such as chronic infection with hepatitis C virus may increase the risk of the development of cirrhosis in an alcoholic. In general, women who drink an equal amount of alcohol are at higher risk than men for the development of liver disease, possibly because of decreased metabolism of alcohol in the stomach prior to absorption.By Howard J. Worman, M. D.( www.cumc.columbia.edu )
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Alcohol affects many organ systems of the body, but perhaps most notably affected are the central nervous system and the liver. Almost all ingested alcohol is metabolized in the liver and excessive alcohol use can lead to acute and chronic liver disease. Liver cirrhosis resulting from alcohol abuse is one of the ten leading causes of death in the United States.
From data obtained in autopsy studies, it appears that between 10 % and 15 % of alcoholics have cirrhosis at the time of death. It is unknown why some alcoholics develop liver disease while others do not. One possibility is that there are genetic factors that predispose some alcoholics to liver disease. Some data also suggest that co-factors such as chronic infection with hepatitis C virus may increase the risk of the development of cirrhosis in an alcoholic. In general, women who drink an equal amount of alcohol are at higher risk than men for the development of liver disease, possibly because of decreased metabolism of alcohol in the stomach prior to absorption.By Howard J. Worman, M. D.( www.cumc.columbia.edu )
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Friday 1 May 2009
Priory Embraces Web TV To Tackle Alcohol Abuse
( medicalnewstoday news ) The Priory Group is using its expertise to help GPs recognise and deal with the signs of problem and excessive drinking. The UK's leading independent provider of addiction treatment services has commissioned a series of web TV programmes to raise awareness of its specialist services to GPs and other medical practitioners and one of the first subjects tackled was alcohol addiction.
Just this week the National Audit Office (NAO) released startling figures on the growing alcohol problems in England. Hospital admissions for alcohol-related conditions such as liver disease cost the NHS £2.7bn a year. The NAO report also stated that GPs were in an ideal position to help the estimated seven million drinkers who were exceeding the recommended limits but not yet seeing their health affected.
The Priory Healthcare TV report addresses how to recognise the signs of alcohol abuse and what the danger signals are that should alert someone that their drinking is becoming a problem.
Dr. Dorcas Kingham, consultant at The Priory who participates in the programme said: "In the UK 20 per cent of patients attending general practice are drinking in an "at risk manner" while one in five acute medical admissions are related to alcohol. Consumption of alcohol has doubled in the past 40 years. This NAO report highlights the scale of the problems and also underlines the lack of co-ordination in providing alcohol services at a local level.
"The aim of our web TV reports is to present information and advice in a format that people are familiar with from everyday TV viewing which is an easy way to grab attention and bring difficult concepts to life.
"Priory Healthcare News is an innovative and exciting way of bringing the Priory's specialised services to a large audience and building awareness of some of the issues faced by medical practitioners every day."
The programme concerning alcohol addiction can be viewed at http://www.broadbandtvchannel.co.uk/clip.asp?clipid=320
The Priory Group is Europe's leading independent provider of acute mental health, secure and step-down services, specialist education, complex care and neuro-rehabilitation services, working in partnership with the public and independent sectors.
The programmes are hosted on http://www.broadbandtvchannel.co.uk, an internet TV channel targeted at businesses and services, providing a national service compiling TV reports that are then available to view on the internet. The web TV channel is owned by Darlington-based Recognition Services Ltd, which supplies photographic, video, design and web services clients throughout the UK. The company is owned by Graham Robb and Frances Bourne.( www.medicalnewstoday.com ) by Caroline Walker
Read More......
Just this week the National Audit Office (NAO) released startling figures on the growing alcohol problems in England. Hospital admissions for alcohol-related conditions such as liver disease cost the NHS £2.7bn a year. The NAO report also stated that GPs were in an ideal position to help the estimated seven million drinkers who were exceeding the recommended limits but not yet seeing their health affected.
The Priory Healthcare TV report addresses how to recognise the signs of alcohol abuse and what the danger signals are that should alert someone that their drinking is becoming a problem.
Dr. Dorcas Kingham, consultant at The Priory who participates in the programme said: "In the UK 20 per cent of patients attending general practice are drinking in an "at risk manner" while one in five acute medical admissions are related to alcohol. Consumption of alcohol has doubled in the past 40 years. This NAO report highlights the scale of the problems and also underlines the lack of co-ordination in providing alcohol services at a local level.
"The aim of our web TV reports is to present information and advice in a format that people are familiar with from everyday TV viewing which is an easy way to grab attention and bring difficult concepts to life.
"Priory Healthcare News is an innovative and exciting way of bringing the Priory's specialised services to a large audience and building awareness of some of the issues faced by medical practitioners every day."
The programme concerning alcohol addiction can be viewed at http://www.broadbandtvchannel.co.uk/clip.asp?clipid=320
The Priory Group is Europe's leading independent provider of acute mental health, secure and step-down services, specialist education, complex care and neuro-rehabilitation services, working in partnership with the public and independent sectors.
The programmes are hosted on http://www.broadbandtvchannel.co.uk, an internet TV channel targeted at businesses and services, providing a national service compiling TV reports that are then available to view on the internet. The web TV channel is owned by Darlington-based Recognition Services Ltd, which supplies photographic, video, design and web services clients throughout the UK. The company is owned by Graham Robb and Frances Bourne.( www.medicalnewstoday.com ) by Caroline Walker
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Women Increase Cancer Risk with Moderate Alcohol
(NaturalNews) On Feb. 26, 2009, ScienceDaily reports results from a seven-year study by Oxford University researchers, UK. The study associated alcohol consumption and cancer in 1,280,296 women. Even low to moderate alcohol use showed a significant increase in cancer risk and may account for nearly 13% of the cancers of the breast, liver, rectum and upper aero-digestive tract combined.
Prior studies have focused on alcohol's impact on breast cancer, while little has been reported on overall cancer risk and site-specific cancer in women. Participants were recruited between 1996 and 200l, and were followed on the average of over seven years. Most had just one drink per day which is typical in high-income countries. Very few drank three or more drinks per day. Regardless of the type of alcohol, it did not alter the association between consumption and cancer risk.
Dr. Naomi Allen and her colleagues found 68,775 women from the group were diagnosed with cancer. Women smokers had an increased risk of cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus, and larynx. Each additional alcoholic drink regularly consumed per day was associated with 11 additional breast cancers per 1000 women up to age 75, one additional cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx, one additional cancer of the rectum, and an increase of 0.7 each for esophageal, laryngeal, and liver cancers. For these cancers combined, there was an excess of about 15 cancers per 1000 women per drink per day. (The background incidence for these cancers was estimated to be 118 per 1000 women in developed countries.)
The authors also stated: "Although the magnitude of the excess absolute risk associated with one additional drink per day may appear small for some cancer sites, the high prevalence of moderate alcohol drinking among women in many populations means that the proportion of cancers attributable to alcohol is an important public health issue."
Two doctors from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, in Bethesda, MD, agreed. Michael Lauer M.D., and Paul Sorlie, Ph.D. wrote in an accompanying editorial that although other studies have shown some cardiovascular benefits with moderate alcohol consumption, the excess cancer risk identified in the current study may outweigh that benefit. They said, "From a standpoint of cancer risk, the message of this report could not be clearer. There is no level of alcohol consumption that can be considered safe."
The Oxford University researchers identified the cancer cases through the National Health Service Central Registries. Their full report is listed in the March 4 Journal of the American Cancer Institute.
Other factors not mentioned in this study may be worth considering. Women have less muscle mass than men, which means less water in the body for the dilution principle. The transit time through the liver is slower. The liver also may be sluggish from a number of other toxic assaults. The question of chemical additives in the products also has bearing since there are no legal requirements to list them.
Read More......
Prior studies have focused on alcohol's impact on breast cancer, while little has been reported on overall cancer risk and site-specific cancer in women. Participants were recruited between 1996 and 200l, and were followed on the average of over seven years. Most had just one drink per day which is typical in high-income countries. Very few drank three or more drinks per day. Regardless of the type of alcohol, it did not alter the association between consumption and cancer risk.
Dr. Naomi Allen and her colleagues found 68,775 women from the group were diagnosed with cancer. Women smokers had an increased risk of cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus, and larynx. Each additional alcoholic drink regularly consumed per day was associated with 11 additional breast cancers per 1000 women up to age 75, one additional cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx, one additional cancer of the rectum, and an increase of 0.7 each for esophageal, laryngeal, and liver cancers. For these cancers combined, there was an excess of about 15 cancers per 1000 women per drink per day. (The background incidence for these cancers was estimated to be 118 per 1000 women in developed countries.)
The authors also stated: "Although the magnitude of the excess absolute risk associated with one additional drink per day may appear small for some cancer sites, the high prevalence of moderate alcohol drinking among women in many populations means that the proportion of cancers attributable to alcohol is an important public health issue."
Two doctors from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, in Bethesda, MD, agreed. Michael Lauer M.D., and Paul Sorlie, Ph.D. wrote in an accompanying editorial that although other studies have shown some cardiovascular benefits with moderate alcohol consumption, the excess cancer risk identified in the current study may outweigh that benefit. They said, "From a standpoint of cancer risk, the message of this report could not be clearer. There is no level of alcohol consumption that can be considered safe."
The Oxford University researchers identified the cancer cases through the National Health Service Central Registries. Their full report is listed in the March 4 Journal of the American Cancer Institute.
Other factors not mentioned in this study may be worth considering. Women have less muscle mass than men, which means less water in the body for the dilution principle. The transit time through the liver is slower. The liver also may be sluggish from a number of other toxic assaults. The question of chemical additives in the products also has bearing since there are no legal requirements to list them.
Read More......
Tuesday 28 April 2009
Coffee Protects Alcohol Drinkers From Liver Disease
( Medical News Today )Drinking coffee protects alcohol drinkers from developing liver disease, says a new study carried out at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, California, USA. According to the researchers, one cup of coffee per day lowered the incidence of cirrhosis of the liver for alcohol drinkers by 22%.
Study leader, Dr. Arthur Klatsky, stressed that alcohol drinking, especially excess drinking, is linked to various different physical risks. As such, said Klatsky, the study's findings should not be interpreted as a licence to booze to your heart's content. He advised people not to consumer more than three alcoholic drinks a day.
This is not the first study to link coffee consumption to less liver disease. Another study published in Gastroentorology in December, 2005, had similar findings.
This new study was much larger than last years'. The new study was able to look more into each cause of cirrhosis and how coffee is linked a lower incidence of them.
The Kaiser Permanente study looked at information on 125,000 people with healthy livers from 1978 to 1985. Information had been collected about their alcohol, coffee and tea drinking habits. Of the 330 people who had developed cirrhosis of the liver by 2001, 199 had done so as a result of consuming alcohol. The researchers found that the incidence of cirrhosis went down 22% for each cup of coffee consumed per person per day.
You can read about this study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, June 12 issue.
Scientists are still unsure what it is in the coffee that provides the protection. It cannot be the caffeine because tea has caffeine but does not provide the same protection. Clinical trials are needed to further identify the relationship between coffee and how it lowers the incidence of liver disease.Written by: Christian Nordqvist ( patterns : Medical News Today )
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Study leader, Dr. Arthur Klatsky, stressed that alcohol drinking, especially excess drinking, is linked to various different physical risks. As such, said Klatsky, the study's findings should not be interpreted as a licence to booze to your heart's content. He advised people not to consumer more than three alcoholic drinks a day.
This is not the first study to link coffee consumption to less liver disease. Another study published in Gastroentorology in December, 2005, had similar findings.
This new study was much larger than last years'. The new study was able to look more into each cause of cirrhosis and how coffee is linked a lower incidence of them.
The Kaiser Permanente study looked at information on 125,000 people with healthy livers from 1978 to 1985. Information had been collected about their alcohol, coffee and tea drinking habits. Of the 330 people who had developed cirrhosis of the liver by 2001, 199 had done so as a result of consuming alcohol. The researchers found that the incidence of cirrhosis went down 22% for each cup of coffee consumed per person per day.
You can read about this study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, June 12 issue.
Scientists are still unsure what it is in the coffee that provides the protection. It cannot be the caffeine because tea has caffeine but does not provide the same protection. Clinical trials are needed to further identify the relationship between coffee and how it lowers the incidence of liver disease.Written by: Christian Nordqvist ( patterns : Medical News Today )
Read More......
Monday 27 April 2009
Alcohol-Related Diseases Account
Alcohol-Related Diseases Account For 1.25 Percent Of Health Expenditure In Portugal by Camilla Dormer
European Association for the Study of the Liver
Liver disease is the most prevalent cause of alcohol-related deaths, followed by car accidents and cancer, according to new research conducted in Portugal and presented at EASL 2009, the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Liver in Copenhagen, Denmark. The study also showed that alcohol-related diseases account for 1.25% of the health expenditure in Portugal.
( medicalnewstoday news )The study, aimed at assessing the burden of diseases attributable to alcohol consumption, showed that 3.8% of all deaths in Portugal are related to alcohol consumption and account for a death toll of 4,054 people every year. Within these, most people are killed by liver disease (28.3%, representing 1,147 individuals), followed by car accidents (26.2%, representing 1,062 individuals) and by different types of cancers associated with alcohol consumption 21%, representing 851 individuals).
According to the study, the burden of alcohol-related diseases in Portugal is 5.0%, which is higher than the global statistic estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO) of about 3.2%. This is the first study designed to estimate the burden of disease attributable to alcohol consumption, specifically in Portugal.
Professor Helena Cortez-Pinto, Unidade de de Nutrição e Metabolismo, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, who led the study, said: "The results of the study confirm that alcohol is an important health risk factor that is particularly related to liver disease in Portugal. By quantifying the significant impact alcohol has on the nation's health, we highlight the need for effective strategies to promote lifestyle changes and moderate alcohol consumption to reduce death rates, the incidence of liver disease and related costs to the healthcare system."
In this study, researchers estimated the burden and cost of diseases attributable to alcohol drinking based on the demographic and health statistics available for 2005. The results indicate that €14.1 million is attributable to alcohol-related chronic disease admissions (liver diseases, cancer, etc.) and €82.2 million to acute alcohol-related conditions (traffic accidents and external causes), resulting in a total amount of €96.3 million. Furthermore, ambulatory costs of alcohol-related diseases were estimated as €93 million, totaling €189.2 million direct costs attributable to alcohol, which represent 0.13% of the Portuguese Gross Domestic Product and 1.25% of total national health expenditures.
The study population included all individuals from the mainland, aged 15 or over, and alcohol consumption was estimated using the data from the Portuguese National Health Survey of 2005. The results differed according to gender, with 5.6% of deaths occurring in men and representing 6.2% of the disease burden, while 3.6% of deaths occurring in women and represented 1.8% of the disease burden.
( www.paterns medicalnewstoday.com )
Read More......
European Association for the Study of the Liver
Liver disease is the most prevalent cause of alcohol-related deaths, followed by car accidents and cancer, according to new research conducted in Portugal and presented at EASL 2009, the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Liver in Copenhagen, Denmark. The study also showed that alcohol-related diseases account for 1.25% of the health expenditure in Portugal.
( medicalnewstoday news )The study, aimed at assessing the burden of diseases attributable to alcohol consumption, showed that 3.8% of all deaths in Portugal are related to alcohol consumption and account for a death toll of 4,054 people every year. Within these, most people are killed by liver disease (28.3%, representing 1,147 individuals), followed by car accidents (26.2%, representing 1,062 individuals) and by different types of cancers associated with alcohol consumption 21%, representing 851 individuals).
According to the study, the burden of alcohol-related diseases in Portugal is 5.0%, which is higher than the global statistic estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO) of about 3.2%. This is the first study designed to estimate the burden of disease attributable to alcohol consumption, specifically in Portugal.
Professor Helena Cortez-Pinto, Unidade de de Nutrição e Metabolismo, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, who led the study, said: "The results of the study confirm that alcohol is an important health risk factor that is particularly related to liver disease in Portugal. By quantifying the significant impact alcohol has on the nation's health, we highlight the need for effective strategies to promote lifestyle changes and moderate alcohol consumption to reduce death rates, the incidence of liver disease and related costs to the healthcare system."
In this study, researchers estimated the burden and cost of diseases attributable to alcohol drinking based on the demographic and health statistics available for 2005. The results indicate that €14.1 million is attributable to alcohol-related chronic disease admissions (liver diseases, cancer, etc.) and €82.2 million to acute alcohol-related conditions (traffic accidents and external causes), resulting in a total amount of €96.3 million. Furthermore, ambulatory costs of alcohol-related diseases were estimated as €93 million, totaling €189.2 million direct costs attributable to alcohol, which represent 0.13% of the Portuguese Gross Domestic Product and 1.25% of total national health expenditures.
The study population included all individuals from the mainland, aged 15 or over, and alcohol consumption was estimated using the data from the Portuguese National Health Survey of 2005. The results differed according to gender, with 5.6% of deaths occurring in men and representing 6.2% of the disease burden, while 3.6% of deaths occurring in women and represented 1.8% of the disease burden.
( www.paterns medicalnewstoday.com )
Read More......
Sunday 26 April 2009
Alcohol and Coronary Heart
Alcohol and Coronary Heart Disease
( pubs.niaaa.nih.gov news ) Heart attacks and other forms of coronary heart disease (CHD) result in approximately 500,000 deaths annually (1), accounting for 25 percent of the Nation's total mortality (2). Research has revealed an association between moderate alcohol consumption1 and lower risk for CHD. This Alcohol Alert reviews epidemiologic evidence for this association, explores lifestyle factors and physiological mechanisms that might suggest ways to explain alcohol's apparent protective effects, and presents available data on the balance between alcohol's beneficial and harmful effects on health.
Epidemiologic Evidence
With few exceptions, epidemiologic data from at least 20 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia demonstrate a 20- to 40-percent lower CHD incidence among drinkers compared with nondrinkers (3,4). Moderate drinkers exhibit lower rates of CHD-related mortality than both heavy drinkers and abstainers (3,4). Such studies range from comparisons of nationwide population data to retrospective analyses of health and drinking patterns within communities.
The most persuasive epidemiologic evidence for alcohol's possible protective effects on CHD comes from prospective studies, in which participants provide information on their drinking habits and health-related practices before the onset of disease. Participants' subsequent health histories are evaluated through a series of followup interviews. Large-scale prospective investigations confirm an association between moderate drinking and lower CHD risk. The specific studies described here represent a total population of more than 1 million men and women of different ethnicities. Followup periods average 11 years,2 the longest being the 24-year prospective phase of the Framingham CHD mortality study (5). The two largest of these studies were conducted by the American Cancer Society, one including 276,800 men (6) and the other including 490,000 men and women (7).
Other large prospective investigations that associate moderate drinking with lower risk for CHD include a series of studies by Kaiser-Permanente analyzing CHD hospitalization (8,9) and death rates (10,11) in both men and women; studies of CHD incidence (12) and mortality (13) among female nurses; and studies of CHD incidence (14,15) and mortality (16) among male physicians. Results of these American studies are confirmed by data from similar investigations conducted in England (17), Denmark (18), China (19), and other countries (1,4). In addition, a smaller 12-year study found an association between moderate drinking and lower risk of CHD-related death among older persons (average age of 69) with late-onset diabetes, a population at high risk for CHD (20). However, a recent 21-year prospective study from Scotland found no association between moderate drinking and lower risk for CHD among 6,000 working men ages 35 to 64 (21).
Is Alcohol's Role Causal or Incidental?
An association between moderate drinking and lower risk for CHD does not necessarily mean that alcohol itself is the cause of the lower risk. For example, a review of population studies indicates that the higher mortality risk among abstainers may be attributable to shared traits other than participants' nonuse of alcohol (22). Substantial evidence (1) has discounted speculation that abstainers include a large proportion of former heavy drinkers with pre-existing health problems (i.e., "sick quitters"). Nevertheless, health-related lifestyle factors that correlate consistently with drinking level could account for some of the association between alcohol and lower risk for CHD (4). Among the most widely studied of these factors are exercise and diet.
Few studies have adjusted for subjects' levels of physical activity, despite evidence that exercise protects against CHD occurrence and mortality. In a comprehensive review of published studies, Berlin and Colditz (23) concluded that risk for CHD was proportionately lower at higher exercise levels. Measures of activity level vary among studies. Studies evaluate factors such as job-related physical requirements, frequency of participation in unspecified sports, estimated vigorousness of given activities, calculations of energy expended, and tests of cardiovascular fitness (23). Results of a community survey indicated that the prevalence of regular exercise was higher among moderate and heavy drinkers than among nondrinkers (24). Regular exercise was defined as any form of nonoccupational physical activity performed at least three times per week. The role of exercise in the alcohol-CHD association requires additional study.
Diet is one of the strongest influences on CHD-related death among men ages 50 to 70 (25). International comparisons, laboratory data, and prospective studies suggest that diets high in saturated fat and cholesterol increase the risk for CHD (26). Epidemiologic data suggest that moderate drinkers may consume less fat and cholesterol than heavier drinkers (14) and abstainers (27), potentially accounting for a portion of the lower CHD risk associated with alcohol. However, results of other prospective studies indicate that alcohol's association with lower CHD risk is independent of nutritional factors (12-14).
The Role of Beverage Choice
Some studies report that wine (particularly red wine) affords more CHD protection than beer or liquor at equivalent levels of alcohol consumption (28). This finding suggests that the association between alcohol consumption and CHD risk may result from the effects of beverage ingredients other than alcohol itself. Epidemiologic and laboratory studies investigating this hypothesis have produced conflicting results.
A comparison of data from 21 developed countries concluded that wine consumption was more strongly correlated with lower CHD risk than was consumption of other alcoholic beverages (29). However, large-scale prospective studies have not found any difference in the incidence of CHD associated with beverage type (1,9). Red wine has been shown to contain certain nonalcoholic ingredients that could hypothetically interfere with the progression of CHD (30). However, research has not yet demonstrated a significant role for these chemicals in arresting CHD development in humans (30,31).
Evidence suggests that a preference for wine over other alcoholic beverages is associated with a lifestyle that includes other favorable health-related practices. For example, drinkers who prefer wine tend to smoke less and drink less (10,11,32) and have a more healthful diet (33) than those who prefer beer or liquor.
How Might Alcohol Lower Risk for CHD?
To function normally, the muscle tissue that constitutes the bulk of the heart requires a constant supply of oxygen-containing blood. Blood is delivered to the heart muscle through the coronary arteries. Cholesterol and other fatty substances can accumulate within the coronary arteries, partially impeding the flow of blood. This condition underlies the clinical manifestations of CHD, which may range from episodic chest pain to sudden death. The most common serious manifestation of CHD is the heart attack. Heart attacks are generally triggered by the formation of a blood clot within a constricted coronary artery, obstructing blood flow and depriving a portion of the heart muscle of oxygen. The resulting impairment of the heart's pumping ability may cause permanent disability or death, either immediately or through the progressive development of medical complications (2).
Researchers have investigated several theories to explain how alcohol itself might lower risk for CHD. For example, alcohol may protect the heart by preventing the constriction of the coronary arteries, inhibiting clot formation, and enhancing recovery following a heart attack. Most of the evidence supporting these potential mechanisms is derived from experiments using animals or cells isolated from artery walls and grown in the laboratory. Controlled clinical experiments are needed to confirm that the effects observed in such studies can alter the development or progression of CHD in humans.
Results of laboratory research indicate that alcohol administration may help prevent arterial narrowing in mice (34). Such an effect could stem from changes in the blood concentrations of certain fatty substances that influence the deposition of cholesterol within the coronary arteries (35). However, human (36) and animal (34,37) studies indicate that less than one-half of the lower risk for CHD associated with alcohol consumption can be explained by altered blood levels of these fatty substances. Therefore, researchers are investigating additional explanations for alcohol's apparent protective effects.
Alcohol may help prevent clot formation within already narrowed coronary arteries. Clotting occurs partly in response to chemicals released into the blood from the arterial wall. Exposure of these cells to alcohol in the laboratory suppresses the production of substances that promote clotting and stimulates the production and activity of substances that inhibit clotting (38). In addition, analyses of blood samples drawn from human volunteers indicate that alcohol consumption increases blood levels of anticlotting factors (39,40) and decreases the "stickiness" of the specialized blood cells (i.e., platelets) that clump together to form clots (41).
Results of laboratory research suggest that alcohol might help protect against reperfusion injury, a form of damage caused by the sudden restoration of blood flow to heart muscle weakened by previous oxygen deprivation. Alcohol's effects on reperfusion injury have been studied in guinea pigs (42) and rats (43), but not in humans. Heavy alcohol consumption by humans can cause rapid and irregular heartbeat and can impair the heart's pumping ability (41), two of the major causes of death following a heart attack (44). Alcohol may also interact harmfully with medications prescribed to treat heart diseases (45). Thus, although alcohol may help protect against CHD, drinking may increase the risk of adverse health effects after a heart attack (46).
Risks and Benefits
The apparent benefits of moderate drinking on CHD mortality are offset at higher drinking levels by increasing risk of death from other types of heart disease (5,16,32); cancer; liver cirrhosis; and trauma, including trauma from traffic crashes (47). Moderate drinking is not risk free. The trade-offs between risks and benefits can be exemplified by the fact that alcohol's anticlotting ability, potentially protective against heart attack, may increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke, or bleeding within the brain (12).( patterns http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov )
Read More......
( pubs.niaaa.nih.gov news ) Heart attacks and other forms of coronary heart disease (CHD) result in approximately 500,000 deaths annually (1), accounting for 25 percent of the Nation's total mortality (2). Research has revealed an association between moderate alcohol consumption1 and lower risk for CHD. This Alcohol Alert reviews epidemiologic evidence for this association, explores lifestyle factors and physiological mechanisms that might suggest ways to explain alcohol's apparent protective effects, and presents available data on the balance between alcohol's beneficial and harmful effects on health.
Epidemiologic Evidence
With few exceptions, epidemiologic data from at least 20 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia demonstrate a 20- to 40-percent lower CHD incidence among drinkers compared with nondrinkers (3,4). Moderate drinkers exhibit lower rates of CHD-related mortality than both heavy drinkers and abstainers (3,4). Such studies range from comparisons of nationwide population data to retrospective analyses of health and drinking patterns within communities.
The most persuasive epidemiologic evidence for alcohol's possible protective effects on CHD comes from prospective studies, in which participants provide information on their drinking habits and health-related practices before the onset of disease. Participants' subsequent health histories are evaluated through a series of followup interviews. Large-scale prospective investigations confirm an association between moderate drinking and lower CHD risk. The specific studies described here represent a total population of more than 1 million men and women of different ethnicities. Followup periods average 11 years,2 the longest being the 24-year prospective phase of the Framingham CHD mortality study (5). The two largest of these studies were conducted by the American Cancer Society, one including 276,800 men (6) and the other including 490,000 men and women (7).
Other large prospective investigations that associate moderate drinking with lower risk for CHD include a series of studies by Kaiser-Permanente analyzing CHD hospitalization (8,9) and death rates (10,11) in both men and women; studies of CHD incidence (12) and mortality (13) among female nurses; and studies of CHD incidence (14,15) and mortality (16) among male physicians. Results of these American studies are confirmed by data from similar investigations conducted in England (17), Denmark (18), China (19), and other countries (1,4). In addition, a smaller 12-year study found an association between moderate drinking and lower risk of CHD-related death among older persons (average age of 69) with late-onset diabetes, a population at high risk for CHD (20). However, a recent 21-year prospective study from Scotland found no association between moderate drinking and lower risk for CHD among 6,000 working men ages 35 to 64 (21).
Is Alcohol's Role Causal or Incidental?
An association between moderate drinking and lower risk for CHD does not necessarily mean that alcohol itself is the cause of the lower risk. For example, a review of population studies indicates that the higher mortality risk among abstainers may be attributable to shared traits other than participants' nonuse of alcohol (22). Substantial evidence (1) has discounted speculation that abstainers include a large proportion of former heavy drinkers with pre-existing health problems (i.e., "sick quitters"). Nevertheless, health-related lifestyle factors that correlate consistently with drinking level could account for some of the association between alcohol and lower risk for CHD (4). Among the most widely studied of these factors are exercise and diet.
Few studies have adjusted for subjects' levels of physical activity, despite evidence that exercise protects against CHD occurrence and mortality. In a comprehensive review of published studies, Berlin and Colditz (23) concluded that risk for CHD was proportionately lower at higher exercise levels. Measures of activity level vary among studies. Studies evaluate factors such as job-related physical requirements, frequency of participation in unspecified sports, estimated vigorousness of given activities, calculations of energy expended, and tests of cardiovascular fitness (23). Results of a community survey indicated that the prevalence of regular exercise was higher among moderate and heavy drinkers than among nondrinkers (24). Regular exercise was defined as any form of nonoccupational physical activity performed at least three times per week. The role of exercise in the alcohol-CHD association requires additional study.
Diet is one of the strongest influences on CHD-related death among men ages 50 to 70 (25). International comparisons, laboratory data, and prospective studies suggest that diets high in saturated fat and cholesterol increase the risk for CHD (26). Epidemiologic data suggest that moderate drinkers may consume less fat and cholesterol than heavier drinkers (14) and abstainers (27), potentially accounting for a portion of the lower CHD risk associated with alcohol. However, results of other prospective studies indicate that alcohol's association with lower CHD risk is independent of nutritional factors (12-14).
The Role of Beverage Choice
Some studies report that wine (particularly red wine) affords more CHD protection than beer or liquor at equivalent levels of alcohol consumption (28). This finding suggests that the association between alcohol consumption and CHD risk may result from the effects of beverage ingredients other than alcohol itself. Epidemiologic and laboratory studies investigating this hypothesis have produced conflicting results.
A comparison of data from 21 developed countries concluded that wine consumption was more strongly correlated with lower CHD risk than was consumption of other alcoholic beverages (29). However, large-scale prospective studies have not found any difference in the incidence of CHD associated with beverage type (1,9). Red wine has been shown to contain certain nonalcoholic ingredients that could hypothetically interfere with the progression of CHD (30). However, research has not yet demonstrated a significant role for these chemicals in arresting CHD development in humans (30,31).
Evidence suggests that a preference for wine over other alcoholic beverages is associated with a lifestyle that includes other favorable health-related practices. For example, drinkers who prefer wine tend to smoke less and drink less (10,11,32) and have a more healthful diet (33) than those who prefer beer or liquor.
How Might Alcohol Lower Risk for CHD?
To function normally, the muscle tissue that constitutes the bulk of the heart requires a constant supply of oxygen-containing blood. Blood is delivered to the heart muscle through the coronary arteries. Cholesterol and other fatty substances can accumulate within the coronary arteries, partially impeding the flow of blood. This condition underlies the clinical manifestations of CHD, which may range from episodic chest pain to sudden death. The most common serious manifestation of CHD is the heart attack. Heart attacks are generally triggered by the formation of a blood clot within a constricted coronary artery, obstructing blood flow and depriving a portion of the heart muscle of oxygen. The resulting impairment of the heart's pumping ability may cause permanent disability or death, either immediately or through the progressive development of medical complications (2).
Researchers have investigated several theories to explain how alcohol itself might lower risk for CHD. For example, alcohol may protect the heart by preventing the constriction of the coronary arteries, inhibiting clot formation, and enhancing recovery following a heart attack. Most of the evidence supporting these potential mechanisms is derived from experiments using animals or cells isolated from artery walls and grown in the laboratory. Controlled clinical experiments are needed to confirm that the effects observed in such studies can alter the development or progression of CHD in humans.
Results of laboratory research indicate that alcohol administration may help prevent arterial narrowing in mice (34). Such an effect could stem from changes in the blood concentrations of certain fatty substances that influence the deposition of cholesterol within the coronary arteries (35). However, human (36) and animal (34,37) studies indicate that less than one-half of the lower risk for CHD associated with alcohol consumption can be explained by altered blood levels of these fatty substances. Therefore, researchers are investigating additional explanations for alcohol's apparent protective effects.
Alcohol may help prevent clot formation within already narrowed coronary arteries. Clotting occurs partly in response to chemicals released into the blood from the arterial wall. Exposure of these cells to alcohol in the laboratory suppresses the production of substances that promote clotting and stimulates the production and activity of substances that inhibit clotting (38). In addition, analyses of blood samples drawn from human volunteers indicate that alcohol consumption increases blood levels of anticlotting factors (39,40) and decreases the "stickiness" of the specialized blood cells (i.e., platelets) that clump together to form clots (41).
Results of laboratory research suggest that alcohol might help protect against reperfusion injury, a form of damage caused by the sudden restoration of blood flow to heart muscle weakened by previous oxygen deprivation. Alcohol's effects on reperfusion injury have been studied in guinea pigs (42) and rats (43), but not in humans. Heavy alcohol consumption by humans can cause rapid and irregular heartbeat and can impair the heart's pumping ability (41), two of the major causes of death following a heart attack (44). Alcohol may also interact harmfully with medications prescribed to treat heart diseases (45). Thus, although alcohol may help protect against CHD, drinking may increase the risk of adverse health effects after a heart attack (46).
Risks and Benefits
The apparent benefits of moderate drinking on CHD mortality are offset at higher drinking levels by increasing risk of death from other types of heart disease (5,16,32); cancer; liver cirrhosis; and trauma, including trauma from traffic crashes (47). Moderate drinking is not risk free. The trade-offs between risks and benefits can be exemplified by the fact that alcohol's anticlotting ability, potentially protective against heart attack, may increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke, or bleeding within the brain (12).( patterns http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov )
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Friday 24 April 2009
Alcohol Consumption and Risk for Coronary Heart Disease
Alcohol Consumption and Risk for Coronary Heart Disease among Men with Hypertension
research by Joline W.J. Beulens, MSc; Eric B. Rimm, ScD; Alberto Ascherio, MD, DrPH; Donna Spiegelman, ScD; Henk F.J. Hendriks, PhD; and Kenneth J. Mukamal, MD, MPH
Background: Heavy alcohol consumption increases risk for hypertension, which is in itself a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, data on the association between alcohol consumption and CVD among individuals with hypertension are scarce.
Objective: To assess whether alcohol consumption is inversely associated with CVD among men with hypertension.
Design: Prospective cohort study.
Setting: United States.
Participants: 11 711 men with hypertension from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.
Measurements: Alcohol consumption was assessed every 4 years by using a food-frequency questionnaire. Incident cases of nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), fatal coronary heart disease, and stroke were documented from 1986 to 2002.
Results: During follow-up, 653 patients with MI were documented. Compared with patients abstaining from alcohol, the hazard ratio for participants with MI consuming 0.1 to 4.9 grams of alcohol per day was 1.09 (95% CI, 0.86 to 1.37); consuming 5 to 9.9 grams of alcohol per day was 0.81 (CI, 0.60 to 1.08 g/d); consuming 10 to 14.9 grams of alcohol per day was 0.68 (CI, 0.51 to 0.91 g/d); consuming 15 to 29.9 grams of alcohol per day was 0.72 (CI, 0.54 to 0.97 g/d); consuming 30 to 49.9 grams of alcohol per day was 0.67 (CI, 0.48 to 0.94 g/d); and consuming 50 or more grams of alcohol per day was 0.41 (CI, 0.22 to 0.77 g/d) (P < 0.001 for trend). Associations were similar for fatal and nonfatal MI. Alcohol consumption was not associated with total death or death due to CVD. Risks for total and ischemic stroke for patients consuming 10 to 29.9 g of alcohol per day were 1.40 (CI, 0.93 to 2.12) and 1.55 (CI, 0.90 to 2.68) compared with that of abstainers. When corrected for measurement error in alcohol consumption, dietary variables, and body mass index, the hazard ratio for participants with MI per 12.5 grams per day increment of alcohol intake was 0.68 (CI, 0.46 to 1.00).
Limitations: Hypertension, alcohol consumption, and CVD risk factors were assessed by self-report. Available data used to correct for measurement error were primarily restricted to dietary variables.
Conclusions: In this population of men with hypertension, moderate alcohol consumption was associated with a decreased risk for MI but not with risks for total death or death due to CVD. As in the general population, men with hypertension who drink moderately and safely may not need to change their drinking habits.
patern : www.annals.org
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research by Joline W.J. Beulens, MSc; Eric B. Rimm, ScD; Alberto Ascherio, MD, DrPH; Donna Spiegelman, ScD; Henk F.J. Hendriks, PhD; and Kenneth J. Mukamal, MD, MPH
Background: Heavy alcohol consumption increases risk for hypertension, which is in itself a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, data on the association between alcohol consumption and CVD among individuals with hypertension are scarce.
Objective: To assess whether alcohol consumption is inversely associated with CVD among men with hypertension.
Design: Prospective cohort study.
Setting: United States.
Participants: 11 711 men with hypertension from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.
Measurements: Alcohol consumption was assessed every 4 years by using a food-frequency questionnaire. Incident cases of nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), fatal coronary heart disease, and stroke were documented from 1986 to 2002.
Results: During follow-up, 653 patients with MI were documented. Compared with patients abstaining from alcohol, the hazard ratio for participants with MI consuming 0.1 to 4.9 grams of alcohol per day was 1.09 (95% CI, 0.86 to 1.37); consuming 5 to 9.9 grams of alcohol per day was 0.81 (CI, 0.60 to 1.08 g/d); consuming 10 to 14.9 grams of alcohol per day was 0.68 (CI, 0.51 to 0.91 g/d); consuming 15 to 29.9 grams of alcohol per day was 0.72 (CI, 0.54 to 0.97 g/d); consuming 30 to 49.9 grams of alcohol per day was 0.67 (CI, 0.48 to 0.94 g/d); and consuming 50 or more grams of alcohol per day was 0.41 (CI, 0.22 to 0.77 g/d) (P < 0.001 for trend). Associations were similar for fatal and nonfatal MI. Alcohol consumption was not associated with total death or death due to CVD. Risks for total and ischemic stroke for patients consuming 10 to 29.9 g of alcohol per day were 1.40 (CI, 0.93 to 2.12) and 1.55 (CI, 0.90 to 2.68) compared with that of abstainers. When corrected for measurement error in alcohol consumption, dietary variables, and body mass index, the hazard ratio for participants with MI per 12.5 grams per day increment of alcohol intake was 0.68 (CI, 0.46 to 1.00).
Limitations: Hypertension, alcohol consumption, and CVD risk factors were assessed by self-report. Available data used to correct for measurement error were primarily restricted to dietary variables.
Conclusions: In this population of men with hypertension, moderate alcohol consumption was associated with a decreased risk for MI but not with risks for total death or death due to CVD. As in the general population, men with hypertension who drink moderately and safely may not need to change their drinking habits.
patern : www.annals.org
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Wednesday 22 April 2009
Alcohol intake in rheumatic disease
Alcohol intake in rheumatic disease: good or bad?
by N. Sofat and A. Keat
( rheumatology news ) Alcohol is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. In 1983 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared alcohol-related problems to be among the world's major health concerns . Recent developments in basic science and clinical research have led to an improved understanding of the mechanisms of the effects of alcohol on musculoskeletal diseases. These vary from the site of action of the cytokine–hormone axis on the development of osteoporosis to the variety of epidemiological studies of alcohol in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and seronegative arthropathies.
Alcohol might be beneficial in rheumatic disease. There are examples of reduced alcohol-related deaths in RA and SLE . However, acute and chronic alcohol intake is known to result in myopathies, which may lead to falls and consequent fractures . There is a body of data emerging about the link between vertebral osteoporotic fractures and alcohol, particularly in men . Alcohol has also been implicated in the increased death rate from violence and accident-related deaths in ankylosing spondylitis . This review will discuss recent data obtained regarding alcohol intake in the above conditions.
Alcohol can have harmful effects on the musculoskeletal system. It is associated with osteoporosis and an increased incidence of fractures. The strongest link is seen in spinal osteoporosis, where alcoholic men are most at risk. In one study, 38% of mobile chronic alcoholics demonstrated radiological evidence of spinal and/or forearm bone loss . Riggs et al. found the risk of spinal osteoporosis with vertebral fracture was significantly greater among men who drank alcoholic beverages (relative risk=2.4) than those who did not . The risk increased by a factor of 1.007 for each ounce year of cumulative exposure. In this study, a multiple logistic model was used to show a multiplied risk in drinkers who also smoked. An Australian study also found that drinkers had diminished bone formation rates. However, factors such as gonadal status, body mass and physical activity may also alter osteoblast function in these patients.
In women, there are conflicting data, particularly regarding ethanol use and spinal osteoporosis. In the European Vertebral Osteoporosis Study, alcohol consumption appeared to reduce the risk of vertebral fractures in women who consumed alcohol more than five days a week. Others have found reduced bone formation rates in women with established alcoholic liver disease. The conflicting results may be attributed to varying doses of alcohol intake in the two studies. However, the risk factors of late menarche, early menopause, a low dairy product consumption, low physical activity and family history of hip fracture do appear to be stronger predictors of vertebral fracture in women .
The mechanism by which ethanol promotes bone loss in both men and women is not fully understood. Some work has proposed that ethanol promotes osteoporosis through the alteration of production and resorption pathways of bone remodelling. Osteoblasts derive from the mesenchymal lineage marrow stroma and osteoclasts from the haemopoietic lineage. Ethanol inhibits proliferation of human osteoblasts. In one study, ethanol increased bone resorption in rat trabecular bone , suggesting that the osteoclastic phase is also affected by ethanol.
The development of osteoclasts from their progenitors is dependent on stromal–osteoblastic cells, which are a major source of cytokines that are critical in osteoclastogenesis. In vitro studies using human osteoblasts show that cytokine mediators include interleukin (IL)-1
(IL-1), tumour necrosis factor (TNF-), IL-6 and IL-11 . In humans, sex steroids regulate IL-6 production by stromal-osteoblastic cells, including the response of bone marrow cells to this cytokine and IL-11. The production of IL-6 by cultured bone marrow stromal and osteoblastic cell lines is inhibited by oestrogens . Others have not found a regulatory effect of 17ß-oestradiol in osteoblast cell preparations stimulated with IL-1b and TNF- . The inhibitory effect of oestrogen on IL-6 production is mediated by inhibition of IL-6 gene transcription through an oestrogen receptor-mediated effect on the transcriptional activity of an identified promoter sequence.
Inhibition of sex steroids, such as is seen in the low serum free testosterone concentration in male drinkers , may affect osteoclast activity . Androgens have already been shown to have an effect on IL-6 transcription, which is similar to oestrogen receptor-mediated effects, by acting through androgen-specific receptors . Furthermore, in a study using IL-6 knockout mice, Dai et al. found that mice that produced IL-6 and were fed ethanol for 4 months had reduced bone mineral density and cancellous bone formation compared with IL-6 knockouts, which had no change in these parameters with ethanol. Ethanol may therefore achieve its effect by inducing bone loss through IL-6 mediation. They proposed that this process may occur by IL-6 inducing increased receptor activation of NF
B ligand messenger RNA expression in IL-6 mice, promoting granulocyte–macrophage colony-forming units and osteoclastogenesis.
Studies in mice with oophorectomies show that osteoclast formation increases in response to IL-6 or the combination of the soluble IL-6 receptor and IL-11 in bone marrow cultures. These findings suggest that osteoclast precursors have an enhanced response to IL-6 and IL-11 in oestrogen-deficient states, which correlates with clinical scenarios. Furthermore, in mice that have undergone orchidectomy, there is increased replication of granulocyte–macrophage colony-forming units with increased formation of osteoclasts . These effects are prevented by testosterone or IL-6-neutralizing antibody . It follows that the bone loss occurring through loss of gonadal function in both sexes may be mediated in both sexes through mechanisms involving IL-6.
The results from the studies described above show that there is clearly a complex interaction between ethanol use, sex hormones, cytokines and the osteoblastic and osteoclastic processes that contribute to osteoporosis in susceptible individuals. ( parterns : www.rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org )
Tuesday 21 April 2009
Alcohol drinking patterns have different CHD outcomes in men and women
Alcohol drinking patterns have different CHD outcomes in men and women by BMJ
( bmj news )The inverse association between drinking alcohol and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) seems to be independent of drinking frequency in women but not in men. Tolstrup and colleagues (p 1244) looked at alcohol drinking patterns in a cohort of more than 50 000 middle aged women and men free of cardiovascular disease at baseline. After a median follow-up of six years, women who drank alcohol on at least one day a week had a reduced risk of CHD compared with those who drank less often, but above this frequency intake mattered more than frequency. Among men, frequency mattered more than intake, with the lowest risk in those who drank daily. ( www.bmj.com)
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( bmj news )The inverse association between drinking alcohol and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) seems to be independent of drinking frequency in women but not in men. Tolstrup and colleagues (p 1244) looked at alcohol drinking patterns in a cohort of more than 50 000 middle aged women and men free of cardiovascular disease at baseline. After a median follow-up of six years, women who drank alcohol on at least one day a week had a reduced risk of CHD compared with those who drank less often, but above this frequency intake mattered more than frequency. Among men, frequency mattered more than intake, with the lowest risk in those who drank daily. ( www.bmj.com)
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Monday 20 April 2009
Alcohol misuse
Alcohol misuse
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( nhs news ) Drinking a moderate amount of alcohol will not do you any physical or psychological harm. However, for some people, social drinking can lead to heavier drinking, which can cause serious health problems.
It is estimated that one in 13 people in the UK are dependent on alcohol (an alcoholic), with several million drinking excessively, to the extent that they are putting their health at risk.
Alcoholism causes many social and health-related problems
Heavy drinking is linked to suicide, murder, fatal accidents and many fatal diseases. It can increase your chances of developing cirrhosis of the liver, and it is associated with many different types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, mouth, larynx (voice box) and liver.
As well as being directly related to many serious diseases, drinking large amounts of alcohol can also lead to poor sexual performance, and it can harm an unborn baby.
If you have an alcohol-related problem, there are many ways in which you can get help to reduce your drinking. There are also many services that can help you give up alcohol altogether. ( resource : www.nhs.uk )
Saturday 18 April 2009
Alcohol-related Liver Disease
Alcohol-related Liver Disease Numbers Double In Ten Years, UK by Christian Nordqvist
Alcohol-related liver disease hospital admissions in the UK have doubled in ten years, while total deaths related to alcoholic liver disease rose by 37%, according to NHS figures. In 2004/5 35,400 people were admitted to hospital with an alcohol-related liver disease.In 2004/5 21,700 people were admitted to hospital for alcoholic poisoning, versus 13,600 in 1994/5.
In a survey published in The Information Centre, NHS, in 2005 25% of 11-15 year old children had had an alcoholic beverage during the previous seven days of being surveyed. The average teenager in the UK is consuming alarming quantities of alcohol.
33% of men and 25% of women, aged 16-24 had been on a binge drink once during the previous seven days of being surveyed.
Binge drinking is much more part of young people's lifestyles than older adults. Most 45-64 year-olds will drink little, but often.
When compared to European Union countries, UK alcohol consumption if not high - it ranks more or less in the middle. However, while consumption in the European Union has either levelled off or is coming down, in the UK it is rising fast. The average UK adult consumes 10.39 litres of alcohol per year while people from Luxembourg consume 17,54 litres.
The Department of Health, through a spokesman, said "We know that alcohol misuse has a devastating effect on millions of lives each year. And that is why we are working with the drinks industry, police and health professionals to increase awareness of the dangers of excessive drinking and make the sensible drinking message easier to understand. We will also be launching a joint campaign with the Home Office later this year to promote sensible drinking amongst young people." (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com) Read More......
Friday 17 April 2009
To Your Health
To Your Health: New Web Site Helps Predict Alcohol Problems By MELINDA BECK
The conventional wisdom used to be that alcoholics had to hit bottom before they got better. But it can be a long, slow way down. A new government Web site called "Rethinking Drinking" aims to help people recognize problem patterns earlier and catch themselves before they fall.
"Most people don't know what 'drink responsibly' means -- they think it means not getting tanked," says Mark Willenbring, director of treatment and recovery research at the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. "But there are levels of drinking that raise your risk for alcohol problems just like high cholesterol raises your risk for heart disease."
Behind the NIAAA's effort is a new understanding that there is a spectrum of alcohol-use disorders, which some experts hope will replace the current criteria for "abuse" and "dependence." The old definitions were based on observing addicts in treatment. Several large studies of drinking in the general population show that some patterns clearly pave the way for future problems.
The NIAAA say you are at "low-risk" for serious problems if you consume no more than four standard-size alcoholic drinks a day for a man or no more than three for a woman. That may sound like a lot, but you can't drink like that every day. The weekly "low-risk" limit is no more than 14 drinks for a man or seven for a woman. Drinking more daily, or weekly or both carries higher risk of abuse or dependence.
At www.rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov, you can plug in your average consumption and see how you compare with the general population and problem drinkers. Since this is anonymous, you can try different amounts and see what they mean.
Some 37% of Americans always stay within the daily and weekly limits, according to the site. Only two in 100 of them progress to serious alcohol problems.
But 19% of Americans exceed either the daily or weekly levels; one in 12 of those people has already progressed to alcohol abuse or alcoholism. About 9% of Americans exceeds both the weekly and daily limits; half of them have alcohol problems.
Very few Americans exceed the weekly limits without exceeding the daily limitations, according to Dr. Willenbring. That contrasts with drinking patterns in Europe, where people are more likely to have wine with lunch and dinner on a daily basis.
About 35% of Americans don't drink at all. "That can be a real eye-opener for people who drink heavily and surround themselves with other people who drink a lot," says Ann Bradley, an NIAAA spokeswoman.
Even "low-risk" drinking can be risky for people with bipolar disorder, liver disease, abnormal heart rhythm and chronic pain, the Web site notes. It also links to a list of dozens of medications that can react adversely with alcohol, including drugs for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, pain and depression.
The limits are lower for women than men not just because of their size. According to the NIAAA, women's bodies tend to have less water so the alcohol tends to become more concentrated and more damaging to organs like the liver.
The Web site also notes that being able to "hold" a lot of liquor is actually a warning sign of dependence. And driving and judgment can be impaired even if you don't feel a buzz.
Knowing the size and strength of a "standard" drink is critical, so the site has a size chart and a content calculator. Some cocktails contain as much alcohol as three standard drinks. A wine bottle usually holds five 5-oz. glasses.
"Rethinking Drinking" leaves it up to you whether and when to change your habits, though it notes that alcohol is a factor in many fatal accidents and increases the risk of heart and liver disease, depression, sleep disorders, diabetes and many cancers. One section discusses the merits of cutting down versus quitting completely. Another lists pros and cons to consider—including "I'd need another way to wind down."
In focus groups when the site was tested, "some people got very quiet and engaged when they got to this part. It turned into an intervention," says Maureen Gardner, who co-authored the program.
The site also lists strategies for changing drinking habits, from "space and pace" (no more than one per hour) to "avoiding triggers" (recognizing external situations and internal emotions that tempt you to drink). An "urge tracker" lets you record times when you wanted a drink and why, what you did and what you might have done differently. A section on "refusal skills" helps you plan ahead to say no in social situations.
Dr. Willenbring hopes the site, and a downloadable print version, provides a tool for doctors, clergy and others who counsel people concerned about their drinking habits.
Awareness already seems to be rising, says Eileen Travis, director of a New York City Bar Association program that assists lawyers with substance abuse. "We get calls all the time from people who say they think they have a problem and want to stop before it gets bad—many more than in the past, when the only people we dealt with were in trouble in some way," she says.
Studies show that just five minutes of discussion with a primary-care doctor can reduce heavy drinking by 25%. Exploring online all by yourself might be just as useful. http://online.wsj.com
Wednesday 15 April 2009
Social drinking: the risks
Social drinking: the risks
Health campaigns have warned of the dangers of binge drinking and alcohol addiction but social drinking has now emerged as a health risk too.( NHS Choices news ) More than 10 million people in England drink more than the recommended daily amount.
Men should not regularly drink more than three to four units of alcohol a day and women should not regularly drink more than two to three units a day.
'Regularly' means drinking this amount every day or most days of the week.
Up to 22,000 deaths a year in England and Wales are associated in some way with drinking too much alcohol, according to Alcohol Concern. That's twice the rate of 20 years ago.
The number of units of alcohol in a drink depends on the size and strength of your drink. With some strong beers and ciders, a pint or a bottle can contain three units or more. So can a single large glass of wine.
A single large measure of spirits can contain nearly one-and-a-half units. A double can be nearly three units. You cannot count one drink as one unit. You have to check how strong and how large your drink is to know how many units of alcohol are in it.
Some experts warn that we could be facing an epidemic of liver disease. "The prevalence of liver disease in people in their 20s and 30s is rife," says Dr Rajiv Jalan, a liver consultant at University College Hospital in London.
"If we don't do anything about it, we are looking at a cirrhosis epidemic within 15 to 20 years."
High tolerance
Lower-risk drinking guide
- Regularly drink no more than three to four units a day (men).
- Regularly drink no more than two to three units a day (women).
- No alcohol for 48 hours after a heavy drinking session.
- Avoid alcohol completely if you're pregnant or trying to conceive. But if you do drink, drink no more than one to two units once or twice a week.
Andy Ball is one of the casualties of social drinking. He thought he had a high tolerance to alcohol. But after years of drinking at what he considered a 'normal level' he was diagnosed with cirrhosis (liver disease) at the age of 34.
“People are in denial about the amount they drink,” he says. “A lot of us are alcohol-dependent to some extent. Not many of us choose to socialise without a drink in our hand.”
Many of us don’t consider ourselves to be heavy drinkers but we may still be doing ourselves harm.
Patrick Greene, 49, didn’t think he was drinking excessively until he kept an alcohol diary for a week. A drink here and there quickly added up to 120 units a week, which is over four times the recommended daily amount for men. “Doing the diary was a wake-up call,” says the businessman from Wandsworth in London.
Liver disease
To find out if you need to cut down, keep an alcohol diary and use the Unit Calculator (see External links).
Your GP is a good place to start for further information and advice. He or she may advise you to register with a support group, such as Alcoholics Anonymous. In serious cases of dependency, they may recommend specialist treatment at a local alcohol service, and possibly a period of support in a rehab unit.
Professor Nigel Heaton, a liver transplant consultant at King’s College Hospital, says social drinking can hide how much is really being drunk.
“Some people think it’s natural to have a bottle of wine a night,” he says. “It all seems respectable because you’re drinking with food and it’s not associated with any drunken behaviour or even feeling drunk.
"But if it happens regularly you may face problems later on. Most of us think of people with alcoholic liver disease as alcoholics, and they think, ‘I’m not an alcoholic so I can’t get liver disease.’
“You may not be an alcoholic but if the overall amount of alcohol you drink exceeds recommended limits it may still cause serious liver disease.” ( source : www.nhs.uk)
Tuesday 14 April 2009
Why alcohol calories are more important
Why alcohol calories are more important than you think... by www.thefactsaboutfitness.com
Successful weight loss is all about oxidizing (or burning), more calories than you eat. When they go on a diet, many people choose low-calorie alcoholic drinks, mainly because they contain fewer alcohol calories than their regular counterparts.
However, drinking too much has a far more damaging effect than you can predict simply by looking at the number of alcohol calories in a drink. Not only does it reduce the number of fat calories you burn, alcohol can increase your appetite and lower your testosterone levels for up to 24 hours after you finish drinking.
Alcohol calories
According to conventional wisdom, the infamous "beer belly" is caused by excess alcohol calories being stored as fat. Yet, less than five percent of the alcohol calories you drink are turned into fat. Rather, the main effect of alcohol is to reduce the amount of fat your body burns for energy.
Some evidence for this comes from research carried in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition [4]. Eight men were given two drinks of vodka and sugar-free lemonade separated by 30 minutes. Each drink contained just under 90 calories. Fat metabolism was measured before and after consumption of the drink. For several hours after drinking the vodka, whole body lipid oxidation (a measure of how much fat your body is burning) dropped by a massive 73%.
Rather than getting stored as fat, the main fate of alcohol is conversion into a substance called acetate. In fact, blood levels of acetate after drinking the vodka were 2.5 times higher than normal. And it appears this sharp rise in acetate puts the brakes on fat loss.
A car engine typically uses only one source of fuel. Your body, on the other hand, draws from a number of different energy sources, such as carbohydrate, fat, and protein. To a certain extent, the source of fuel your body uses is dictated by its availability.
In other words, your body tends to use whatever you feed it. Consequently, when acetate levels rise, your body simply burns more acetate, and less fat. In essence, acetate pushes fat to the back of the queue.
So, to summarize and review, here's what happens to fat metabolism after the odd drink or two.
. A small portion of the alcohol is converted into fat.
. Your liver then converts most of the alcohol into acetate.
. The acetate is then released into your bloodstream, and replaces fat as a source of fuel.
The way your body responds to alcohol is very similar to the way it deals with excess carbohydrate. Although carbohydrate can be converted directly into fat, one of the main effects of overfeeding with carbohydrate is that it simply replaces fat as a source of energy. That's why any type of diet, whether it's high-fat, high-protein, or high-carbohydrate, can lead to a gain in weight.
Appetite
The combination of alcohol and a high-calorie meal is especially fattening, mainly because alcohol acts as a potent appetizer. A Canadian study shows that an aperitif (an alcoholic drink taken before a meal to increase the appetite) increased calorie intake to a greater extent than a carbohydrate-based drink [5].
Researchers from Denmark's Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University report similar results [8]. When a group of men was given a meal and allowed to eat as much as they wanted, they ate more when the meal was served with beer or wine rather than a soft drink.
Not only does too much alcohol put the brakes on fat loss, it's also one of the most effective ways to slash your testosterone levels. Just a single bout of heavy drinking raises levels of the muscle-wasting hormone cortisol and increases the breakdown of testosterone for up to 24 hours [6]. The damaging effects of alcohol on testosterone are made even worse when you exercise before drinking [1].
The effect of alcohol on testosterone could be one reason that people who drink a lot carry less muscle. In fact, a 1993 study shows that alcoholic men have bigger waists and smaller muscles than teetotalers [2].
This doesn't mean you need to avoid alcohol completely.
A recent study, published in the November 2004 issue of the International Journal of Obesity, compared the effect of two different diets over a three-month period [7]. Both diets contained 1500 calories daily, one with 150 calories from white wine and one with 150 calories from grape juice.
Weight loss in the grape juice group and white wine group was 8.3 pounds and 10.4 pounds, respectively.
So, what's the bottom line?
Although an alcohol-rich meal does increase your metabolic rate, it also suppresses the number of fat calories your body burns for energy — far more so than meals rich in protein, carbohydrate, or fat [3]. While the odd drink now and again isn't going to hurt, the bottom line is that alcohol and a leaner, stronger body just doesn't mix. www.thefactsaboutfitness.com Read More......
Successful weight loss is all about oxidizing (or burning), more calories than you eat. When they go on a diet, many people choose low-calorie alcoholic drinks, mainly because they contain fewer alcohol calories than their regular counterparts.
However, drinking too much has a far more damaging effect than you can predict simply by looking at the number of alcohol calories in a drink. Not only does it reduce the number of fat calories you burn, alcohol can increase your appetite and lower your testosterone levels for up to 24 hours after you finish drinking.
Alcohol calories
According to conventional wisdom, the infamous "beer belly" is caused by excess alcohol calories being stored as fat. Yet, less than five percent of the alcohol calories you drink are turned into fat. Rather, the main effect of alcohol is to reduce the amount of fat your body burns for energy.
Some evidence for this comes from research carried in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition [4]. Eight men were given two drinks of vodka and sugar-free lemonade separated by 30 minutes. Each drink contained just under 90 calories. Fat metabolism was measured before and after consumption of the drink. For several hours after drinking the vodka, whole body lipid oxidation (a measure of how much fat your body is burning) dropped by a massive 73%.
Rather than getting stored as fat, the main fate of alcohol is conversion into a substance called acetate. In fact, blood levels of acetate after drinking the vodka were 2.5 times higher than normal. And it appears this sharp rise in acetate puts the brakes on fat loss.
A car engine typically uses only one source of fuel. Your body, on the other hand, draws from a number of different energy sources, such as carbohydrate, fat, and protein. To a certain extent, the source of fuel your body uses is dictated by its availability.
In other words, your body tends to use whatever you feed it. Consequently, when acetate levels rise, your body simply burns more acetate, and less fat. In essence, acetate pushes fat to the back of the queue.
So, to summarize and review, here's what happens to fat metabolism after the odd drink or two.
. A small portion of the alcohol is converted into fat.
. Your liver then converts most of the alcohol into acetate.
. The acetate is then released into your bloodstream, and replaces fat as a source of fuel.
The way your body responds to alcohol is very similar to the way it deals with excess carbohydrate. Although carbohydrate can be converted directly into fat, one of the main effects of overfeeding with carbohydrate is that it simply replaces fat as a source of energy. That's why any type of diet, whether it's high-fat, high-protein, or high-carbohydrate, can lead to a gain in weight.
Appetite
The combination of alcohol and a high-calorie meal is especially fattening, mainly because alcohol acts as a potent appetizer. A Canadian study shows that an aperitif (an alcoholic drink taken before a meal to increase the appetite) increased calorie intake to a greater extent than a carbohydrate-based drink [5].
Researchers from Denmark's Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University report similar results [8]. When a group of men was given a meal and allowed to eat as much as they wanted, they ate more when the meal was served with beer or wine rather than a soft drink.
Not only does too much alcohol put the brakes on fat loss, it's also one of the most effective ways to slash your testosterone levels. Just a single bout of heavy drinking raises levels of the muscle-wasting hormone cortisol and increases the breakdown of testosterone for up to 24 hours [6]. The damaging effects of alcohol on testosterone are made even worse when you exercise before drinking [1].
The effect of alcohol on testosterone could be one reason that people who drink a lot carry less muscle. In fact, a 1993 study shows that alcoholic men have bigger waists and smaller muscles than teetotalers [2].
This doesn't mean you need to avoid alcohol completely.
A recent study, published in the November 2004 issue of the International Journal of Obesity, compared the effect of two different diets over a three-month period [7]. Both diets contained 1500 calories daily, one with 150 calories from white wine and one with 150 calories from grape juice.
Weight loss in the grape juice group and white wine group was 8.3 pounds and 10.4 pounds, respectively.
So, what's the bottom line?
Although an alcohol-rich meal does increase your metabolic rate, it also suppresses the number of fat calories your body burns for energy — far more so than meals rich in protein, carbohydrate, or fat [3]. While the odd drink now and again isn't going to hurt, the bottom line is that alcohol and a leaner, stronger body just doesn't mix. www.thefactsaboutfitness.com Read More......
Saturday 11 April 2009
Alcohol Causes Depression
Alcohol Causes Depression by GETALL ABOUT
It has been confirmed that alcohol causes depression. Depression is an enduring feeling of hopelessness, sadness, unhappiness, and causes a bleak and dull outlook towards life. And when we are suffering from depression we cannot be at the top of our game. It is hard to function at our best when we are fatigued and are experiencing a general lack of interest, also caused by depression. It may as well be significant to point out here that depression causes anxiety. So people who suffer from depression will also have episodes of anxiety.
It has been confirmed that alcohol causes depression. Depression is an enduring feeling of hopelessness, sadness, unhappiness, and causes a bleak and dull outlook towards life. And when we are suffering from depression we cannot be at the top of our game. It is hard to function at our best when we are fatigued and are experiencing a general lack of interest, also caused by depression. It may as well be significant to point out here that depression causes anxiety. So people who suffer from depression will also have episodes of anxiety.
Since alcohol is a recognized depressant, it stands to reason people with depression should not drink. This applies to people suffering from hyper depression too. Studies have revealed that doctors do not diagnose correctly for almost 65% of people who are depressed.
The depression caused by alcohol actually starts with our physical body. First, alcohol lowers the serotonin and nor epinephrine levels in our brain. These chemicals are the chemicals that give us a element of good feelings: a feeling of well being, and they help us to feel normal. The anti-depressant drugs were intended to build these chemicals back. After a long drinking session, since alcohol can take these brain chemicals down to ground zero, it can take a long time for the anti-depressants to bring these brain chemical levels back to where they need to be.
Alcohol as well provisionally nullifies the effects of stress hormones. This is why after drinking we feel worse than ever, because alcohol depresses our nervous system and our brain. A study was done that go behind people who were only drinking one drink a day and later than these people stopped drinking for 3 months, their depression scores better. And that is only at one drink a day, so it is simple to visualize the impact the kind of volume an alcoholic takes in daily can have.
Alcohol wipes out every vitamin in our system after a drinking session. A folic acid deficiency will add the brain aging and in older people, dementia. The folic acid deficiency as well adds to overall depression. Further, the alcohol in our body also breaks down and speeds the elimination of antioxidants in our blood. Antioxidants are seriously important to our health because antioxidants fight free radicals and free radical injure causes diseases and aging. Our immune system in fact creates the antioxidants which then neutralize the free radicals.
Alcohol can activate a gene that has been linked to depression and other mental problems. The outcome of this activation can cause not only depression, but seizures, and manic depressive episodes too. Although the majority of problem drinkers associate depression with their mental and emotional states, the fact is this kind of depression originates in our physical body's response to drinking alcohol.
An important characteristic of the disease of alcoholism is that it is progressive. Most people only consider of the progression of the disease in terms of quantity and occurrence consumed. But it is as well progressive in the severity of the consequences incurred from nonstop use. Alcohol affects social and relationship problems, health, psychological and cognitive functioning, and moral and spiritual problems.( source : www.amazines.com )
Friday 10 April 2009
Stop Drinking To Save Your Health From Alcohol Effects
Stop Drinking To Save Your Health From Alcohol Effects by FastSubmitArticles.com
Alcohol attack is a difficulty with alcohol that leads to wellbeing, ethnical, problems, or both. However, alcohol dependency, or alcoholism, refers to a disease that is defined by behavioral search of alcohol leads to damaged c of alcohol. Elite tends to raise the developing of alcoholism in alcohol seem exciting, viewing that by drinking, you become many favorite, many exciting and many creditable of politeness for others. In the excessive and prolonged alcohol use can cause real disturbances in embody chemistry. The prolonged use of ample quantities of alcohol without matter may cause intense liver harm much as cirrhosis of the liver. It is no deception to anticipate of someone to display one of these signs are extreme help for their drinking job. Direction is acquirable in numerous forms, from help from your doctor for a stay in a recovery center for alcohol.Senior adults succeed blood levels of alcohol to drink, even if the same amount as the youngish. This is due to a alter from the age of the total of embody water in which alcohol is dispersed. Alter at the same rate of alcohol, older people believe some of the personalty of alcohol much than the youngish. Alcohol problems among experienced people are often confused with added conditions associated with ageing. As a result, alcohol problems missed untreated by welfare attention providers, especially among experienced women.
If you anticipate you drink too much you can recover your life and wellbeing by reducing your consumption of alcohol. Read many questions and answers "yes" or "no": Do you drink when you comprehend dejected, angry or sad? Does your drinking you e'er late for acquisition? Did you e'er drink after you say no? Do you have headaches or acquire a survival after drinking alcohol? If you are alcoholic or have another medical problems, we must not only bound your consumption of alcohol - you should break drinking completely.
Here is a few steps can support you if your adulterate tells you to bound your consumption of alcohol:
Why do you need to drink less? May there be a amount of reasons why you want to bound or break drinking. Some problems, much as those mentioned above, can occur after drinking over a relatively abbreviated phase of period. But added problems - much as liver disease, bosom disease, confident forms of cancer - often many easy and became noticeable after long-term excessive alcohol {consumption|activity|demand|. Because alcohol affects many meat of the embody, long-term heavy drinking puts you at risk of developing serious health problems, some of which are described beneath.
Some drinkers develop alcoholic hepatitis, or inflammation of the liver, because of long-term excessive alcohol consumption. Its symptoms include febricity, abdominal discomfit and jaundice. About 10 to 20 pct of big drinkers acquire alcoholic cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver. Though cirrhosis is not correctable, if drinking stops, the chances of survival improve substantially.
Alter alcohol consumption have good personalty on the bosom, especially among those most at risk of bosom attacks, much as men over 45 and women after the menopause. But long-term broad drinking increases the risk disease and confident types of attack. Women are at slightly accumulated risk of breast cancer if they drink two or many glasses per day. Boozing also increase the risk of developing cancer of the colon and rectum.
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Read More......Exhausted Interns: Doctoring While Impaired
Exhausted Interns: Doctoring While Impaired
By: Rita Jenkins
The common practice of requiring physicians-in-training to work many double, and even triple, shifts results in performance reductions equivalent to the effects of drinking several ounces of alcohol, according to a new study led by a University of Michigan sleep researcher published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Depending on the type of medical or surgical care they decide to specialize in, young doctors can spend anywhere from three to 12 years in training. The first year - the internship - is considered the most intense.
Thirty-four Brown University Medical School pediatric residents completed standardized tests following two different schedules: a month of 44-hour work weeks in office-based clinics with no overnight duties; and a month of 90-hour work weeks, including day shifts in the hospital's wards or intensive care units, plus overnight shifts once every four or five nights.
Vigilance, Attention
Following the month of longer hours, the doctors' vigilance, attention and driving skills were found to be impaired. Their test responses were equivalent to their performance after consuming three to four alcoholic drinks following a month of lighter duties.
"This adds to the growing evidence that sleep deprivation among medical residents significantly impairs their ability to perform, although it is important to note that we did not assess performance on specific medical tasks," says J. Todd Arnedt, PhD, a sleep psychologist who is a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and neurology at the U-M Medical School. Arnedt works in the the U-M Sleep Disorders Center and the U-M Depression Center Sleep & Chronophysiology Laboratory.
Three Hours Sleep
Sleep diaries and an automatic wrist-watch activity monitor verified that the residents on heavy work shifts got significantly less sleep per night on average than those with lighter schedules during the study period.
In the 24 hours leading up to the test days, residents on a light schedule slept an average of 6 hours and 37 minutes, compared with about 3 hours for the residents on a heavy schedule.
The residents were tested four times, in two separate sessions. Two of the tests were completed after they had worked a month of light duty without overnight shifts; the tests were given before and after they consumed three to four alcoholic drinks.
In the second session, they were tested on the day after an overnight shift that came at the end of a month of 90-hour work weeks. During this session, they were tested before and after drinking a non-alcoholic placebo beverage. Of primary interest were the tests conducted after they had drunk either the alcohol or the placebo.
Performance, Effort
The researchers asked the residents to rate their performance and effort on the tests. Ratings of impaired performance were higher following the month of heavy work shifts compared to the light schedules.
Residents also rated their effort as higher after heavy work shifts compared to the lighter shifts with alcohol.
In addition, the residents rated their levels of sleepiness. During the heavy call month, they felt more tired than during the light-call month, even after they had consumed alcohol on the light-call rotation.
They were not allowed to nap on the test day or to use caffeine after noon. All of the tests were conducted at 3 pm.
Reducing Fatigue-Related Impairment
Most of the tests took place before new work-hour restrictions were imposed by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education in 2003.
Residents now are subject to the following rules: an 80-hour weekly work-hour limit; a 24-hour limit on continuous duty time; in-house call duty no more than once every three nights; and one day in seven free from all patient care and educational obligations. All requirements are averaged over four weeks.
The new regulations are "a good initial step," Arnedt noted, "but the solution to the problem is not likely as simple as well-intentioned policies aimed at reducing work hours, which can themselves have negative ramifications," he pointed out.
"Our study, like others before it, does raise concerns about the performance of sleep deprived physicians-in-training and suggests that strategies aimed at reducing fatigue-related impairments are likely necessary," Arnedt said.
Alcohol Comparison
Arnedt and his colleagues are the first to study medical residents using the sleep deprivation and alcohol comparison model, which has been used in other p! opulations, including truck drivers. Both sleep deprivation and alcohol consumption impair a person's reaction time, attention, judgment, control and driving ability.
In a Harvard University study published earlier this year, the authors found that interns were more likely to have an automobile crash or near-miss while driving after an extended work shift.
Arnedt's team found that skills on a driving simulator deteriorated in residents who were tested after an overnight shift in the hospital at the end of a month of heavy night work. The findings from these studies suggest that the personal safety of residents who drive home after working all night may be at risk.
"We need to continue to find simple, practical and effective strategies that hospitals and senior doctors can take to reduce sleep deprivation among residents," says Arnedt.
Author Bio
Rita Jenkins is a health journalist for Daily News Central, an online publication that delivers breaking news and reliable health information to consumers, healthcare providers and industry professionals: www.dailynewscentral.com
Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content Read More......
By: Rita Jenkins
The common practice of requiring physicians-in-training to work many double, and even triple, shifts results in performance reductions equivalent to the effects of drinking several ounces of alcohol, according to a new study led by a University of Michigan sleep researcher published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Depending on the type of medical or surgical care they decide to specialize in, young doctors can spend anywhere from three to 12 years in training. The first year - the internship - is considered the most intense.
Thirty-four Brown University Medical School pediatric residents completed standardized tests following two different schedules: a month of 44-hour work weeks in office-based clinics with no overnight duties; and a month of 90-hour work weeks, including day shifts in the hospital's wards or intensive care units, plus overnight shifts once every four or five nights.
Vigilance, Attention
Following the month of longer hours, the doctors' vigilance, attention and driving skills were found to be impaired. Their test responses were equivalent to their performance after consuming three to four alcoholic drinks following a month of lighter duties.
"This adds to the growing evidence that sleep deprivation among medical residents significantly impairs their ability to perform, although it is important to note that we did not assess performance on specific medical tasks," says J. Todd Arnedt, PhD, a sleep psychologist who is a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and neurology at the U-M Medical School. Arnedt works in the the U-M Sleep Disorders Center and the U-M Depression Center Sleep & Chronophysiology Laboratory.
Three Hours Sleep
Sleep diaries and an automatic wrist-watch activity monitor verified that the residents on heavy work shifts got significantly less sleep per night on average than those with lighter schedules during the study period.
In the 24 hours leading up to the test days, residents on a light schedule slept an average of 6 hours and 37 minutes, compared with about 3 hours for the residents on a heavy schedule.
The residents were tested four times, in two separate sessions. Two of the tests were completed after they had worked a month of light duty without overnight shifts; the tests were given before and after they consumed three to four alcoholic drinks.
In the second session, they were tested on the day after an overnight shift that came at the end of a month of 90-hour work weeks. During this session, they were tested before and after drinking a non-alcoholic placebo beverage. Of primary interest were the tests conducted after they had drunk either the alcohol or the placebo.
Performance, Effort
The researchers asked the residents to rate their performance and effort on the tests. Ratings of impaired performance were higher following the month of heavy work shifts compared to the light schedules.
Residents also rated their effort as higher after heavy work shifts compared to the lighter shifts with alcohol.
In addition, the residents rated their levels of sleepiness. During the heavy call month, they felt more tired than during the light-call month, even after they had consumed alcohol on the light-call rotation.
They were not allowed to nap on the test day or to use caffeine after noon. All of the tests were conducted at 3 pm.
Reducing Fatigue-Related Impairment
Most of the tests took place before new work-hour restrictions were imposed by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education in 2003.
Residents now are subject to the following rules: an 80-hour weekly work-hour limit; a 24-hour limit on continuous duty time; in-house call duty no more than once every three nights; and one day in seven free from all patient care and educational obligations. All requirements are averaged over four weeks.
The new regulations are "a good initial step," Arnedt noted, "but the solution to the problem is not likely as simple as well-intentioned policies aimed at reducing work hours, which can themselves have negative ramifications," he pointed out.
"Our study, like others before it, does raise concerns about the performance of sleep deprived physicians-in-training and suggests that strategies aimed at reducing fatigue-related impairments are likely necessary," Arnedt said.
Alcohol Comparison
Arnedt and his colleagues are the first to study medical residents using the sleep deprivation and alcohol comparison model, which has been used in other p! opulations, including truck drivers. Both sleep deprivation and alcohol consumption impair a person's reaction time, attention, judgment, control and driving ability.
In a Harvard University study published earlier this year, the authors found that interns were more likely to have an automobile crash or near-miss while driving after an extended work shift.
Arnedt's team found that skills on a driving simulator deteriorated in residents who were tested after an overnight shift in the hospital at the end of a month of heavy night work. The findings from these studies suggest that the personal safety of residents who drive home after working all night may be at risk.
"We need to continue to find simple, practical and effective strategies that hospitals and senior doctors can take to reduce sleep deprivation among residents," says Arnedt.
Author Bio
Rita Jenkins is a health journalist for Daily News Central, an online publication that delivers breaking news and reliable health information to consumers, healthcare providers and industry professionals: www.dailynewscentral.com
Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content Read More......
Tuesday 7 April 2009
Alcohol rehabilitation
Alcohol rehabilitation is yours when you are ready by Tegan Dawn
What would we do without alcohol? Would the world end? Would people not talk to each other? Would men and women not meet, get married, have children and live happily ever after? Who knows that answer to that when you are addicted to alcohol? The addict doesn’t know, and doesn’t want to know. When you are addicted to alcohol, it would be the end of the world if there were no more. If you are addicted to alcohol, life is seems pretty scary without it.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could deal with life on your own merit, your suave, and your own sense of self? Wouldn’t you be proud of yourself if you could live life without something to get your through it? Aren’t you tired of having to work harder because you drink? Just because you can drink until 4 am and show up for work at 7 doesn’t mean you’re productive, it just means your reliable, and only that lasts until your addiction decides for you that reliability is second to fueling your addiction!
Alcoholism is one of the largest addictions that affect our everyday lives. You probably know more alcoholics than drug addicts. Alcoholism is tolerated mainly because we’ve been indoctrinated from the day we are born into believing that drinking is okay, that drinking can’t hurt you, and as long as you are a fun loving drunk, you really don’t have a problem. But reality is that if you drink daily, you are probably addicted to alcohol. It’s hard to say you’re an addict when you don’t know that it’s a problem to start with. It’s hard to admit you have a problem, when everyone you know is doing it and when you see alcohol advertised on television, magazines, billboards, you don’t know it’s a problem, because it is everywhere you go.
Because of this there is an abundant need for alcohol rehabs. If you think you have a drinking problem, you probably do. If you are noticing your drinking habits are more extreme than those that you are constantly around, if you can note that they are able to go without drinking for days even months, and yet you can’t make it through a day, then you probably are addicted to alcohol and you are need to seek help with your addiction before it completely takes control of your life.
( http://www.easyarticles.com ) Read More......
What would we do without alcohol? Would the world end? Would people not talk to each other? Would men and women not meet, get married, have children and live happily ever after? Who knows that answer to that when you are addicted to alcohol? The addict doesn’t know, and doesn’t want to know. When you are addicted to alcohol, it would be the end of the world if there were no more. If you are addicted to alcohol, life is seems pretty scary without it.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could deal with life on your own merit, your suave, and your own sense of self? Wouldn’t you be proud of yourself if you could live life without something to get your through it? Aren’t you tired of having to work harder because you drink? Just because you can drink until 4 am and show up for work at 7 doesn’t mean you’re productive, it just means your reliable, and only that lasts until your addiction decides for you that reliability is second to fueling your addiction!
Alcoholism is one of the largest addictions that affect our everyday lives. You probably know more alcoholics than drug addicts. Alcoholism is tolerated mainly because we’ve been indoctrinated from the day we are born into believing that drinking is okay, that drinking can’t hurt you, and as long as you are a fun loving drunk, you really don’t have a problem. But reality is that if you drink daily, you are probably addicted to alcohol. It’s hard to say you’re an addict when you don’t know that it’s a problem to start with. It’s hard to admit you have a problem, when everyone you know is doing it and when you see alcohol advertised on television, magazines, billboards, you don’t know it’s a problem, because it is everywhere you go.
Because of this there is an abundant need for alcohol rehabs. If you think you have a drinking problem, you probably do. If you are noticing your drinking habits are more extreme than those that you are constantly around, if you can note that they are able to go without drinking for days even months, and yet you can’t make it through a day, then you probably are addicted to alcohol and you are need to seek help with your addiction before it completely takes control of your life.
( http://www.easyarticles.com ) Read More......
Monday 6 April 2009
Drinking patterns and problems among women in paid employment
Alcohol Health & Research World , Spring, 1992 by Elsie R. Shore
Recent studies indicate that women in paid employment may consume more alcohol, but do not seem to have higher rates of heavy drinking or alcohol problems, than women who do not work outside the home. Several theories have been proposed to explain the relationship between employment and women's drinking.
For the last 10 to 15 years, women's drinking has been the focus of both scientific and popular concern. This interest arose at about the same time that the women's movement and changes in the economy opened the workplace to greater and more varied participation by women. Much of the focus has been on whether women in the workplace, especially those in occupations held predominantly by males, would begin to consume more alcohol and to experience alcohol-related problems at rates comparable to those of men.
AS WOMEN'S DRINKING INCREASED?To study changes in alcohol use over time, Hilton (1988) collected data from 11 national surveys conducted from 1964 to 1984. The data showed that among women, abstention rates fluctuated between 36 percent and 47 percent, but showed no evidence of decline over the 20-year period. Abstention rates for men ranged between 23 percent and 27 percent, and were relatively unchanged over the 20-year period. Among women, the prevalence of heavier drinking (defined in this study as intake of greater than 1 ounce of alcohol(1) per day) changed only slightly, from 4 percent in 1964 to 5 percent in 1984. There was a significant increase, from 17 percent in 1964 to 21 percent in 1984, in the proportion of heavier-drinking men.
In contrast to findings for the larger survey population, comparable changes in drinking patterns were found for younger women and men (aged 21 to 34) surveyed. For both women and men in this age group, percentages of those who consumed five or more drinks weekly increased over the 20-year period. Comparable increases also were observed in percentages of heavier drinkers, although a gender gap was still evident: from 1964 to 1984, the proportion of heavier-drinking younger women rose from 4 percent to 7 percent; among younger men this proportion rose from 15 percent to 23 percent.
Wilsnack and colleagues (1984) compared data from nine national surveys conducted between 1971 and 1981, and concluded that over those 10 years, "changes in women's consumption of alcohol [were] smaller, slower, and more irregular than publicity about women's drinking would suggest" (p. 1232). According to Fillmore (1984), female drinking patterns remained fairly consistent from the 1940s to the 1980s. Fillmore's analysis of studies performed in 1964, 1967, and 1979 furnishes additional support for an overall constancy in women's drinking patterns over time, but also indicates that drinking patterns of younger women may be changing: women who were 21-29 years old in 1979 showed a higher rate of heavy, frequent drinking(2) than did women in that age group in 1964 or 1967 (Fillmore 1984).
Fillmore and others have called for continued monitoring of women's drinking to determine whether this increase reflects a stable and reproducible change. If the women who were 21 to 29 years of age in 1979 maintain higher rates of heavier drinking as they grow older, important ramifications for the workplace may result, especially since these women may have entered full-time paid employment in greater numbers than did women who were 21 to 29 years of age in 1964 or 1967. If studies of subsequent groups of young women also yield higher rates of heavier drinking, such results might signify that an enduring change in women's drinking has occurred. At this time, however, explanations for, and implications of, changes in drinking behavior among younger women remain unclear.
Although future studies may alter the picture, current evidence indicates that overall patterns in women's drinking have remained consistent over the last several decades. The large national studies that supply this information have not, however, examined whether drinking patterns have changed among certain subgroups of women, such as that of women employed outside the home.
IS THERE A LINK BETWEEN EMPLOYMENT AND DRINKING?
Researchers interested in the relationship between employment and women's drinking have compared the drinking patterns and problems of women in paid employment with those of women who are not employed outside the home and with those of employed men. In general, these studies have shown that the drinking patterns of employed women are different from those of women not employed outside the home, with less abstinence, increased consumption, and greater frequency of drinking occasions observed among employed women. Despite this increase in alcohol use, the gender gap remains: employed men consume more alcohol and have more alcohol-related problems than do employed women.
A study by Parker and colleagues (1980) showed that employed women drank more frequently than did unemployed women. A later study observed slightly higher rates of heavier drinking (defined in this study as the consumption of 1 or more ounces of alcohol per day) among women in full-time paid employment than among full-time homemakers (Wilsnack et al. 1986). In addition, drinking problems (such as driving while intoxicated, inability to remember behavior while drinking, and belligerence after drinking) occurred at higher rates among employed women and among unemployed women who were seeking work than among full-time homemakers (Wilsnack et al. 1986). The same study found that women employed part time reported more symptoms of alcohol dependence and had significantly higher rates of drinking problems than did women who were homemakers or were employed full time.
( source : http://findarticles.com/ )
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