A new neurobiological study has found that a synthetic form of THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, is an effective anti-depressant at low doses. However, at higher doses, the effect reverses itself and can actually worsen depression and other psychiatric conditions like psychosis.
The study, published in the October 24 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, was led by Dr. Gabriella Gobbi of McGill University and Le Centre de Recherche Fernand Seguin of H??pital Louis-H. Lafontaine, affiliated with l'Universit?© de Montr?©al. First author is Dr. Gobbi's McGill PhD student Francis Bambico, along with Noam Katz and the late Dr. Guy Debonnel* of McGill's Department of Psychiatry.
It has been known for many years that depletion of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain leads to depression, so SSRI-class anti-depressants like Prozac and Celexa work by enhancing the available concentration of serotonin in the brain. However, this study offers the first evidence that cannabis can also increase serotonin, at least at lower doses.
Laboratory animals were injected with the synthetic cannabinoid WIN55,212-2 and then tested with the Forced Swim test -- a test to measure "depression" in animals; the researchers observed an antidepressant effect of cannabinoids paralleled by an increased activity in the neurons that produce serotonin. However, increasing the cannabinoid dose beyond a set point completely undid the benefits, said Dr. Gobbi.
"Low doses had a potent anti-depressant effect, but when we increased the dose, the serotonin in the rats' brains actually dropped below the level of those in the control group. So we actually demonstrated a double effect: At low doses it increases serotonin, but at higher doses the effect is devastating, completely reversed."
The anti-depressant and intoxicating effects of cannabis are due to its chemical similarity to natural substances in the brain known as "endo-cannabinoids," which are released under conditions of high stress or pain, explained Dr. Gobbi. They interact with the brain through structures called cannabinoid CB1 receptors. This study demonstrates for the first time that these receptors have a direct effect on the cells producing serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that regulates the mood.
Dr. Gobbi and her colleagues were prompted to explore cannabis' potential as an anti-depressant through anecdotal clinical evidence, she said. "As a psychiatrist, I noticed that several of my patients suffering from depression used to smoke cannabis. And in the scientific literature, we had some evidence that people treated with cannabis for multiple sclerosis or AIDS showed a big improvement in mood disorders. But there were no laboratory studies demonstrating the anti-depressant mechanism of action of cannabis."
Because controlling the dosage of natural cannabis is difficult -- particularly when it is smoked in the form of marijuana joints -- there are perils associated with using it directly as an anti-depressant.
"Excessive cannabis use in people with depression poses high risk of psychosis," said Dr. Gobbi. Instead, she and her colleagues are focusing their research on a new class of drugs which enhance the effects of the brain's natural endo-cannabinoids.
"We know that it's entirely possible to produce drugs which will enhance endo-cannabinoids for the treatment of pain, depression and anxiety," she said.
*Dr. Guy Debonnel, a highly respected depression researcher who had been at McGill University since 1988, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 57 in November, 2006.
Source: Mark Shainblum
McGill University
View drug information on Celexa; Prozac Weekly.
суббота, 30 апреля 2011 г.
пятница, 29 апреля 2011 г.
Alcohol, High-Risk Sexual Behaviors And HIV In Botswana
Heavy alcohol consumption is strongly and consistently associated with sexual risk behaviors in both men and women in Botswana, according to one of the few research studies on the topic in sub-Saharan Africa.
The results argue for the need to deal with alcohol abuse within HIV prevention programs in African countries. Strategies to do this could include education campaigns that target both alcohol use and HIV in schools and in social venues, including beer halls. As the researchers stress, any strategy must consider the cultural and social significance of alcohol use (in Botswana, for example, alcohol use is a symbol of masculinity and high socio-economic status). In addition, any strategy must simultaneously tackle not only the overlap between alcohol use and risky sexual behavior but also the overlap between alcohol and other risk behaviors such as intergenerational sex.
Citation: Weiser SD, Leiter K, Heisler M, McFarland W, Percy-de Korte F, et al. (2006) A population-based study on alcohol and high-risk sexual behaviors in Botswana. PLoS Med 3(10): e392.
PLEASE ADD THE LINK TO THE PUBLISHED ARTICLE IN ONLINE VERSIONS OF YOUR REPORT: dx.doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.0030392
CONTACT:
Sheri Weiser
University of California, San Francisco
Center for AIDS Prevention Studies
931 Stanyan Street
San Francisco, CA 94117-3806 United States of America
About PLoS Medicine
PLoS Medicine is an open access, freely available international medical journal. It publishes original research that enhances our understanding of human health and disease, together with commentary and analysis of important global health issues. For more information, visit plosmedicine/
About the Public Library of Science
The Public Library of Science (PLoS) is a non-profit organization of scientists and physicians committed to making the world's scientific and medical literature a freely available public resource. For more information, visit plos/
All works published in PLoS Medicine are open access. Everything is immediately available without cost to anyone, anywhere--to read, download, redistribute, include in databases, and otherwise use--subject only to the condition that the original authorship is properly attributed. Copyright is retained by the authors. The Public Library of Science uses the Creative Commons Attribution License.
Contact: Andrew Hyde
Public Library of Science
The results argue for the need to deal with alcohol abuse within HIV prevention programs in African countries. Strategies to do this could include education campaigns that target both alcohol use and HIV in schools and in social venues, including beer halls. As the researchers stress, any strategy must consider the cultural and social significance of alcohol use (in Botswana, for example, alcohol use is a symbol of masculinity and high socio-economic status). In addition, any strategy must simultaneously tackle not only the overlap between alcohol use and risky sexual behavior but also the overlap between alcohol and other risk behaviors such as intergenerational sex.
Citation: Weiser SD, Leiter K, Heisler M, McFarland W, Percy-de Korte F, et al. (2006) A population-based study on alcohol and high-risk sexual behaviors in Botswana. PLoS Med 3(10): e392.
PLEASE ADD THE LINK TO THE PUBLISHED ARTICLE IN ONLINE VERSIONS OF YOUR REPORT: dx.doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.0030392
CONTACT:
Sheri Weiser
University of California, San Francisco
Center for AIDS Prevention Studies
931 Stanyan Street
San Francisco, CA 94117-3806 United States of America
About PLoS Medicine
PLoS Medicine is an open access, freely available international medical journal. It publishes original research that enhances our understanding of human health and disease, together with commentary and analysis of important global health issues. For more information, visit plosmedicine/
About the Public Library of Science
The Public Library of Science (PLoS) is a non-profit organization of scientists and physicians committed to making the world's scientific and medical literature a freely available public resource. For more information, visit plos/
All works published in PLoS Medicine are open access. Everything is immediately available without cost to anyone, anywhere--to read, download, redistribute, include in databases, and otherwise use--subject only to the condition that the original authorship is properly attributed. Copyright is retained by the authors. The Public Library of Science uses the Creative Commons Attribution License.
Contact: Andrew Hyde
Public Library of Science
четверг, 28 апреля 2011 г.
Alcohol: A Life Sentence
Every year, almost 4000 babies in Germany are born with alcohol-related defects. The mothers of these children have often drunk alcohol regularly during the pregnancy. The consequences are often devastating and commonly persist into adulthood. The various forms of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are presented by the pediatricians Hans-Ludwig Spohr and Hans-Christoph Steinhausen in the latest issue of Deutsches Arzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2008; 105[41]: 693-8).
Despite intensive research the precise pathogenetic mechanism of intrauterine alcohol damage remains to be clearly established. Affected neonates are too small and underweight, with craniofacial deformities. A narrowed palpebral fissure and a thin upper lip are typical manifestations. The children's physical and mental development is delayed. Many of them are poor learners or display conspicuous behavior. Psychiatric and neurological disorders such as depression and epileptic seizures occur with increased frequency. In adulthood, patients are often not able to live independently and require long-term care. Thus the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are a diagnosis for life.
DEUTSCHES AERZTEBLATT INTERNATIONAL
Ottostr. 12
50859 Cologne
Germany
aerzteblatt-international.de
Despite intensive research the precise pathogenetic mechanism of intrauterine alcohol damage remains to be clearly established. Affected neonates are too small and underweight, with craniofacial deformities. A narrowed palpebral fissure and a thin upper lip are typical manifestations. The children's physical and mental development is delayed. Many of them are poor learners or display conspicuous behavior. Psychiatric and neurological disorders such as depression and epileptic seizures occur with increased frequency. In adulthood, patients are often not able to live independently and require long-term care. Thus the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are a diagnosis for life.
DEUTSCHES AERZTEBLATT INTERNATIONAL
Ottostr. 12
50859 Cologne
Germany
aerzteblatt-international.de
среда, 27 апреля 2011 г.
Fewer US Teens Taking Illegal Drugs But Concerns Remain, Survey
Most Popular Articles For Alcohol
These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Alcohol Is Most Harmful Drug, Followed By Heroin And Crack
01 Nov 2010
Alcohol is the most damaging drug to the drinker and others overall, heroin and crack are the second and third most harmful, Professor David Nutt and colleagues wrote in the medical journal The Lancet today...
Giving Up Smoking Linked To Greater Happiness And Elevated Mood
05 Dec 2010
Energy Drinks: Is It Time To Tighten Regulation?
02 Nov 2010
USA's Drunkest Cities Are Milwaukee, Fargo And San Francisco
31 Dec 2010
Lock Up The Liquor; Parents Giving Children Alcohol
19 Feb 2011
_uacct = "UA-849615-1";
urchinTracker();
These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Alcohol Is Most Harmful Drug, Followed By Heroin And Crack
01 Nov 2010
Alcohol is the most damaging drug to the drinker and others overall, heroin and crack are the second and third most harmful, Professor David Nutt and colleagues wrote in the medical journal The Lancet today...
Giving Up Smoking Linked To Greater Happiness And Elevated Mood
05 Dec 2010
Energy Drinks: Is It Time To Tighten Regulation?
02 Nov 2010
USA's Drunkest Cities Are Milwaukee, Fargo And San Francisco
31 Dec 2010
Lock Up The Liquor; Parents Giving Children Alcohol
19 Feb 2011
_uacct = "UA-849615-1";
urchinTracker();
вторник, 26 апреля 2011 г.
THT Calls For Improved Drugs And Alcohol Support Services For Gay Men, UK
A new report released by Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) and Sigma Research states that more needs to be done to develop effective alcohol and drug support services for gay men. According to the report, 'Wasted Opportunities', existing services are poorly equipped to help gay men who have a problematic relationship with drugs or alcohol.
Peter Weatherburn, the Director of Sigma Research, said: "The report confirms that problematic drug and alcohol use is very common among gay and bisexual men. One gay man in six (17%) are concerned about their use of alcohol and/or other drugs, with alcohol causing more concern than all the other drugs put together."
Researchers conducted face-to-face interviews with forty gay men, all of whom were concerned about their use of drugs and/or alcohol, exploring why their substance use had become problematic. Many of the interviewees put their problems down to factors particular to their lives as gay men, such as conflicted feelings about their sexuality or nervousness about how they were perceived on the gay scene.
When interviewees were asked for their views on alcohol and drug support services, the majority said they would prefer any service they used to be gay-run or gay-friendly, often citing the need to feel service providers fully understood their situation. As gay men's use of alcohol and drugs was often tied in with their use of the gay bar and club scene, it was felt that existing services didn't meet all their needs. Since honest communication and understanding plays a vital role in dealing with alcohol and drug-related problems, it was felt that gay or gay-friendly services were needed.
Marc Thompson, Deputy Head of Health Promotion for THT said "It's clear from these findings that a lot of gay men who have a problem with drugs or alcohol could benefit from more dedicated support services. This could involve training service providers to deal with issues that affect gay men's lives, or running special sessions for gay men within existing organisations. We hope that by introducing services that are more tailored to gay men, we would see an increase in the numbers of men getting the help they need."
The report 'Wasted opportunities: problematic alcohol and drug use among gay men and bisexual men' is available to download here.
Gay men can find information on recreational drugs, alcohol and sex from: tht/drugfucked
Notes
1. Terrence Higgins Trust is the UK's largest HIV and sexual health charity with centres across England, Scotland and Wales. We're here to provide information and advice about HIV and sexual health and offer a range of services including sexual health checks, counselling and support groups. We campaign for a world where people with HIV live healthy lives, free from prejudice and discrimination and we promote good sexual health as a right and reality for all. Terrence Higgins Trust relies on donations to deliver a wide range of services. To make a donation, visit tht
2. Sigma Research is a social research group specialising in the behavioural and policy aspects of HIV and sexual health. It also undertakes research and development work on aspects of lesbian, gay and bisexual health and well-being.
3. Drinking excessively and taking recreational drugs can lead people to take risks with their sexual health, lowering inhibitions and making unsafe sex more likely. This increases the risk of men acquiring HIV or other sexually transmitted infections.
Terrence Higgins Trust
Peter Weatherburn, the Director of Sigma Research, said: "The report confirms that problematic drug and alcohol use is very common among gay and bisexual men. One gay man in six (17%) are concerned about their use of alcohol and/or other drugs, with alcohol causing more concern than all the other drugs put together."
Researchers conducted face-to-face interviews with forty gay men, all of whom were concerned about their use of drugs and/or alcohol, exploring why their substance use had become problematic. Many of the interviewees put their problems down to factors particular to their lives as gay men, such as conflicted feelings about their sexuality or nervousness about how they were perceived on the gay scene.
When interviewees were asked for their views on alcohol and drug support services, the majority said they would prefer any service they used to be gay-run or gay-friendly, often citing the need to feel service providers fully understood their situation. As gay men's use of alcohol and drugs was often tied in with their use of the gay bar and club scene, it was felt that existing services didn't meet all their needs. Since honest communication and understanding plays a vital role in dealing with alcohol and drug-related problems, it was felt that gay or gay-friendly services were needed.
Marc Thompson, Deputy Head of Health Promotion for THT said "It's clear from these findings that a lot of gay men who have a problem with drugs or alcohol could benefit from more dedicated support services. This could involve training service providers to deal with issues that affect gay men's lives, or running special sessions for gay men within existing organisations. We hope that by introducing services that are more tailored to gay men, we would see an increase in the numbers of men getting the help they need."
The report 'Wasted opportunities: problematic alcohol and drug use among gay men and bisexual men' is available to download here.
Gay men can find information on recreational drugs, alcohol and sex from: tht/drugfucked
Notes
1. Terrence Higgins Trust is the UK's largest HIV and sexual health charity with centres across England, Scotland and Wales. We're here to provide information and advice about HIV and sexual health and offer a range of services including sexual health checks, counselling and support groups. We campaign for a world where people with HIV live healthy lives, free from prejudice and discrimination and we promote good sexual health as a right and reality for all. Terrence Higgins Trust relies on donations to deliver a wide range of services. To make a donation, visit tht
2. Sigma Research is a social research group specialising in the behavioural and policy aspects of HIV and sexual health. It also undertakes research and development work on aspects of lesbian, gay and bisexual health and well-being.
3. Drinking excessively and taking recreational drugs can lead people to take risks with their sexual health, lowering inhibitions and making unsafe sex more likely. This increases the risk of men acquiring HIV or other sexually transmitted infections.
Terrence Higgins Trust
понедельник, 25 апреля 2011 г.
The Key To Tackling Substance Abuse And Addiction Among Nurses Is Support Not Punishment
As many as ten to 20 per cent of nurses and nursing students may have substance abuse and addiction problems, but the key to tackling this difficult issue - and protecting public safety - is support and treatment, not punishment. That is the key message in a paper in the February issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.
Researchers have recommended six key points that could be built into alternative-to-dismissal (ATD) strategies after reviewing the latest research and professional guidance from countries such as the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the UK.
They believe that ATD programmes provide greater patient safety, as they enable managers to remove nurses from the work environment quickly, unlike traditional disciplinary procedures that can take months, if not years. ATD programmes also provide non-judgemental support and treatment that encourages nurses to seek help and improve their chances of staying in the profession.
"Addiction among nurses has been recognised by professionals in the field for over a hundred years" says lead author Dr Todd Monroe from the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Tennessee, USA. "While research consistently reports incidence rates of 10 to 15 per cent, some studies suggest that this could be as high as 20 per cent.
"Doctors and nurses are only human and face the same problems as everyone else, which can include chemical dependency. The fact that they work in a highly stressful environment with easy access to powerful drugs can expose them to an increased risk of substance misuse and abuse. They are expected to show compassion when caring for patients who are alcohol and/or drug dependent and they should extend the same compassion to colleagues struggling with chemical dependency, which is an illness."
Research suggests that ATD programmes help many nurses recover from addiction, reduce the chance of dismissal and return to work under strict monitoring guidelines, with random substance checks, support and meetings with managers and regulators. ATD programmes can also lead to a 75 per cent reduction in practical problems, like obtaining liability health insurance after disciplinary action, and they usually help nurses to re-enter the workforce.
"ATD programmes appear to be the best way to protect patients and retain nurses at a time when the profession is facing serious shortages of experienced professionals" says Dr Monroe.
The review covers nearly three decades of research papers and professional guidance from nursing regulators and brings together a number of previous studies by Dr Monroe on substance abuse policies in the nursing profession.
"We believe that the incidence of substance abuse among nurses, and especially nursing students, is both under-researched and under-reported, partly because it is considered taboo among many healthcare providers and nursing school faculty and staff" he says.
"Poor or ineffective policies that mandate punitive action are more likely to endanger the public, as they make it more difficult for impaired nurses or students to seek help.
"That is why we support ATD strategies that motivate individuals to voluntarily seek assistance for their dependency or encourage colleagues to urge them to seek the help they need."
Dr Monroe teamed up with Dr Heidi Kenaga, from The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, to come up with six key points that they believe should be incorporated into ATD programmes developed by regulators, educators and healthcare facilties:
Promoting open communication by discussing substance abuse in healthcare and nursing education settings.
Encouraging an atmosphere where people feel they can report problems confidentially.
Providing information about the signs and symptoms of impairment.
Conducting mock interventions to help people feel less fearful or uncomfortable about approaching a colleague or fellow student about suspected chemical dependency.
Inviting ATD experts to speak to hospital or school administrators.
Participating in scholarly forums about addiction among healthcare providers.
"We believe that these key points will help to transform perceptions of substance abuse among nurses, so that they are seen as a medical disorder requiring treatment, rather than a moral failing" says Dr Monroe.
"There is a long history of substance abuse in the medical profession and ignoring the problem may perpetuate fear, anxiety, poor outcomes for the nurses and risks for the people they care for.
"Providing early intervention and assistance is essential to help nurses and nursing students to recover from an addictive disorder. And providing a confidential, non-punitive atmosphere of support may well be a life-saving step for nurses and those in their care."
The full paper contains a detailed checklist of the warning signs to look out for, including issues with attendance, performance, use of controlled substances, behaviour and physical signs.
Notes:
Don't ask don't tell: substance abuse and addiction among nurses. Monroe T and Kenaga H. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 20, pp504-0509. (February 2011). DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2010.03518.x
Source:
Annette Whibley
Wiley-Blackwell
Researchers have recommended six key points that could be built into alternative-to-dismissal (ATD) strategies after reviewing the latest research and professional guidance from countries such as the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the UK.
They believe that ATD programmes provide greater patient safety, as they enable managers to remove nurses from the work environment quickly, unlike traditional disciplinary procedures that can take months, if not years. ATD programmes also provide non-judgemental support and treatment that encourages nurses to seek help and improve their chances of staying in the profession.
"Addiction among nurses has been recognised by professionals in the field for over a hundred years" says lead author Dr Todd Monroe from the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Tennessee, USA. "While research consistently reports incidence rates of 10 to 15 per cent, some studies suggest that this could be as high as 20 per cent.
"Doctors and nurses are only human and face the same problems as everyone else, which can include chemical dependency. The fact that they work in a highly stressful environment with easy access to powerful drugs can expose them to an increased risk of substance misuse and abuse. They are expected to show compassion when caring for patients who are alcohol and/or drug dependent and they should extend the same compassion to colleagues struggling with chemical dependency, which is an illness."
Research suggests that ATD programmes help many nurses recover from addiction, reduce the chance of dismissal and return to work under strict monitoring guidelines, with random substance checks, support and meetings with managers and regulators. ATD programmes can also lead to a 75 per cent reduction in practical problems, like obtaining liability health insurance after disciplinary action, and they usually help nurses to re-enter the workforce.
"ATD programmes appear to be the best way to protect patients and retain nurses at a time when the profession is facing serious shortages of experienced professionals" says Dr Monroe.
The review covers nearly three decades of research papers and professional guidance from nursing regulators and brings together a number of previous studies by Dr Monroe on substance abuse policies in the nursing profession.
"We believe that the incidence of substance abuse among nurses, and especially nursing students, is both under-researched and under-reported, partly because it is considered taboo among many healthcare providers and nursing school faculty and staff" he says.
"Poor or ineffective policies that mandate punitive action are more likely to endanger the public, as they make it more difficult for impaired nurses or students to seek help.
"That is why we support ATD strategies that motivate individuals to voluntarily seek assistance for their dependency or encourage colleagues to urge them to seek the help they need."
Dr Monroe teamed up with Dr Heidi Kenaga, from The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, to come up with six key points that they believe should be incorporated into ATD programmes developed by regulators, educators and healthcare facilties:
Promoting open communication by discussing substance abuse in healthcare and nursing education settings.
Encouraging an atmosphere where people feel they can report problems confidentially.
Providing information about the signs and symptoms of impairment.
Conducting mock interventions to help people feel less fearful or uncomfortable about approaching a colleague or fellow student about suspected chemical dependency.
Inviting ATD experts to speak to hospital or school administrators.
Participating in scholarly forums about addiction among healthcare providers.
"We believe that these key points will help to transform perceptions of substance abuse among nurses, so that they are seen as a medical disorder requiring treatment, rather than a moral failing" says Dr Monroe.
"There is a long history of substance abuse in the medical profession and ignoring the problem may perpetuate fear, anxiety, poor outcomes for the nurses and risks for the people they care for.
"Providing early intervention and assistance is essential to help nurses and nursing students to recover from an addictive disorder. And providing a confidential, non-punitive atmosphere of support may well be a life-saving step for nurses and those in their care."
The full paper contains a detailed checklist of the warning signs to look out for, including issues with attendance, performance, use of controlled substances, behaviour and physical signs.
Notes:
Don't ask don't tell: substance abuse and addiction among nurses. Monroe T and Kenaga H. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 20, pp504-0509. (February 2011). DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2010.03518.x
Source:
Annette Whibley
Wiley-Blackwell
воскресенье, 24 апреля 2011 г.
U.N. Anti-Drug Efforts Contributing To Spread Of HIV, Advocates Say
Members of the United Nations this week are expected to sign a declaration to extend a "war on drugs," a policy that some critics argue is ineffective and contributes to the spread of HIV, Reuters reports. The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime is drafting the declaration, which calls for a 10-year renewal on efforts to eradicate all narcotics by using law enforcement to target traffickers and producers and end drug use worldwide.
Some critics of the policy say the declaration's lack of focus on harm-reduction strategies, including needle-exchange programs for injection drug users, has increased the spread of HIV and other diseases. In addition, some drug policy advocates, social scientists and health experts say that the strategy has not been successful, with statistics indicating that drug production, trafficking and use have increased during the past 10 years. The cost of law enforcement also has increased, according to statistics. UNODC Director Antonio Maria Costa said, "The crime and corruption associated with the drug trade are providing strong evidence to a vocal minority of pro-drug lobbyists to argue that the cure is worse than the disease. This would be a historical mistake, one which United Nations member states are not willing to make." Reuters reports that the declaration is expected to be signed in Vienna, Austria, on Wednesday or Thursday (Baker, Reuters, 3/10).
A statement released on Wednesday by Human Rights Watch, the International AIDS Society and the International Harm Reduction Association called for member governments not to support the declaration because "critical elements" to prevent HIV were stripped from the final document. The statement said, "What is at issue is a series of measures known collectively as 'harm reduction services,' which have been endorsed by U.N. health and drug-control agencies," including the UNODC, UNAIDS and the World Health Organization. According to the statement, such measures include needle- and syringe-exchange programs and medication-assisted therapy, inside and outside prisons, which are "essential to address HIV among people who use drugs." According to the groups, a "wealth of evidence proves harm reduction is essential to HIV prevention for people who use drugs." Up to 30% of all HIV infections outside sub-Saharan Africa occur through unsafe injecting drug use, the groups said, adding that there is "clear evidence that harm-reduction interventions can halt or even reverse HIV epidemics among people who inject drugs" (HRW/IAS/IHRA release, 3/11).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
© 2009 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Some critics of the policy say the declaration's lack of focus on harm-reduction strategies, including needle-exchange programs for injection drug users, has increased the spread of HIV and other diseases. In addition, some drug policy advocates, social scientists and health experts say that the strategy has not been successful, with statistics indicating that drug production, trafficking and use have increased during the past 10 years. The cost of law enforcement also has increased, according to statistics. UNODC Director Antonio Maria Costa said, "The crime and corruption associated with the drug trade are providing strong evidence to a vocal minority of pro-drug lobbyists to argue that the cure is worse than the disease. This would be a historical mistake, one which United Nations member states are not willing to make." Reuters reports that the declaration is expected to be signed in Vienna, Austria, on Wednesday or Thursday (Baker, Reuters, 3/10).
A statement released on Wednesday by Human Rights Watch, the International AIDS Society and the International Harm Reduction Association called for member governments not to support the declaration because "critical elements" to prevent HIV were stripped from the final document. The statement said, "What is at issue is a series of measures known collectively as 'harm reduction services,' which have been endorsed by U.N. health and drug-control agencies," including the UNODC, UNAIDS and the World Health Organization. According to the statement, such measures include needle- and syringe-exchange programs and medication-assisted therapy, inside and outside prisons, which are "essential to address HIV among people who use drugs." According to the groups, a "wealth of evidence proves harm reduction is essential to HIV prevention for people who use drugs." Up to 30% of all HIV infections outside sub-Saharan Africa occur through unsafe injecting drug use, the groups said, adding that there is "clear evidence that harm-reduction interventions can halt or even reverse HIV epidemics among people who inject drugs" (HRW/IAS/IHRA release, 3/11).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
© 2009 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
College Of Neuropsychopharmacology 21st Congress
From 30 August to 3 September 2008 the 21st Congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) will be held in Barcelona, Spain. This Congress is the largest annual meeting on psychopharmacology and mental disorders in Europe of a high scientific standard, attended by more than 6,000 participants (clinical and basic scientists such as psychiatrists, neurologists, psychologists and neuroscience researchers) from all over the world.
This year's programme will present not only the latest findings and breakthroughs in neuropsychopharmacology and related disciplines in both preclinical and clinical settings, but also cover the various aspects of pharmacotherapy of brain disorders and their impact on the quality of life of patients with psychiatric and neurological disorders.
In this regard, the scientific programme will comprise, among others, the following topics:
Neurogenesis and stem cells
Neurocognitive insights in substance addiction
Current trends in neuroimaging and psychosis
Genetic causes of autism
Pharmacological challenges for understanding affective and stress-related disorders
Furthermore, the educational updates at the congress will deal with the impact of current social, economic and cultural changes on mental health care (e.g. neuroethics, effects of migration etc.).
For further information about the provisional scientific programme, please visit the ECNP website: ecnp.eu/.
The exciting scientific programme along with the congress site Barcelona, one of the most beautiful cities in Southern Europe with an amazing cultural energy and a passion for progress, will make this congress an outstanding and unforgettable event.
We hope you will find this meeting of interest and a valuable source of information for spreading the spirit of scientific adventure and discovery!
We are looking forward to welcoming you in Barcelona!
Source: Sonja Mak
European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
This year's programme will present not only the latest findings and breakthroughs in neuropsychopharmacology and related disciplines in both preclinical and clinical settings, but also cover the various aspects of pharmacotherapy of brain disorders and their impact on the quality of life of patients with psychiatric and neurological disorders.
In this regard, the scientific programme will comprise, among others, the following topics:
Neurogenesis and stem cells
Neurocognitive insights in substance addiction
Current trends in neuroimaging and psychosis
Genetic causes of autism
Pharmacological challenges for understanding affective and stress-related disorders
Furthermore, the educational updates at the congress will deal with the impact of current social, economic and cultural changes on mental health care (e.g. neuroethics, effects of migration etc.).
For further information about the provisional scientific programme, please visit the ECNP website: ecnp.eu/.
The exciting scientific programme along with the congress site Barcelona, one of the most beautiful cities in Southern Europe with an amazing cultural energy and a passion for progress, will make this congress an outstanding and unforgettable event.
We hope you will find this meeting of interest and a valuable source of information for spreading the spirit of scientific adventure and discovery!
We are looking forward to welcoming you in Barcelona!
Source: Sonja Mak
European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
суббота, 23 апреля 2011 г.
Impulse Control Region In Brain Affected In Teens With Genetic Vulnerability For Alcoholism
A new study suggests that genetic factors influence size variations in a certain region of the brain, which could in turn be partly responsible for increased susceptibility to alcohol dependence. It appears that the size of the right orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), an area of the brain that is involved in regulating emotional processing and impulsive behavior, is smaller in teenagers and young adults who have several relatives that are alcohol dependent, according to a study led by Dr. Shirley Hill, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
In the research, which was published this week in the early online version of Biological Psychiatry, Dr. Hill and her team imaged the brains of 107 teens and young adults using magnetic resonance imaging. They also examined variation in certain genes of the participants and administered a well-validated questionnaire to measure the youngsters' tendency to be impulsive.
The participants included 63 individuals who were selected for the study because they had multiple alcohol-dependent family members, suggesting a genetic predisposition, and 44 who had no close relatives dependent on drugs or alcohol. Those with several alcohol-dependent relatives were more likely to have reduced volume of the OFC.
When the investigators looked at two genes, 5-HTT and BDNF, they found certain variants that led to a reduction in white matter volume in the OFC, and that in turn was associated with greater impulsivity.
"We are beginning to understand how genetic factors can lead to structural brain changes that may make people more vulnerable to alcoholism," Dr. Hill said. "These results also support our earlier findings of reduced volume of other brain regions in high-risk kids."
These differences can be observed even before the high-risk offspring start drinking excessively, she added, "leading us to conclude that they are predisposing factors in the cause of this disease, rather than a consequence of it."
The study was supported by grants from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is one of the nation's leading medical schools, renowned for its curriculum that emphasizes both the science and humanity of medicine and its remarkable growth in National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant support, which has more than doubled since 1998. For fiscal year 2006, the University ranked sixth out of more than 3,000 entities receiving NIH support with respect to the research grants awarded to its faculty. As one of the university's six Schools of the Health Sciences, the School of Medicine is the academic partner to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Their combined mission is to train tomorrow's health care specialists and biomedical scientists, engage in groundbreaking research that will advance understanding of the causes and treatments of disease and participate in the delivery of outstanding patient care.
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
In the research, which was published this week in the early online version of Biological Psychiatry, Dr. Hill and her team imaged the brains of 107 teens and young adults using magnetic resonance imaging. They also examined variation in certain genes of the participants and administered a well-validated questionnaire to measure the youngsters' tendency to be impulsive.
The participants included 63 individuals who were selected for the study because they had multiple alcohol-dependent family members, suggesting a genetic predisposition, and 44 who had no close relatives dependent on drugs or alcohol. Those with several alcohol-dependent relatives were more likely to have reduced volume of the OFC.
When the investigators looked at two genes, 5-HTT and BDNF, they found certain variants that led to a reduction in white matter volume in the OFC, and that in turn was associated with greater impulsivity.
"We are beginning to understand how genetic factors can lead to structural brain changes that may make people more vulnerable to alcoholism," Dr. Hill said. "These results also support our earlier findings of reduced volume of other brain regions in high-risk kids."
These differences can be observed even before the high-risk offspring start drinking excessively, she added, "leading us to conclude that they are predisposing factors in the cause of this disease, rather than a consequence of it."
The study was supported by grants from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is one of the nation's leading medical schools, renowned for its curriculum that emphasizes both the science and humanity of medicine and its remarkable growth in National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant support, which has more than doubled since 1998. For fiscal year 2006, the University ranked sixth out of more than 3,000 entities receiving NIH support with respect to the research grants awarded to its faculty. As one of the university's six Schools of the Health Sciences, the School of Medicine is the academic partner to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Their combined mission is to train tomorrow's health care specialists and biomedical scientists, engage in groundbreaking research that will advance understanding of the causes and treatments of disease and participate in the delivery of outstanding patient care.
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
пятница, 22 апреля 2011 г.
Study reports genetic susceptibility to alcoholism in NMDA receptor
Receptors in the brain that are highly sensitive to alcohol may function differently in a person with a family history of
alcoholism, according to a Yale study published this month.
The study included 45 healthy subjects, some with a family history of alcoholism and others with no family history. None of
the study participants had a drinking problem. All of the participants were administered a placebo or ketamine, an anesthetic
that induces alcohol-like effects. Their behavioral responses were then observed. People with a family history of alcoholism
were less sensitive to ketamine.
"This study confirms a hypothesis that people with a family history of alcoholism are more vulnerable to alcoholism because
they are less likely to get the 'warning signs' of when to stop drinking," said Ismene Petrakis, M.D., associate professor of
psychiatry. "In the right environmental and social context, the loss of a potentially important 'brake' on drinking may
promote heavy drinking."
The NMDA glutamate receptors, which were the focus in this study, are the highest affinity ethanol targets in the brain. The
purpose of the study was to examine whether healthy individuals with a strong family history of alcoholism exhibit
alterations in NMDA receptor function.
The Yale research team will next repeat the study to look for genetic variations in reactions to alcohol.
Citation: American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 161: pp 1776-1782, October 2004
Contact: Jacqueline Weaver
jacqueline.weaveryale
203-432-8555
Yale University
alcoholism, according to a Yale study published this month.
The study included 45 healthy subjects, some with a family history of alcoholism and others with no family history. None of
the study participants had a drinking problem. All of the participants were administered a placebo or ketamine, an anesthetic
that induces alcohol-like effects. Their behavioral responses were then observed. People with a family history of alcoholism
were less sensitive to ketamine.
"This study confirms a hypothesis that people with a family history of alcoholism are more vulnerable to alcoholism because
they are less likely to get the 'warning signs' of when to stop drinking," said Ismene Petrakis, M.D., associate professor of
psychiatry. "In the right environmental and social context, the loss of a potentially important 'brake' on drinking may
promote heavy drinking."
The NMDA glutamate receptors, which were the focus in this study, are the highest affinity ethanol targets in the brain. The
purpose of the study was to examine whether healthy individuals with a strong family history of alcoholism exhibit
alterations in NMDA receptor function.
The Yale research team will next repeat the study to look for genetic variations in reactions to alcohol.
Citation: American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 161: pp 1776-1782, October 2004
Contact: Jacqueline Weaver
jacqueline.weaveryale
203-432-8555
Yale University
четверг, 21 апреля 2011 г.
Anthrax Alert For Heroin Users In London
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) and NHS London have confirmed that a drug injecting heroin user has tested positive for anthrax and is being treated in a London hospital.
This is the first case of anthrax seen in an injecting drug user in England since similar cases were first seen in Scotland in December 2009. Nineteen cases have so far been confirmed in Scotland. Similarities to the cases in Scotland suggest that the heroin, or a contaminated cutting agent mixed with the heroin, is the likely source of infection.
Dr Brian McCloskey, Director of the Health Protection Agency in London, said:
"We are working closely with NHS London to monitor the situation. There is no evidence of person to person transmission in this case and I'd like to reassure people that the risk to the general population, including close family members of the infected patient, is negligible. It is extremely rare for anthrax to be spread from person to person and there has been no evidence of a significant risk of airborne transmission associated with the current situation in Scotland.
"While public health investigations are ongoing, it must be assumed that all heroin in London carries the risk of anthrax contamination. Heroin users are advised to cease taking heroin by any route, if at all possible, and to seek help from their local drug treatment services. Heroin users in London are strongly encouraged, as soon as possible, to find out more about the support services in their area. They can be put in touch with local drug services and receive advice by contacting Talk to Frank."
Professor Lindsey Davies, Regional Director of Public Health from NHS London, said:
"I urge all heroin users in London to be extremely alert to the risks and to seek urgent medical advice if they experience signs of infection such as redness or excessive swelling at or near an injection site, or other symptoms of general illness such a high temperature, chills or a severe headache or breathing difficulties, as early antibiotic treatment can be lifesaving. This is a very serious infection for drug users and prompt treatment is crucial.
"Drug injecting is an extremely risky and dangerous practice and users are vulnerable to a wide range of infectious diseases, both from the action of piercing the skin, as well as contaminants in the drugs that they use.
"Health professionals and drug action teams in England had already been alerted to the situation in Scotland in December and we will continue to work closely with colleagues who work with drug users to monitor probable cases and raise awareness of the risks."
Source
Health Protection Agency
This is the first case of anthrax seen in an injecting drug user in England since similar cases were first seen in Scotland in December 2009. Nineteen cases have so far been confirmed in Scotland. Similarities to the cases in Scotland suggest that the heroin, or a contaminated cutting agent mixed with the heroin, is the likely source of infection.
Dr Brian McCloskey, Director of the Health Protection Agency in London, said:
"We are working closely with NHS London to monitor the situation. There is no evidence of person to person transmission in this case and I'd like to reassure people that the risk to the general population, including close family members of the infected patient, is negligible. It is extremely rare for anthrax to be spread from person to person and there has been no evidence of a significant risk of airborne transmission associated with the current situation in Scotland.
"While public health investigations are ongoing, it must be assumed that all heroin in London carries the risk of anthrax contamination. Heroin users are advised to cease taking heroin by any route, if at all possible, and to seek help from their local drug treatment services. Heroin users in London are strongly encouraged, as soon as possible, to find out more about the support services in their area. They can be put in touch with local drug services and receive advice by contacting Talk to Frank."
Professor Lindsey Davies, Regional Director of Public Health from NHS London, said:
"I urge all heroin users in London to be extremely alert to the risks and to seek urgent medical advice if they experience signs of infection such as redness or excessive swelling at or near an injection site, or other symptoms of general illness such a high temperature, chills or a severe headache or breathing difficulties, as early antibiotic treatment can be lifesaving. This is a very serious infection for drug users and prompt treatment is crucial.
"Drug injecting is an extremely risky and dangerous practice and users are vulnerable to a wide range of infectious diseases, both from the action of piercing the skin, as well as contaminants in the drugs that they use.
"Health professionals and drug action teams in England had already been alerted to the situation in Scotland in December and we will continue to work closely with colleagues who work with drug users to monitor probable cases and raise awareness of the risks."
Source
Health Protection Agency
среда, 20 апреля 2011 г.
Major European Study Links Alcohol And Bowel Cancer
A major European study has found that drinking even one glass of wine or beer every day raises your risk of bowel cancer by around 10 per cent.
And the risk goes up the more alcohol you drink. For example, drinking more than 30 grams of alcohol a day, about one litre or nearly two pints of strong lager, increases
the risk by 25 per cent.
The study, which covered nearly half a million people and involved researchers from Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden,
and the UK, is published in the early online edition of the International Journal of Cancer.
The researchers examined records of 478,732 participants who were free of cancer when they enrolled in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and
Nutrition (EPIC) study between 1992 and 2000. The participants were followed up for an average of 6.2 years, during which time records showed that 1,833 of
them developed colorectal cancer (CRC).
All the participants filled in questionnaires about their alcohol consumption at point of enrollment, and lifetime consumption data was also available for 69
per cent of them.
When they analysed the link between lifetime alcohol consumption and incidence of CRC, the scientists found that:
Lifetime alcohol consumption was positively linked to CRC risk.
The hazard ratio calculation showed an 8 per cent increase in CRC risk for each 15g per day increase in alcohol consumption.
The risk was greater for cancer in the rectum (12 per cent per 15g per day of alcohol increase) than for cancer in the distal colon (8 per cent) and
proximal colon (2 per cent).
The researchers found similar results in the link between daily alcoholic beverage consumption at time of enrollment (baseline) and CRC risk:
Beer drinkers who drank 20 to 39.9 grams of alcohol a day had a 38 per cent higher risk of CRC compared to those who drank a negligible amount (0.1 to
2.9 grams) every day.
For wine drinkers drinking 20 to 39.9 grams of alcohol a day led to a 21 per cent higher risk of CRC compared to drinking hardly any.
Although the risk of CRC among wine drinkers for the same amount of daily alcohol appears to be lower, the difference was not found to be statistically
significant said the researchers.
Another interesting result was the effect of diet on the link between alcohol consumption and bowel cancer.
The risk of colorectal cancer was significantly higher in those people whose diet was low in folate (13 per cent higher risk per 15g a day increase in
alcohol intake at baseline, compared to only 3 per cent for those with high folate diet).
Folate, also called folic acid, is a water soluble form of vitamin B9 and is present in green leafy vegetables such as spinach and turnip greens, as well as
pulse foods like beans and lentils, and seeds such as sunflower seeds. Liver is also a rich source, as is fortified cereals.
The researchers concluded that:
"In this large European cohort, both lifetime and baseline alcohol consumption increase colon and rectum cancer risk, with more apparent risk increases for
alcohol intakes greater than 30 g/day."
The lifetime risk of colorectal cancer for women is about 1 in 18, and for men it is 1 in 20. According to Cancer Research UK, over 30,000 new cases of
colorectal cancer are diagnosed in the UK every year.
The lifetime risk for bowel cancer is one in 20 for men, and one in 18 for women.
An epidemiologist at Cancer Research UK, and deputy director of the cancer epidemiology unit in Oxford, UK, Prof Tim Key, told the BBC this research showed
quite clearly that:
"The more alcohol you drink the greater your risk of bowel cancer."
"The increase in risk is not large but it is important that people understand they can reduce their risk of a number of different cancers, including bowel
cancer, by cutting down on alcohol," he added.
"Lifetime and baseline alcohol intake and risk of colon and rectal cancers in the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition (EPIC)
(p NA)."
Pietro Ferrari, Mazda Jenab, Teresa Norat, Aurelie Moskal, Nadia Slimani, Anja Olsen, Anne Tj??nneland, Kim Overvad, Majken K. Jensen, Marie-Christine
Boutron-Ruault, Sabine Rohrmann, Jakob Linseisen, Heiner Boeing, Manuela Bergmann, Dimitra Kontopoulou, Antonia Trichopoulou, Christina Kassapa, Giovanna
Masala, Vittorio Krogh, Paolo Vineis, Salvatore Panico, Rosario Tumino, Carla H. van Gils, Petra Peeters, H. Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita, Marga C. Ock?©, Guri
Skeie, Eiliv Lund, Antonio Agudo, Eva Ardanaz, Dolores C. L??pez, Maria-Jose Sanchez, Jos?© R. Quir??s, Pilar Amiano, G?¶ran Berglund, Jonas Manjer, Richard
Palmqvist, Bethany Van Guelpen, Naomi Allen, Tim Key, Sheila Bingham, Mathieu Mazuir, Paolo Boffetta, Rudolf Kaaks, Elio Riboli, Fran?§oise Clavel-Chapelon,
Sophie Morois.
International Journal of Cancer Published Online: 19 Jul 2007
DOI: 10.1002/ijc.22966
Click here for Abstract.
Click here for more information about bowel cancer (including
references to other research linking CRC with folate and alcohol consumption, from Cancer Research UK).
And the risk goes up the more alcohol you drink. For example, drinking more than 30 grams of alcohol a day, about one litre or nearly two pints of strong lager, increases
the risk by 25 per cent.
The study, which covered nearly half a million people and involved researchers from Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden,
and the UK, is published in the early online edition of the International Journal of Cancer.
The researchers examined records of 478,732 participants who were free of cancer when they enrolled in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and
Nutrition (EPIC) study between 1992 and 2000. The participants were followed up for an average of 6.2 years, during which time records showed that 1,833 of
them developed colorectal cancer (CRC).
All the participants filled in questionnaires about their alcohol consumption at point of enrollment, and lifetime consumption data was also available for 69
per cent of them.
When they analysed the link between lifetime alcohol consumption and incidence of CRC, the scientists found that:
Lifetime alcohol consumption was positively linked to CRC risk.
The hazard ratio calculation showed an 8 per cent increase in CRC risk for each 15g per day increase in alcohol consumption.
The risk was greater for cancer in the rectum (12 per cent per 15g per day of alcohol increase) than for cancer in the distal colon (8 per cent) and
proximal colon (2 per cent).
The researchers found similar results in the link between daily alcoholic beverage consumption at time of enrollment (baseline) and CRC risk:
Beer drinkers who drank 20 to 39.9 grams of alcohol a day had a 38 per cent higher risk of CRC compared to those who drank a negligible amount (0.1 to
2.9 grams) every day.
For wine drinkers drinking 20 to 39.9 grams of alcohol a day led to a 21 per cent higher risk of CRC compared to drinking hardly any.
Although the risk of CRC among wine drinkers for the same amount of daily alcohol appears to be lower, the difference was not found to be statistically
significant said the researchers.
Another interesting result was the effect of diet on the link between alcohol consumption and bowel cancer.
The risk of colorectal cancer was significantly higher in those people whose diet was low in folate (13 per cent higher risk per 15g a day increase in
alcohol intake at baseline, compared to only 3 per cent for those with high folate diet).
Folate, also called folic acid, is a water soluble form of vitamin B9 and is present in green leafy vegetables such as spinach and turnip greens, as well as
pulse foods like beans and lentils, and seeds such as sunflower seeds. Liver is also a rich source, as is fortified cereals.
The researchers concluded that:
"In this large European cohort, both lifetime and baseline alcohol consumption increase colon and rectum cancer risk, with more apparent risk increases for
alcohol intakes greater than 30 g/day."
The lifetime risk of colorectal cancer for women is about 1 in 18, and for men it is 1 in 20. According to Cancer Research UK, over 30,000 new cases of
colorectal cancer are diagnosed in the UK every year.
The lifetime risk for bowel cancer is one in 20 for men, and one in 18 for women.
An epidemiologist at Cancer Research UK, and deputy director of the cancer epidemiology unit in Oxford, UK, Prof Tim Key, told the BBC this research showed
quite clearly that:
"The more alcohol you drink the greater your risk of bowel cancer."
"The increase in risk is not large but it is important that people understand they can reduce their risk of a number of different cancers, including bowel
cancer, by cutting down on alcohol," he added.
"Lifetime and baseline alcohol intake and risk of colon and rectal cancers in the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition (EPIC)
(p NA)."
Pietro Ferrari, Mazda Jenab, Teresa Norat, Aurelie Moskal, Nadia Slimani, Anja Olsen, Anne Tj??nneland, Kim Overvad, Majken K. Jensen, Marie-Christine
Boutron-Ruault, Sabine Rohrmann, Jakob Linseisen, Heiner Boeing, Manuela Bergmann, Dimitra Kontopoulou, Antonia Trichopoulou, Christina Kassapa, Giovanna
Masala, Vittorio Krogh, Paolo Vineis, Salvatore Panico, Rosario Tumino, Carla H. van Gils, Petra Peeters, H. Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita, Marga C. Ock?©, Guri
Skeie, Eiliv Lund, Antonio Agudo, Eva Ardanaz, Dolores C. L??pez, Maria-Jose Sanchez, Jos?© R. Quir??s, Pilar Amiano, G?¶ran Berglund, Jonas Manjer, Richard
Palmqvist, Bethany Van Guelpen, Naomi Allen, Tim Key, Sheila Bingham, Mathieu Mazuir, Paolo Boffetta, Rudolf Kaaks, Elio Riboli, Fran?§oise Clavel-Chapelon,
Sophie Morois.
International Journal of Cancer Published Online: 19 Jul 2007
DOI: 10.1002/ijc.22966
Click here for Abstract.
Click here for more information about bowel cancer (including
references to other research linking CRC with folate and alcohol consumption, from Cancer Research UK).
вторник, 19 апреля 2011 г.
Not-For-Profit Offers Payment To Drug Users Who Undergo Long-Term Birth Control Procedures
Most Popular Articles For Women's Health
These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Insomnia: A Major Issue For Menopausal Women But Often Not Discussed With Healthcare Providers
20 Oct 2010
Results released today from a survey of more than 900 women, who experienced sleep problems during menopause, shed light on the impact insomnia can have during this time in a woman's life...
Doctors Persist On Prescribing High-dose Menopausal Hormone Therapy
03 Dec 2010
Birth Control Pills And Weight Gain Link Is A Myth, Say Scientists
21 Jan 2011
Breast Cancer Mortality And Progression Worse For Smokers Or Ex-Smokers
09 Nov 2010
Opinion Pieces Discuss Family Planning, Related Issues In Ore., Mich.
23 Dec 2010
_uacct = "UA-849615-1";
urchinTracker();
These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Insomnia: A Major Issue For Menopausal Women But Often Not Discussed With Healthcare Providers
20 Oct 2010
Results released today from a survey of more than 900 women, who experienced sleep problems during menopause, shed light on the impact insomnia can have during this time in a woman's life...
Doctors Persist On Prescribing High-dose Menopausal Hormone Therapy
03 Dec 2010
Birth Control Pills And Weight Gain Link Is A Myth, Say Scientists
21 Jan 2011
Breast Cancer Mortality And Progression Worse For Smokers Or Ex-Smokers
09 Nov 2010
Opinion Pieces Discuss Family Planning, Related Issues In Ore., Mich.
23 Dec 2010
_uacct = "UA-849615-1";
urchinTracker();
понедельник, 18 апреля 2011 г.
Study links obesity, other health problems to adolescent binge drinking
Heavy drinking during the teenage years begins taking a serious health toll by the time people are 24 years old.
A University of Washington study has found that people who began binge drinking at age 13 and continued throughout adolescence were nearly four times as likely to be overweight or obese and almost 3? times as likely to have high blood pressure when they were 24 years old than were people who never or rarely drank heavily during adolescence. It also found four distinct patterns or trajectories of binge drinking among teenagers.
The study looked at young adult health consequences of adolescent binge drinking - consuming five or more drinks on a single occasion - between the ages of 13 and 18. Previous research has shown that adolescent binge drinking results in a number of immediate negative consequences, including involvement in fatal or injurious automobile accidents and engaging in risky sexual behavior. But little had been known about the effects of adolescent heavy drinking into young adulthood.
"In our analysis, we did look at whether people were currently binge drinking at age 24. We controlled for it, along with other factors, such as adolescent drug use, ethnicity, gender and family poverty, and we still saw different patterns of health outcomes depending on which trajectory of binge drinking teenagers followed," said Karl Hill, a co-author of the study and director of the Seattle Social Development Project.
"It is the pattern of early and on-going drinking that is the key."
The research team from the UW's Social Development Research Group in the School of Social Work found four categories of adolescent binge drinking. They are:
-- Chronic binge drinkers (3 percent), who started at age 13 and continued to binge drink between three and five times a month through age 18.
-- Escalators (4 percent), who began drinking around age 15 and their bingeing increased sharply and continuously until they were binge drinking nearly 10 times monthly by age 18.
-- Late onsetters (23 percent), who started drinking after age 16 and averaged two bingeing episodes a month by age 18.
-- Non-binge drinkers (70 percent) never or rarely engaged in binge drinking between ages 13 and 18.
The study used data from the on-going Seattle Social Development Project led by the UW's J. David Hawkins of more than 800 Seattle school children who are now adults. The participants were nearly equally divided between males and females. Forty-seven percent identified themselves as white, 23 percent as black, 21 percent as Asian-Americans, 6 percent as American Indians and 3 percent as being from another ethnic or racial group.
The participants were interviewed annually starting at age 13 through age 16 and again at ages 18, 21 and 24. They were asked about their alcohol, tobacco and drug use. At 24 they were asked about such health-related behaviors as safe driving, use of seat belts in automobiles and regular exercise. In addition, they had their blood pressure checked twice and were questioned about having any of 18 illnesses or health conditions, including asthma or emphysema, high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes, cancer and heart disease, in the past year.
"Young adults who either did not binge drink or rarely did so during adolescence are the mostly likely to be healthy and engage in safe health-related behaviors," said Sabrina Oesterle, lead author of the study and a research associate in the UW's Social Development Research Group. "Being overweight or having hypertension can be linked to future problems such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. What we are seeing are the first warning signs of more serious health problems. Young adults' history of binge drinking during the teenage years, irrespective of current levels of binge drinking, appears to have serious effects on their health by age 24."
The study also noted other differences among the groups.
Late onsetters were 50 percent more likely to have been ill in the past year as young adults who did not drink heavily as teens. They were also 50 percent more likely to drive drunk or high on drugs or to ride or drive with someone who was drunk or high than were non-heavy drinkers. Escalators, who reported the highest levels of binge drinking by age 18, also engaged in more unsafe driving practices, than non-heavy drinkers. This group also engaged in very high levels of anti-social behavior, including drug use and crime, according to an earlier study by the research team.
"Looking at patterns of drinking over time is more revealing than looking at drinking at a single time when some groups of people don't look that different from each other," said Hill. "Some people start heavy drinking early and continue, others start late and increase quickly, and each of these groups have different health outcomes. This suggests the importance of prevention programs that start early, in elementary school, and continue through high school to reach children who begin to use alcohol and drugs at different ages."
The research was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Co-authors of the study were Hawkins and Richard Catalano, UW professors of social work and director and associate director of the Social Development Research Group, respectively; Robert Abbott, chairman of educational psychology at the UW; and Jie Guo, a former UW research scientist. The study was published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol.
For more information, contact Oesterle at 206-616-9115 or soeu.washington or Hill at 206-685-3859 or khillu.washington.
Contact: Joel Schwarz
joelsu.washington
206-543-2580
University of Washington
A University of Washington study has found that people who began binge drinking at age 13 and continued throughout adolescence were nearly four times as likely to be overweight or obese and almost 3? times as likely to have high blood pressure when they were 24 years old than were people who never or rarely drank heavily during adolescence. It also found four distinct patterns or trajectories of binge drinking among teenagers.
The study looked at young adult health consequences of adolescent binge drinking - consuming five or more drinks on a single occasion - between the ages of 13 and 18. Previous research has shown that adolescent binge drinking results in a number of immediate negative consequences, including involvement in fatal or injurious automobile accidents and engaging in risky sexual behavior. But little had been known about the effects of adolescent heavy drinking into young adulthood.
"In our analysis, we did look at whether people were currently binge drinking at age 24. We controlled for it, along with other factors, such as adolescent drug use, ethnicity, gender and family poverty, and we still saw different patterns of health outcomes depending on which trajectory of binge drinking teenagers followed," said Karl Hill, a co-author of the study and director of the Seattle Social Development Project.
"It is the pattern of early and on-going drinking that is the key."
The research team from the UW's Social Development Research Group in the School of Social Work found four categories of adolescent binge drinking. They are:
-- Chronic binge drinkers (3 percent), who started at age 13 and continued to binge drink between three and five times a month through age 18.
-- Escalators (4 percent), who began drinking around age 15 and their bingeing increased sharply and continuously until they were binge drinking nearly 10 times monthly by age 18.
-- Late onsetters (23 percent), who started drinking after age 16 and averaged two bingeing episodes a month by age 18.
-- Non-binge drinkers (70 percent) never or rarely engaged in binge drinking between ages 13 and 18.
The study used data from the on-going Seattle Social Development Project led by the UW's J. David Hawkins of more than 800 Seattle school children who are now adults. The participants were nearly equally divided between males and females. Forty-seven percent identified themselves as white, 23 percent as black, 21 percent as Asian-Americans, 6 percent as American Indians and 3 percent as being from another ethnic or racial group.
The participants were interviewed annually starting at age 13 through age 16 and again at ages 18, 21 and 24. They were asked about their alcohol, tobacco and drug use. At 24 they were asked about such health-related behaviors as safe driving, use of seat belts in automobiles and regular exercise. In addition, they had their blood pressure checked twice and were questioned about having any of 18 illnesses or health conditions, including asthma or emphysema, high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes, cancer and heart disease, in the past year.
"Young adults who either did not binge drink or rarely did so during adolescence are the mostly likely to be healthy and engage in safe health-related behaviors," said Sabrina Oesterle, lead author of the study and a research associate in the UW's Social Development Research Group. "Being overweight or having hypertension can be linked to future problems such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. What we are seeing are the first warning signs of more serious health problems. Young adults' history of binge drinking during the teenage years, irrespective of current levels of binge drinking, appears to have serious effects on their health by age 24."
The study also noted other differences among the groups.
Late onsetters were 50 percent more likely to have been ill in the past year as young adults who did not drink heavily as teens. They were also 50 percent more likely to drive drunk or high on drugs or to ride or drive with someone who was drunk or high than were non-heavy drinkers. Escalators, who reported the highest levels of binge drinking by age 18, also engaged in more unsafe driving practices, than non-heavy drinkers. This group also engaged in very high levels of anti-social behavior, including drug use and crime, according to an earlier study by the research team.
"Looking at patterns of drinking over time is more revealing than looking at drinking at a single time when some groups of people don't look that different from each other," said Hill. "Some people start heavy drinking early and continue, others start late and increase quickly, and each of these groups have different health outcomes. This suggests the importance of prevention programs that start early, in elementary school, and continue through high school to reach children who begin to use alcohol and drugs at different ages."
The research was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Co-authors of the study were Hawkins and Richard Catalano, UW professors of social work and director and associate director of the Social Development Research Group, respectively; Robert Abbott, chairman of educational psychology at the UW; and Jie Guo, a former UW research scientist. The study was published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol.
For more information, contact Oesterle at 206-616-9115 or soeu.washington or Hill at 206-685-3859 or khillu.washington.
Contact: Joel Schwarz
joelsu.washington
206-543-2580
University of Washington
суббота, 16 апреля 2011 г.
Obese People's Brains Show Less Pleasure From Eating
New research from the US suggests that certain people may have a genetic predisposition to obesity because the reward centres in their brains respond sluggishly after eating, so to
get more pleasure from eating they opt for foods denser in calories which makes them gain weight.
The study was done by Eric Stice, psychology researcher at The University of Texas at Austin, and colleagues from other establishments in the US, and is
published in the 17 October issue of Science.
Stice has been studying eating disorders and obesity for nearly 20 years. He said that this study:
"Reveals obese people may have fewer dopamine receptors, so they overeat to compensate for this reward deficit."
When a person eats, their brain's reward centre responds by releasing the messenger molecule dopamine. But Stice and colleagues found that compared to the
brains of lean people, the brains of obese people showed less activation in the striatum, the part of the brain that expresses dopamine receptors.
The researchers also found that individuals whose striata were less active during eating were the ones most likely to become overweight, particularly if they
had a gene called TaqIA that is linked to having fewer dopamine receptors.
Stice said that people with fewer dopamine receptors:
"Need to take in more of a rewarding substance -- such as food or drugs -- to experience the same level of pleasure as other people."
For the study, Stice and colleagues used Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to watch activity in the dorsal striatum of female participants while
they consumed a chocolate milkshake and then while they consumed a tasteless solution. They did this twice, once with 43 female students aged 18 to 22 and
then also with 33 teenage girls aged 14 to 18.
They also tested both groups to find out which individuals had the Taq1A1 gene, which meant they had a lower number of dopamine D2 receptors.
Stice and colleagues then followed the participants for 12 months and monitored changes in their body mass index (BMI).
The results showed that participants whose striata were less active when they drank the milkshake and who also had the Taq1A1 gene were the ones most likely
to put on weight over the follow up period.
Stice said understanding how the dopamine receptor deficit affects the brain's reward circuits and their response to eating is important for the development
of treatment options that could target this effect in people at higher risk of unhealthy weight gain.
There is an interesting parallel between these findings and drug addiction. For example, heroin addiction can start with low doses of heroin, which blunts
the dopamine response and this leads the person to take stronger and stronger doses to get the same feeling of reward.
The clinical director of the National Obesity Forum in the UK, Dr David Haslam, who is also a GP told the BBC there is a debate about whether you can have a
similar addiction to food.
"Relation Between Obesity and Blunted Striatal Response to Food Is Moderated by TaqIA A1 Allele."
E. Stice, S. Spoor, C. Bohon, and D. M. Small
Science 17 October 2008: Vol. 322. no. 5900, pp. 449 - 452.
DOI: 10.1126/science.1161550
Click here for Abstract.
Source: University of Texas at Austin.
, PhD.
get more pleasure from eating they opt for foods denser in calories which makes them gain weight.
The study was done by Eric Stice, psychology researcher at The University of Texas at Austin, and colleagues from other establishments in the US, and is
published in the 17 October issue of Science.
Stice has been studying eating disorders and obesity for nearly 20 years. He said that this study:
"Reveals obese people may have fewer dopamine receptors, so they overeat to compensate for this reward deficit."
When a person eats, their brain's reward centre responds by releasing the messenger molecule dopamine. But Stice and colleagues found that compared to the
brains of lean people, the brains of obese people showed less activation in the striatum, the part of the brain that expresses dopamine receptors.
The researchers also found that individuals whose striata were less active during eating were the ones most likely to become overweight, particularly if they
had a gene called TaqIA that is linked to having fewer dopamine receptors.
Stice said that people with fewer dopamine receptors:
"Need to take in more of a rewarding substance -- such as food or drugs -- to experience the same level of pleasure as other people."
For the study, Stice and colleagues used Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to watch activity in the dorsal striatum of female participants while
they consumed a chocolate milkshake and then while they consumed a tasteless solution. They did this twice, once with 43 female students aged 18 to 22 and
then also with 33 teenage girls aged 14 to 18.
They also tested both groups to find out which individuals had the Taq1A1 gene, which meant they had a lower number of dopamine D2 receptors.
Stice and colleagues then followed the participants for 12 months and monitored changes in their body mass index (BMI).
The results showed that participants whose striata were less active when they drank the milkshake and who also had the Taq1A1 gene were the ones most likely
to put on weight over the follow up period.
Stice said understanding how the dopamine receptor deficit affects the brain's reward circuits and their response to eating is important for the development
of treatment options that could target this effect in people at higher risk of unhealthy weight gain.
There is an interesting parallel between these findings and drug addiction. For example, heroin addiction can start with low doses of heroin, which blunts
the dopamine response and this leads the person to take stronger and stronger doses to get the same feeling of reward.
The clinical director of the National Obesity Forum in the UK, Dr David Haslam, who is also a GP told the BBC there is a debate about whether you can have a
similar addiction to food.
"Relation Between Obesity and Blunted Striatal Response to Food Is Moderated by TaqIA A1 Allele."
E. Stice, S. Spoor, C. Bohon, and D. M. Small
Science 17 October 2008: Vol. 322. no. 5900, pp. 449 - 452.
DOI: 10.1126/science.1161550
Click here for Abstract.
Source: University of Texas at Austin.
, PhD.
New Canadian Practice Guideline To Combat Improper Use Of Opioids
Increases in opioid prescriptions, leading to increased misuse, serious injuries, and overdose deaths have spurred Canadian colleges of physicians and surgeons to create a new guideline for opioid use with chronic non-cancer pain, states an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) .
Opioid use in Canada has increased significantly, with a 50% increase in recorded prescription-opioid consumption between 2000 and 2004. Canada is now the world's third-largest opioid consumer per capita.
In November 2007, Canadian medical regulators formed the National Opioid Use Guideline Group (NOUGG) and created the Canadian Guideline. Their goal was to help develop and implement a guidelineto provide physicians with information to prescribe opioids safely and effectively to patients with chronic non-cancer pain.
"The Canadian Guideline is intended to assist physicians with decisions to initiate appropriate trials of opioid therapy for patients with chronic non-cancer pain, to monitor long-term opioid therapy, and to detect and respond appropriately to situations of opioid misuse including addiction," write Clarence Weppler, Co-chair of the National Opioid Use Guideline Group and coauthors. "It was not designed to serve as a standard of care nor as a training manual."
The Canadian Guideline targets primary-care physicians and medical and surgical specialists who manage patients with chronic non-cancer pain. Pharmacists, nurses and dentists may also find it useful. The Guideline does not discuss treatment of chronic pain with non-opioids.
The full guideline documents are available at nationalpaincentre.mcmaster.ca/opioid/.
In a related commentary cmaj.ca/embargo/cmaj100548.pdf Dr. Roger Chou writes that more studies of high-risk populations with long-term follow-up are needed, as are studies on optimal methods for risk stratification, patient selection, opioid initiation, dose titration, monitoring and discontinuation of therapy. "Until these studies are completed, the new Canadian guideline offers clinically sound recommendations for making decisions regarding the use of opioids for treating non-cancer pain," writes Dr. Chou.
Source:
Kim Barnhardt
Canadian Medical Association Journal
Opioid use in Canada has increased significantly, with a 50% increase in recorded prescription-opioid consumption between 2000 and 2004. Canada is now the world's third-largest opioid consumer per capita.
In November 2007, Canadian medical regulators formed the National Opioid Use Guideline Group (NOUGG) and created the Canadian Guideline. Their goal was to help develop and implement a guidelineto provide physicians with information to prescribe opioids safely and effectively to patients with chronic non-cancer pain.
"The Canadian Guideline is intended to assist physicians with decisions to initiate appropriate trials of opioid therapy for patients with chronic non-cancer pain, to monitor long-term opioid therapy, and to detect and respond appropriately to situations of opioid misuse including addiction," write Clarence Weppler, Co-chair of the National Opioid Use Guideline Group and coauthors. "It was not designed to serve as a standard of care nor as a training manual."
The Canadian Guideline targets primary-care physicians and medical and surgical specialists who manage patients with chronic non-cancer pain. Pharmacists, nurses and dentists may also find it useful. The Guideline does not discuss treatment of chronic pain with non-opioids.
The full guideline documents are available at nationalpaincentre.mcmaster.ca/opioid/.
In a related commentary cmaj.ca/embargo/cmaj100548.pdf Dr. Roger Chou writes that more studies of high-risk populations with long-term follow-up are needed, as are studies on optimal methods for risk stratification, patient selection, opioid initiation, dose titration, monitoring and discontinuation of therapy. "Until these studies are completed, the new Canadian guideline offers clinically sound recommendations for making decisions regarding the use of opioids for treating non-cancer pain," writes Dr. Chou.
Source:
Kim Barnhardt
Canadian Medical Association Journal
New Study Finds Daily Drinking Rather Than Binge Drinking Is Biggest Risk Factor In Serious Liver Disease
Long-term daily drinking, rather than weekly binge drinking, is by far the biggest risk factor in serious liver disease, according to a new report from the University of Southampton.
The study, published in Addiction journal this week, concludes that increases in UK liver deaths are a result of daily or near daily heavy drinking, not episodic or binge drinking, and this regular drinking pattern is often discernable at an early age. It also recommends that several alcohol-free days a week is a healthier drinking pattern.
In the study of drinking patterns, dependency and lifetime drinking history in 234 subjects with liver disease, 106 had ALD (Alcohol-related Liver Disease) - 80 of whom had evidence of cirrhosis or progressive fibrosis - the team found that 71 per cent of ALD patients drank on a daily basis.
In contrast to the patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis or fibrosis, patients with other forms of liver disease tended to drink sparingly with only 10 subjects (8 per cent) drinking moderately on four or more days each week.
The study also explored lifetime drinking histories of 105 subjects and found that ALD patients started drinking at a significantly younger age (on average at 15 years old) than other subjects and had significantly more drinking days and units than non-ALD patients from the age of 20 onwards.
Lead author of the study Dr Nick Sheron, consultant hepatologist and senior lecturer at the University of Southampton, comments: "If we are to turn the tide of liver deaths, then along with an overall reduction in alcohol consumption - which means tackling cheap booze and unregulated marketing - we need to find a way to identify those people who are most likely to develop alcohol-related illnesses at a much earlier stage, and perhaps we need to pay as much attention to the frequency of drinking occasions as we do to binge drinking.
"The transition from a late teenage and early 20's binge drinking pattern to a more frequent pattern of increased intake may prove to be a useful point of intervention in the future, and the importance of three alcohol-free days each week should receive more prominence."
Southampton University
soton.ac
The study, published in Addiction journal this week, concludes that increases in UK liver deaths are a result of daily or near daily heavy drinking, not episodic or binge drinking, and this regular drinking pattern is often discernable at an early age. It also recommends that several alcohol-free days a week is a healthier drinking pattern.
In the study of drinking patterns, dependency and lifetime drinking history in 234 subjects with liver disease, 106 had ALD (Alcohol-related Liver Disease) - 80 of whom had evidence of cirrhosis or progressive fibrosis - the team found that 71 per cent of ALD patients drank on a daily basis.
In contrast to the patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis or fibrosis, patients with other forms of liver disease tended to drink sparingly with only 10 subjects (8 per cent) drinking moderately on four or more days each week.
The study also explored lifetime drinking histories of 105 subjects and found that ALD patients started drinking at a significantly younger age (on average at 15 years old) than other subjects and had significantly more drinking days and units than non-ALD patients from the age of 20 onwards.
Lead author of the study Dr Nick Sheron, consultant hepatologist and senior lecturer at the University of Southampton, comments: "If we are to turn the tide of liver deaths, then along with an overall reduction in alcohol consumption - which means tackling cheap booze and unregulated marketing - we need to find a way to identify those people who are most likely to develop alcohol-related illnesses at a much earlier stage, and perhaps we need to pay as much attention to the frequency of drinking occasions as we do to binge drinking.
"The transition from a late teenage and early 20's binge drinking pattern to a more frequent pattern of increased intake may prove to be a useful point of intervention in the future, and the importance of three alcohol-free days each week should receive more prominence."
Southampton University
soton.ac
RCN Welcomes Reported Success Of Injecting Clinics
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) welcomed findings from the Randomised Injectable Opioid Treatment Trial (RIOTT), which indicated that injecting clinics could significantly reduce the amount of "street" heroin used by "entrenched" users who have not benefitted from other interventions.
Dr Peter Carter of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said:
"It is encouraging that these pilot studies have yielded such positive results for heroin users who have not benefitted from other schemes. As well as reducing the immediate problems caused by buying drugs on the street, injecting clinics offer drug users a chance to move on from a life of crime and despair. These clinics also provide a valuable window of opportunity where nurses can offer the necessary information and health promotion advice needed to improve the long-term health prospects of drug users. We would encourage the government to build on this trial and to expand the availability of these clinics."
Source
Royal College of Nursing (RCN)
Dr Peter Carter of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said:
"It is encouraging that these pilot studies have yielded such positive results for heroin users who have not benefitted from other schemes. As well as reducing the immediate problems caused by buying drugs on the street, injecting clinics offer drug users a chance to move on from a life of crime and despair. These clinics also provide a valuable window of opportunity where nurses can offer the necessary information and health promotion advice needed to improve the long-term health prospects of drug users. We would encourage the government to build on this trial and to expand the availability of these clinics."
Source
Royal College of Nursing (RCN)
Society For Prevention Research Meeting In Washington, D.C., May 27-29, 2009
The Society for Prevention Research (SPR) will hold its annual meeting, May 27-29, 2009, at the Hyatt Regency, 400 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C., 20001. The featured stories are:
Low-Income Mothers & Pregnancy: How Prevention Science Influenced President Obama's Budget? May 28, 2009, Hyatt Regency.
African-Americans Adults: Taking up Heroin after 32. May 29 2009 2:45PM - 4:15 PM Hyatt Regency, Rooms: Washington / Valley Forge
The European Drinking Model: Do European youth really drink less because they are introduced to drinking early in life? May 28 2009 3:00PM - 4:30 PM, Hyatt Regency, Rooms: Washington / Lexington/Concord
Mother-Daughter Relationships: How do they affect Adolescent Girls? May 28 2009 1:15PM - 2:45 PM, Hyatt Regency, Rooms: Washington / Yorktown
Low-Income Mothers & Pregnancy: How Prevention Science Influenced President's Obama's Budget? May 28, 2009, Dinner & Awards Ceremony, Hyatt Regency.
Low-income mothers and mothers-to-be would become eligible for a proposed nurse-family partnership program under President Obama's budget proposals. Prevention science has demonstrated that programs like this can lead to improved prenatal health, fewer childhood injuries and fewer subsequent pregnancies. More than three decades of research, especially research conducted by Dr. David Olds, Ph.D., Professor of Pediatrics, University of Colorado at Denver, played an important role in the President's decision to invest in programs that can help low-income mothers now and save money in the long run.
African-Americans Adults: Taking up Heroin after 32. May 29 2009 2:45PM - 4:15 PM Hyatt Regency, Rooms: Washington / Valley Forge
There is a good understanding of the risk factors associated with adolescent and young adult onset of substance use and disorders, but little is known about why adults start abusing alcohol and drugs. Yet a significant number of African-American adults develop substance abuse problems and start heroin after age 32. Can this be prevented? Does unemployment affect substance abuse later in life?
The European Drinking Model: Do European youth really drink less because they are introduced to drinking early in life? May 28 2009 3:00PM - 4:30 PM, Hyatt Regency, Rooms: Washington / Lexington/Concord
The "European Drinking Model" often comes up when policy makers talk about laws establishing drinking age minimums and family practices associated with alcohol use. A commonly held perception among Americans is that European youth tend to drink less alcohol and experience fewer negative consequences associated with alcohol use than teens in the United States. This is based on the idea that early introduction of alcohol to youth de-mystifies alcohol and reduces the desire for the "forbidden fruit." Yet research has shown that teens in Europe tend to drink as or more often than Americans and are more likely to engage in binge drinking than American youth. What do we really know about teen drinking in the US and in Europe?
Mother-Daughter Relationships: How do they affect Adolescent Girls? May 28 2009 1:15PM - 2:45 PM, Hyatt Regency, Rooms: Washington / Yorktown
Adolescence is an important time in the development of health behaviors, especially for girls, and it intensifies the already complex relationships girls have with their bodies. In addition, adolescent girls often report losses in their relationships, particularly with their mothers and other adult females. At the same time, mothers are facing new challenges in parenting and potentially changing feelings about their own bodies, reproduction, and health. How do mother-daughter relationships affect issues related to conflict, control, shared health beliefs and values, as well as specific health behaviors, such as risky sexual activity, drug use, healthy eating and physical activity?
Some of the other interesting topics at this meeting are: Youth Suicide Prevention, Preventing Sexual Violence, Early Initiation and Health-Risking Sexual Behavior, and New Drug Prevention Approaches.
Source:
Prabhu Ponkshe
Society for Prevention Research
Low-Income Mothers & Pregnancy: How Prevention Science Influenced President Obama's Budget? May 28, 2009, Hyatt Regency.
African-Americans Adults: Taking up Heroin after 32. May 29 2009 2:45PM - 4:15 PM Hyatt Regency, Rooms: Washington / Valley Forge
The European Drinking Model: Do European youth really drink less because they are introduced to drinking early in life? May 28 2009 3:00PM - 4:30 PM, Hyatt Regency, Rooms: Washington / Lexington/Concord
Mother-Daughter Relationships: How do they affect Adolescent Girls? May 28 2009 1:15PM - 2:45 PM, Hyatt Regency, Rooms: Washington / Yorktown
Low-Income Mothers & Pregnancy: How Prevention Science Influenced President's Obama's Budget? May 28, 2009, Dinner & Awards Ceremony, Hyatt Regency.
Low-income mothers and mothers-to-be would become eligible for a proposed nurse-family partnership program under President Obama's budget proposals. Prevention science has demonstrated that programs like this can lead to improved prenatal health, fewer childhood injuries and fewer subsequent pregnancies. More than three decades of research, especially research conducted by Dr. David Olds, Ph.D., Professor of Pediatrics, University of Colorado at Denver, played an important role in the President's decision to invest in programs that can help low-income mothers now and save money in the long run.
African-Americans Adults: Taking up Heroin after 32. May 29 2009 2:45PM - 4:15 PM Hyatt Regency, Rooms: Washington / Valley Forge
There is a good understanding of the risk factors associated with adolescent and young adult onset of substance use and disorders, but little is known about why adults start abusing alcohol and drugs. Yet a significant number of African-American adults develop substance abuse problems and start heroin after age 32. Can this be prevented? Does unemployment affect substance abuse later in life?
The European Drinking Model: Do European youth really drink less because they are introduced to drinking early in life? May 28 2009 3:00PM - 4:30 PM, Hyatt Regency, Rooms: Washington / Lexington/Concord
The "European Drinking Model" often comes up when policy makers talk about laws establishing drinking age minimums and family practices associated with alcohol use. A commonly held perception among Americans is that European youth tend to drink less alcohol and experience fewer negative consequences associated with alcohol use than teens in the United States. This is based on the idea that early introduction of alcohol to youth de-mystifies alcohol and reduces the desire for the "forbidden fruit." Yet research has shown that teens in Europe tend to drink as or more often than Americans and are more likely to engage in binge drinking than American youth. What do we really know about teen drinking in the US and in Europe?
Mother-Daughter Relationships: How do they affect Adolescent Girls? May 28 2009 1:15PM - 2:45 PM, Hyatt Regency, Rooms: Washington / Yorktown
Adolescence is an important time in the development of health behaviors, especially for girls, and it intensifies the already complex relationships girls have with their bodies. In addition, adolescent girls often report losses in their relationships, particularly with their mothers and other adult females. At the same time, mothers are facing new challenges in parenting and potentially changing feelings about their own bodies, reproduction, and health. How do mother-daughter relationships affect issues related to conflict, control, shared health beliefs and values, as well as specific health behaviors, such as risky sexual activity, drug use, healthy eating and physical activity?
Some of the other interesting topics at this meeting are: Youth Suicide Prevention, Preventing Sexual Violence, Early Initiation and Health-Risking Sexual Behavior, and New Drug Prevention Approaches.
Source:
Prabhu Ponkshe
Society for Prevention Research
Light Drinking In Pregnancy Not Bad For Children, Says UCL Study
Children born to mothers who drink lightly during pregnancy - as defined as 1-2 units per week or per occasion - are not at increased risk of behavioural difficulties or cognitive deficits compared with children of abstinent mothers, according to a new study led by researchers at UCL (University College London).
The research, based on data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), is published today in the International Journal of Epidemiology. It uses data on 12,495 three year-old children, looking at the mothers' drinking patterns during pregnancy and assessments of the behavioural and cognitive outcomes of their children.
Lead author Dr Yvonne Kelly, UCL Epidemiology & Public Health, said: "The link between heavy drinking during pregnancy and consequent poor behavioural and cognitive outcomes in children is well established. However, very few studies have considered whether light drinking in pregnancy is a risk for behavioural and cognitive problems in children.
"Our research has found that light drinking by pregnant mothers does not increase the risk of behavioural difficulties or cognitive deficits. Indeed, for some behavioural and cognitive outcomes children born to light drinkers were less likely to have problems compared to children of abstinent mothers, although children born to heavy drinkers were more likely to have problems compared to children of mothers who drank nothing whilst pregnant."
The study data shows that boys born to mothers who drank lightly were 40 per cent less likely to have 'conduct' problems and 30 per cent less likely to have hyperactivity, even when a range of family and socioeconomic factors were taken into account. Boys born to light drinkers also had higher scores on tests of vocabulary and whether they could identify colours, shapes, letters and numbers compared to those born to abstainers.
Girls born to light drinkers were 30 per cent less likely to have emotional symptoms and peer problems compared with those born to abstainers, although this appeared partially explained by family and social backgrounds.
Dr Kelly continued: "The reasons behind these findings might in part be because light drinkers tend to be more socially advantaged than abstainers, rather than being due to the physical benefits of low level alcohol consumption seen, for example, in heart disease. However, it may also be that light-drinking mothers tend to be more relaxed themselves and this contributes to better behavioural and cognitive outcomes in their children."
The UK currently does not recommend complete abstinence from alcohol for the duration of pregnancy and there are inconsistencies in policy statements from the National Alcohol Strategy and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Evidence (NICE), which may cause confusion for health professionals and the public.
A recent review carried out by the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU), and a statement from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) highlighted the need for studies focusing on the effects of light drinking, and for investigators to use population-based data, as the researchers have done in this study.
Dr Kelly added: "There is inconsistency in policy around this issue and studies such as this one are vital in light of the wider debate around drinking and pregnancy. Our study's findings do raise questions as to whether the current push for policy to recommend complete abstinence during pregnancy is merited and suggest that further research needs to be done."
-- 'Light drinking in pregnancy, a risk for behavioural problems and cognitive deficits at 3 years of age?' is published online ahead of print on Friday 31st October 2008 in the International Journal of Epidemiology. For copies of the paper, please contact UCL Media Relations using the details above.
-- The Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and a consortium of Government Departments. This research is supported by an ESRC grant - code RES-596-28-0001.
About UCL
Founded in 1826, UCL was the first English university established after Oxford and Cambridge, the first to admit students regardless of race, class, religion or gender, and the first to provide systematic teaching of law, architecture and medicine. In the government's most recent Research Assessment Exercise, 59 UCL departments achieved top ratings of 5* and 5, indicating research quality of international excellence.
UCL is in the top ten world universities in the 2007 THES-QS World University Rankings, and the third-ranked UK university in the 2008 league table of the top 500 world universities produced by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University. UCL alumni include Marie Stopes, Jonathan Dimbleby, Lord Woolf, Alexander Graham Bell, and members of the band Coldplay.
UCL
About the ESRC
The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largest funding agency for research, data resources and postgraduate training relating to social and economic issues. It supports independent, high quality research which impacts on business, the public sector and the third sector. The ESRC's planned total expenditure in 2008/09 is ??203 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and research policy institutes.
Economic and Social Research Council
The research, based on data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), is published today in the International Journal of Epidemiology. It uses data on 12,495 three year-old children, looking at the mothers' drinking patterns during pregnancy and assessments of the behavioural and cognitive outcomes of their children.
Lead author Dr Yvonne Kelly, UCL Epidemiology & Public Health, said: "The link between heavy drinking during pregnancy and consequent poor behavioural and cognitive outcomes in children is well established. However, very few studies have considered whether light drinking in pregnancy is a risk for behavioural and cognitive problems in children.
"Our research has found that light drinking by pregnant mothers does not increase the risk of behavioural difficulties or cognitive deficits. Indeed, for some behavioural and cognitive outcomes children born to light drinkers were less likely to have problems compared to children of abstinent mothers, although children born to heavy drinkers were more likely to have problems compared to children of mothers who drank nothing whilst pregnant."
The study data shows that boys born to mothers who drank lightly were 40 per cent less likely to have 'conduct' problems and 30 per cent less likely to have hyperactivity, even when a range of family and socioeconomic factors were taken into account. Boys born to light drinkers also had higher scores on tests of vocabulary and whether they could identify colours, shapes, letters and numbers compared to those born to abstainers.
Girls born to light drinkers were 30 per cent less likely to have emotional symptoms and peer problems compared with those born to abstainers, although this appeared partially explained by family and social backgrounds.
Dr Kelly continued: "The reasons behind these findings might in part be because light drinkers tend to be more socially advantaged than abstainers, rather than being due to the physical benefits of low level alcohol consumption seen, for example, in heart disease. However, it may also be that light-drinking mothers tend to be more relaxed themselves and this contributes to better behavioural and cognitive outcomes in their children."
The UK currently does not recommend complete abstinence from alcohol for the duration of pregnancy and there are inconsistencies in policy statements from the National Alcohol Strategy and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Evidence (NICE), which may cause confusion for health professionals and the public.
A recent review carried out by the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU), and a statement from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) highlighted the need for studies focusing on the effects of light drinking, and for investigators to use population-based data, as the researchers have done in this study.
Dr Kelly added: "There is inconsistency in policy around this issue and studies such as this one are vital in light of the wider debate around drinking and pregnancy. Our study's findings do raise questions as to whether the current push for policy to recommend complete abstinence during pregnancy is merited and suggest that further research needs to be done."
-- 'Light drinking in pregnancy, a risk for behavioural problems and cognitive deficits at 3 years of age?' is published online ahead of print on Friday 31st October 2008 in the International Journal of Epidemiology. For copies of the paper, please contact UCL Media Relations using the details above.
-- The Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and a consortium of Government Departments. This research is supported by an ESRC grant - code RES-596-28-0001.
About UCL
Founded in 1826, UCL was the first English university established after Oxford and Cambridge, the first to admit students regardless of race, class, religion or gender, and the first to provide systematic teaching of law, architecture and medicine. In the government's most recent Research Assessment Exercise, 59 UCL departments achieved top ratings of 5* and 5, indicating research quality of international excellence.
UCL is in the top ten world universities in the 2007 THES-QS World University Rankings, and the third-ranked UK university in the 2008 league table of the top 500 world universities produced by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University. UCL alumni include Marie Stopes, Jonathan Dimbleby, Lord Woolf, Alexander Graham Bell, and members of the band Coldplay.
UCL
About the ESRC
The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largest funding agency for research, data resources and postgraduate training relating to social and economic issues. It supports independent, high quality research which impacts on business, the public sector and the third sector. The ESRC's planned total expenditure in 2008/09 is ??203 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and research policy institutes.
Economic and Social Research Council
N.Y. Research Team Discovers How Antidepressants And Cocaine Interact With Brain Cell Targets
In a first, scientists from Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University Medical Center have described the specifics of how brain cells process antidepressant drugs, cocaine and amphetamines. These novel findings could prove useful in the development of more targeted medication therapies for a host of psychiatric diseases, most notably in the area of addiction.
Their breakthrough research, featured as the cover story in a recent issue of Molecular Cell, describes the precise molecular and biochemical structure of drug targets known as neurotransmitter-sodium symporters (NSSs), and how cells use them to enable neural signaling in the brain. A second study, published in the latest issue of Nature Neuroscience, pinpoints where the drug molecules bind in the neurotransmitter transporter -- their target in the human nervous system.
"These findings are so clear and detailed at the level of molecular behavior that they will be most valuable to developing more effective therapies for mood disorders and neurologic and psychiatric diseases, and to direct effective treatments for drug addiction to cocaine and amphetamines," says co-lead author Dr. Harel Weinstein, Chairman and Maxwell M. Upson Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, and director of the Institute for Computational Biomedicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. "This research may also open the door to the development of new therapies for dopamine-neurotransmitter disorders such as Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, and anxiety and depression."
To make their observations, the research team led by Dr. Jonathan Javitch, senior author of the Molecular Cell study and contributing author to the Nature Neuroscience study, and professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology in the Center for Molecular Recognition at Columbia University Medical Center, stabilized different structural states of the neurotransmitter-sodium-symporter molecule that relate to steps in its function. This allowed the team to study how substrates and inhibitors affect the transition between these different states, and thus to understand the way in which its function is accomplished.
"Crystallography had allowed the identification of only one structural form of the molecule, but our experiments and computations were able to identify how this form changes and thereby add an understanding of the functional role of the different forms that the molecule must adopt to accomplish transport activity," says Dr. Javitch.
The main surprise was the realization that two binding sites on the transporter molecule need to be filled simultaneously and cooperate in order for transport to be driven across the cell membrane. For these studies, the scientists used the crystal structure of a bacterial transporter that is very similar to human neurotransmitter transporters. They performed computer simulations to reveal the path of the transported molecules into cells. Laboratory experimentation was used to test the computational predictions and validate the researchers' inferences.
Together, these procedures revealed a finely-tuned process in which two sodium ions bind and stabilize the transporter molecule for the correct positioning of the two messenger molecules -- one deep in the center of the protein, and the other closer to the entrance. Like a key engaging a lock mechanism, this second binding causes changes in the transporter throughout the structure, allowing one of the two sodium molecules to move inward, and then release the deeply bound messenger and its sodium partner into the cell.
In the bacterial transporter studied, antidepressant molecules bind in the outer one of two sites, and stop the transport mechanism, leaving the messenger molecule outside the cell.
The second team of researchers, involving a collaboration of the Weinstein and Javitch labs with colleagues in Denmark (the labs of Ulrik Gether and Claus Loland), found that in the human dopamine transporter cocaine binds in the deep site, unlike the antidepressant binding in the bacterial transporter. Therefore, the researchers conclude that anti-cocaine therapy will be more complicated, because interfering with cocaine binding also means interference with the binding of natural messengers.
"This finding might steer anti-cocaine therapy in a completely new direction," says Dr. Weinstein.
Molecular understanding at this level of structural and dynamic detail is rare in the world of drug development, the authors note. Only about 15 percent of all drugs have a known molecular method-of-action, even though the effects of these drugs within the body -- after very stringent and controlled laboratory testing -- are well understood pharmacologically.
Contributing authors to the Molecular Cell study include Dr. Lei Shi from Weill Cornell Medical College, who had a major role in the computational simulations; Dr. Matthias Quick from Columbia University Medical Center and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, who had a major role in the experimental component; and Dr. Yongfang Zhao from Columbia University Medical Center.
Lead authors of the Nature Neuroscience study are first author Dr. Thijs Beuming of Weill Cornell Medical College and senior authors Drs. Claus Loland and Ulrik Gether of The Panum Institute of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Additional co-authors include Drs. Julie Kniazeff, Marianne Bergmann and Klaudia Raniszewska of The Panum Institute of the University of Copenhagen; Drs. Lei Shi and Luis Gracia of Weill Cornell; and Dr. Amy Hauck Newman of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
The NIH supported these studies, and it is noteworthy that both the Molecular Cell and the Nature Neuroscience study share an NIH funding source, a Program Project grant awarded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and directed by Dr. Weinstein, with Drs. Javitch and Gether each directing one of the projects. Additional support came from the Danish Medical Research Council, the Lundbeck Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Maersk Foundation -- all in Europe.
Weill Cornell Medical College
Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University's medical school located in New York City, is committed to excellence in research, teaching, patient care and the advancement of the art and science of medicine, locally, nationally and globally. Weill Cornell, which is a principal academic affiliate of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, offers an innovative curriculum that integrates the teaching of basic and clinical sciences, problem-based learning, office-based preceptorships, and primary care and doctoring courses. Physicians and scientists of Weill Cornell Medical College are engaged in cutting-edge research in areas such as stem cells, genetics and gene therapy, geriatrics, neuroscience, structural biology, cardiovascular medicine, transplantation medicine, infectious disease, obesity, cancer, psychiatry and public health -- and continue to delve ever deeper into the molecular basis of disease in an effort to unlock the mysteries of the human body in health and sickness. In its commitment to global health and education, the Medical College has a strong presence in places such as Qatar, Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Through the historic Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, the Medical College is the first in the U.S. to offer its M.D. degree overseas. Weill Cornell is the birthplace of many medical advances -- including the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer, the synthesis of penicillin, the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S., the first clinical trial of gene therapy for Parkinson's disease, the first indication of bone marrow's critical role in tumor growth, and most recently, the world's first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally-conscious brain-injured patient.
Weill Cornell Medical College
Columbia University Medical Center
Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, pre-clinical and clinical research, in medical and health sciences education, and in patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Established in 1767, Columbia's College of Physicians & Surgeons was the first institution in the country to grant the M.D. degree and is now among the most selective medical schools in the country. Columbia University Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and state and one of the largest in the United States.
Columbia University Medical Center
Their breakthrough research, featured as the cover story in a recent issue of Molecular Cell, describes the precise molecular and biochemical structure of drug targets known as neurotransmitter-sodium symporters (NSSs), and how cells use them to enable neural signaling in the brain. A second study, published in the latest issue of Nature Neuroscience, pinpoints where the drug molecules bind in the neurotransmitter transporter -- their target in the human nervous system.
"These findings are so clear and detailed at the level of molecular behavior that they will be most valuable to developing more effective therapies for mood disorders and neurologic and psychiatric diseases, and to direct effective treatments for drug addiction to cocaine and amphetamines," says co-lead author Dr. Harel Weinstein, Chairman and Maxwell M. Upson Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, and director of the Institute for Computational Biomedicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. "This research may also open the door to the development of new therapies for dopamine-neurotransmitter disorders such as Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, and anxiety and depression."
To make their observations, the research team led by Dr. Jonathan Javitch, senior author of the Molecular Cell study and contributing author to the Nature Neuroscience study, and professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology in the Center for Molecular Recognition at Columbia University Medical Center, stabilized different structural states of the neurotransmitter-sodium-symporter molecule that relate to steps in its function. This allowed the team to study how substrates and inhibitors affect the transition between these different states, and thus to understand the way in which its function is accomplished.
"Crystallography had allowed the identification of only one structural form of the molecule, but our experiments and computations were able to identify how this form changes and thereby add an understanding of the functional role of the different forms that the molecule must adopt to accomplish transport activity," says Dr. Javitch.
The main surprise was the realization that two binding sites on the transporter molecule need to be filled simultaneously and cooperate in order for transport to be driven across the cell membrane. For these studies, the scientists used the crystal structure of a bacterial transporter that is very similar to human neurotransmitter transporters. They performed computer simulations to reveal the path of the transported molecules into cells. Laboratory experimentation was used to test the computational predictions and validate the researchers' inferences.
Together, these procedures revealed a finely-tuned process in which two sodium ions bind and stabilize the transporter molecule for the correct positioning of the two messenger molecules -- one deep in the center of the protein, and the other closer to the entrance. Like a key engaging a lock mechanism, this second binding causes changes in the transporter throughout the structure, allowing one of the two sodium molecules to move inward, and then release the deeply bound messenger and its sodium partner into the cell.
In the bacterial transporter studied, antidepressant molecules bind in the outer one of two sites, and stop the transport mechanism, leaving the messenger molecule outside the cell.
The second team of researchers, involving a collaboration of the Weinstein and Javitch labs with colleagues in Denmark (the labs of Ulrik Gether and Claus Loland), found that in the human dopamine transporter cocaine binds in the deep site, unlike the antidepressant binding in the bacterial transporter. Therefore, the researchers conclude that anti-cocaine therapy will be more complicated, because interfering with cocaine binding also means interference with the binding of natural messengers.
"This finding might steer anti-cocaine therapy in a completely new direction," says Dr. Weinstein.
Molecular understanding at this level of structural and dynamic detail is rare in the world of drug development, the authors note. Only about 15 percent of all drugs have a known molecular method-of-action, even though the effects of these drugs within the body -- after very stringent and controlled laboratory testing -- are well understood pharmacologically.
Contributing authors to the Molecular Cell study include Dr. Lei Shi from Weill Cornell Medical College, who had a major role in the computational simulations; Dr. Matthias Quick from Columbia University Medical Center and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, who had a major role in the experimental component; and Dr. Yongfang Zhao from Columbia University Medical Center.
Lead authors of the Nature Neuroscience study are first author Dr. Thijs Beuming of Weill Cornell Medical College and senior authors Drs. Claus Loland and Ulrik Gether of The Panum Institute of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Additional co-authors include Drs. Julie Kniazeff, Marianne Bergmann and Klaudia Raniszewska of The Panum Institute of the University of Copenhagen; Drs. Lei Shi and Luis Gracia of Weill Cornell; and Dr. Amy Hauck Newman of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
The NIH supported these studies, and it is noteworthy that both the Molecular Cell and the Nature Neuroscience study share an NIH funding source, a Program Project grant awarded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and directed by Dr. Weinstein, with Drs. Javitch and Gether each directing one of the projects. Additional support came from the Danish Medical Research Council, the Lundbeck Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Maersk Foundation -- all in Europe.
Weill Cornell Medical College
Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University's medical school located in New York City, is committed to excellence in research, teaching, patient care and the advancement of the art and science of medicine, locally, nationally and globally. Weill Cornell, which is a principal academic affiliate of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, offers an innovative curriculum that integrates the teaching of basic and clinical sciences, problem-based learning, office-based preceptorships, and primary care and doctoring courses. Physicians and scientists of Weill Cornell Medical College are engaged in cutting-edge research in areas such as stem cells, genetics and gene therapy, geriatrics, neuroscience, structural biology, cardiovascular medicine, transplantation medicine, infectious disease, obesity, cancer, psychiatry and public health -- and continue to delve ever deeper into the molecular basis of disease in an effort to unlock the mysteries of the human body in health and sickness. In its commitment to global health and education, the Medical College has a strong presence in places such as Qatar, Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Through the historic Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, the Medical College is the first in the U.S. to offer its M.D. degree overseas. Weill Cornell is the birthplace of many medical advances -- including the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer, the synthesis of penicillin, the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S., the first clinical trial of gene therapy for Parkinson's disease, the first indication of bone marrow's critical role in tumor growth, and most recently, the world's first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally-conscious brain-injured patient.
Weill Cornell Medical College
Columbia University Medical Center
Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, pre-clinical and clinical research, in medical and health sciences education, and in patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Established in 1767, Columbia's College of Physicians & Surgeons was the first institution in the country to grant the M.D. degree and is now among the most selective medical schools in the country. Columbia University Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and state and one of the largest in the United States.
Columbia University Medical Center
Heavy Marijuana Smoking Not Linked To Raised Lung, Neck Cancer Risk
As marijuana produces more resin and tar than tobacco, as marijuana smokers inhale deeper into the lungs and hold the smoke down for longer, one would expect to find that lung cancer risk would be significantly higher. However, researchers from the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, were surprised to find there was no link at all.
Smoking of marijuana, be it heavy smoking and/or long-term smoking, is not linked to an increased risk of developing lung and neck cancers, say the researchers. Risk of tongue, mouth, throat and esophagus cancers is not higher either.
The researchers looked at three groups of people - all from Los Angeles and under 60 years of age:
-- 611 people who had lung cancer
-- 601 people with cancer in the neck or head
-- 1,040 healthy people (no cancer at all). These people matched those of the other two groups for age, sex and where they lived.
They all had to answer questions about their:
-- Marijuana use during their lifetime
-- Tobacco use during their lifetime
-- Alcohol consumption during their lifetime
-- Consumption of other drugs during their lifetime
-- Jobs
-- Cases of cancer(s) in their families
-- Socioeconomic status
Marijuana usage ranged from very heavy, more than 22,000 joints, to fairly heavy, from 11,000 to 22,000, to none at all.
Cancer risk was found to be the same among the very heavy users, fairly heavy users and those that never had marijuana at all.
It is possible that a chemical found in marijuana smoke, Delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), triggers earlier death of old cells - this would severely undermine their chances of turning into cancer cells.
Marijuana has been used by humans for a very long time. As far back as 6000 B.C., cannabis seeds were used in China for food. In 4000 B.C. it was used to make textiles in China. In 2727 B.C. cannabis appeared in the Chinese pharmacopoeia as a medicine. In the Hindu sacred text Atharvaveda, in 1200 B.C., cannabis was called Sacred Grass and was used as a medicine and a religious offering. Click here to see the full history in a list of dates.
Smoking of marijuana, be it heavy smoking and/or long-term smoking, is not linked to an increased risk of developing lung and neck cancers, say the researchers. Risk of tongue, mouth, throat and esophagus cancers is not higher either.
The researchers looked at three groups of people - all from Los Angeles and under 60 years of age:
-- 611 people who had lung cancer
-- 601 people with cancer in the neck or head
-- 1,040 healthy people (no cancer at all). These people matched those of the other two groups for age, sex and where they lived.
They all had to answer questions about their:
-- Marijuana use during their lifetime
-- Tobacco use during their lifetime
-- Alcohol consumption during their lifetime
-- Consumption of other drugs during their lifetime
-- Jobs
-- Cases of cancer(s) in their families
-- Socioeconomic status
Marijuana usage ranged from very heavy, more than 22,000 joints, to fairly heavy, from 11,000 to 22,000, to none at all.
Cancer risk was found to be the same among the very heavy users, fairly heavy users and those that never had marijuana at all.
It is possible that a chemical found in marijuana smoke, Delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), triggers earlier death of old cells - this would severely undermine their chances of turning into cancer cells.
Marijuana has been used by humans for a very long time. As far back as 6000 B.C., cannabis seeds were used in China for food. In 4000 B.C. it was used to make textiles in China. In 2727 B.C. cannabis appeared in the Chinese pharmacopoeia as a medicine. In the Hindu sacred text Atharvaveda, in 1200 B.C., cannabis was called Sacred Grass and was used as a medicine and a religious offering. Click here to see the full history in a list of dates.
New Jersey Should Approve Measure That Would Establish Needle-Exchange Programs To Curb Spread Of HIV, Editorial Says
Although about half of all AIDS cases in New Jersey can be "traced" to injection drug users who contracted HIV "by sharing contaminated needles," the state has "stubbornly resist[ed]" allowing the establishment of needle-exchange programs aimed at curbing the spread of the virus, a New York Times editorial says. However, the state Legislature last week "came a step closer to sanity" when the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee voted to approve a bill (S 494) that would establish needle-exchange programs in six cities and provide $10 million to drug treatment programs in the state (New York Times, 9/26). The bill -- sponsored by state Sen. Nia Gill (D) -- would allow cities or towns to apply to the state Department of Health and Senior Services, which would select six cities or towns among the applicants to begin needle-exchange programs. Officials from Atlantic City and Camden have said they are interested in establishing programs. In addition, the legislation would subject the programs to re-evaluation in five years. The bill must be approved by the state Budget and Appropriations Committee in order to go to the full Senate and Assembly for consideration. The committee did not take action on legislation that would have allowed the nonprescription sale of up to 10 syringes (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 9/21). Some opponents of the measure "falsely assert" that needle-exchange programs "encourage addiction," while others "argue that the state should offer treatment instead" of the programs, the editorial says. However, "[e]ven with greatly expanded treatment programs," IDUs "would need to wait months or even years for help" and would "face almost certain infection without access to clean needles," according to the Times. Needle-exchange programs "have nothing to do with encouraging drug addiction" and "everything to do with slowing the spread of AIDS across the United States and abroad," according to the editorial. It concludes, "If New Jersey continues to bar these plans, the state will pay a rising price in more infections, higher medical costs and lost lives" (New York Times, 9/26).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
US Cigarettes Have 10% More Nicotine Today Than Six Years Ago
All tobacco brands have been increasing the nicotine dosage in each cigarette steadily during the last six years, says a report from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The overall increase has been about 10% during 1998-2004. The higher the nicotine dose, the more hooked you get - it is much more difficult to quit.
The only conclusion one could come to is that the tobacco industry has taken steps to secure sales by making people more addicted.
Massachusetts is the only US state with information on the nicotine content of cigarettes since 1998. It is also one of only three states that makes it compulsory for cigarette companies to submit data about nicotine.
Marlboro, the most popular brand, has been steadily raising the dosage in each cigarette. Kool, a popular menthol brand, has had its nicotine dose increased by 20% in six years. Over 60% of African-American smokers consume menthol brands.
Of concern to many parents is this quote from the report:
"Marlboro, Newport, and Camel, the three most popular brands chosen by young smokers, all delivered significantly more nicotine."
There are two ways one can test for nicotine intake. The Traditional Way, or the Real Way.
The Real Way
Smokers tend to partially cover the ventilation holes with their lips when they suck on a cigarette. If a test takes this into account nicotine levels entering the body have gone up.
The Traditional Way
The test assumes nobody ever covers any of the holes when sucking on a cigarette. This test indicates nicotine levels have fallen.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health used the 'real way' to test nicotine levels in the body of smokers and identified a 6% increase over the last six years. They found no difference in total nicotine intake between full-flavour brands and the so-called lighter and ultra-light ones.
If smokers are getting a heavier 'hit', health care professionals who are treating those trying to quit may have to adjust the strength of nicotine replacement therapies.
If the tobacco industry has been upping the nicotine dose in each cigarette:
1. Why has it been doing this?
2. Why has it been kept quiet?
This is terrible news for smokers who are trying to quit - to find out they are hooked to much higher levels of daily nicotine. Perhaps legislation should be brought in making the industry reduce nicotine levels by 6% every five years, until cigarettes eventually have no nicotine in them at all. Smokers would gradually become less addicted.
-- Massachusetts Department of Public Health
-- Click here to see the report online
The only conclusion one could come to is that the tobacco industry has taken steps to secure sales by making people more addicted.
Massachusetts is the only US state with information on the nicotine content of cigarettes since 1998. It is also one of only three states that makes it compulsory for cigarette companies to submit data about nicotine.
Marlboro, the most popular brand, has been steadily raising the dosage in each cigarette. Kool, a popular menthol brand, has had its nicotine dose increased by 20% in six years. Over 60% of African-American smokers consume menthol brands.
Of concern to many parents is this quote from the report:
"Marlboro, Newport, and Camel, the three most popular brands chosen by young smokers, all delivered significantly more nicotine."
There are two ways one can test for nicotine intake. The Traditional Way, or the Real Way.
The Real Way
Smokers tend to partially cover the ventilation holes with their lips when they suck on a cigarette. If a test takes this into account nicotine levels entering the body have gone up.
The Traditional Way
The test assumes nobody ever covers any of the holes when sucking on a cigarette. This test indicates nicotine levels have fallen.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health used the 'real way' to test nicotine levels in the body of smokers and identified a 6% increase over the last six years. They found no difference in total nicotine intake between full-flavour brands and the so-called lighter and ultra-light ones.
If smokers are getting a heavier 'hit', health care professionals who are treating those trying to quit may have to adjust the strength of nicotine replacement therapies.
If the tobacco industry has been upping the nicotine dose in each cigarette:
1. Why has it been doing this?
2. Why has it been kept quiet?
This is terrible news for smokers who are trying to quit - to find out they are hooked to much higher levels of daily nicotine. Perhaps legislation should be brought in making the industry reduce nicotine levels by 6% every five years, until cigarettes eventually have no nicotine in them at all. Smokers would gradually become less addicted.
-- Massachusetts Department of Public Health
-- Click here to see the report online
$2.2M NIH Grant To Develop Drugs To Suppress Cocaine Cravings
The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy has received a $2.2 million federal grant to develop therapeutics to suppress the cravings of cocaine addicts.
Compounds developed by a research team led by Alan Kozikowski, professor of medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy, will target one particular family of serotonin receptors in the brain. Recent evidence, he said, strongly suggests that these receptors, called 5-HT2 receptors, are important in controlling a person's desire to use drugs.
Researchers looking for therapies for cocaine addiction have largely overlooked the 5-HT2 receptor as a target, Kozikowski said, and focused on dopamine receptors instead.
"In large part, the field of cocaine medications research has been dominated by the so-called 'dopamine hypothesis,' where cocaine is known to block the re-uptake of the neurotransmitter dopamine.
"The higher levels of dopamine present in the cleft between neighboring neurons leads to cocaine's high," Kozikowski said. "This has led to years of work on the discovery of compounds that might displace cocaine from its binding site on the dopamine transporter, while still allowing dopamine to be taken up through the transporter.
"Success with this particular approach has been marginal at best."
The new target is a broad group of receptors that bind serotonin, also called 5-HT for its chemical name, 5-hydroxytryptamine. It is a neurotransmitter that controls a wide variety of behaviors, including anger, cognition, sleep, attention, sexuality and appetite. Low levels of serotonin may be associated with many health disorders, including clinical depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, migraine headaches, irritable bowel syndrome and bipolar disorder.
The mode of action of 5-HT is complex, and at least seven different receptor 'families' are known, each located in various parts of the body and triggering different responses. Kozikowski's team is investigating the 5-HT2 family, of which there are three subtypes.
"The 5-HT2a and 5-HT2c receptors may play a role in the strong conditioned associations made between cocaine and environmental cues," Kozikowski said. Drugs highly specific for just those receptors will need to be developed, he said, because interactions with other members of the family can cause hallucinations and heart valve problems.
Kozikowski's collaborators -- a research team led by Dr. Bryan Roth of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill -- have identified an antidepressant drug as a possible lead candidate to identify other 5-HT2c-receptor-binding compounds that may be useful. This compound emerged after nearly 800 compounds in a chemical library were screened.
New 5-HT2c-receptor-binding compounds might be useful "both as research tools and as potential therapeutics for use in treating cocaine addiction and possibly other disorders, including obesity," Kozikowski said.
"We have already generated about 100 new [receptor-binding compounds] showing much higher potency and subtype selectivity than shown by the original 'hit' compound," Kozikowski said. "Further structure-activity studies are underway to fine-tune the compounds to a point where high activity is maintained at the 5-HT2c sub-type with little or no activity at the other subtypes."
Kozikowski said tests are currently being conducted in animal models at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston by his collaborators Kenneth Johnson Jr. and Kathryn Cunningham.
The research is funded by a four-year grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, one of the National Institutes of Health.
For more information about UIC, visit uic.
Source:
Sam Hostettler
University of Illinois at Chicago
Compounds developed by a research team led by Alan Kozikowski, professor of medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy, will target one particular family of serotonin receptors in the brain. Recent evidence, he said, strongly suggests that these receptors, called 5-HT2 receptors, are important in controlling a person's desire to use drugs.
Researchers looking for therapies for cocaine addiction have largely overlooked the 5-HT2 receptor as a target, Kozikowski said, and focused on dopamine receptors instead.
"In large part, the field of cocaine medications research has been dominated by the so-called 'dopamine hypothesis,' where cocaine is known to block the re-uptake of the neurotransmitter dopamine.
"The higher levels of dopamine present in the cleft between neighboring neurons leads to cocaine's high," Kozikowski said. "This has led to years of work on the discovery of compounds that might displace cocaine from its binding site on the dopamine transporter, while still allowing dopamine to be taken up through the transporter.
"Success with this particular approach has been marginal at best."
The new target is a broad group of receptors that bind serotonin, also called 5-HT for its chemical name, 5-hydroxytryptamine. It is a neurotransmitter that controls a wide variety of behaviors, including anger, cognition, sleep, attention, sexuality and appetite. Low levels of serotonin may be associated with many health disorders, including clinical depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, migraine headaches, irritable bowel syndrome and bipolar disorder.
The mode of action of 5-HT is complex, and at least seven different receptor 'families' are known, each located in various parts of the body and triggering different responses. Kozikowski's team is investigating the 5-HT2 family, of which there are three subtypes.
"The 5-HT2a and 5-HT2c receptors may play a role in the strong conditioned associations made between cocaine and environmental cues," Kozikowski said. Drugs highly specific for just those receptors will need to be developed, he said, because interactions with other members of the family can cause hallucinations and heart valve problems.
Kozikowski's collaborators -- a research team led by Dr. Bryan Roth of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill -- have identified an antidepressant drug as a possible lead candidate to identify other 5-HT2c-receptor-binding compounds that may be useful. This compound emerged after nearly 800 compounds in a chemical library were screened.
New 5-HT2c-receptor-binding compounds might be useful "both as research tools and as potential therapeutics for use in treating cocaine addiction and possibly other disorders, including obesity," Kozikowski said.
"We have already generated about 100 new [receptor-binding compounds] showing much higher potency and subtype selectivity than shown by the original 'hit' compound," Kozikowski said. "Further structure-activity studies are underway to fine-tune the compounds to a point where high activity is maintained at the 5-HT2c sub-type with little or no activity at the other subtypes."
Kozikowski said tests are currently being conducted in animal models at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston by his collaborators Kenneth Johnson Jr. and Kathryn Cunningham.
The research is funded by a four-year grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, one of the National Institutes of Health.
For more information about UIC, visit uic.
Source:
Sam Hostettler
University of Illinois at Chicago
Alcohol, Energy Drinks Add Up To Higher Intoxication Levels, Increased Driving Risk
Energy drinks, favored among young people for the beverages' caffeine jolt, also play a lead role in several popular alcoholic drinks, such as Red Bull and vodka. But combining alcohol and energy drinks may create a dangerous mix, according to University of Florida research.
In a study of college-aged adults exiting bars, patrons who consumed energy drinks mixed with alcohol had a threefold increased risk of leaving a bar highly intoxicated and were four times more likely to intend to drive after drinking than bar patrons who drank alcohol only.
The study appears in the April issue of the journal Addictive Behaviors.
"Previous laboratory research suggests that when caffeine is mixed with alcohol it overcomes the sedating effects of alcohol and people may perceive that they are less intoxicated than they really are," said the study's lead researcher Dennis Thombs, an associate professor in the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions' department of behavioral science and community health. "This may lead people to drink more or make uninformed judgments about whether they are safe to drive."
Experts believe that among college drinkers, as many as 28 percent consume alcohol mixed with energy drinks in a typical month.
The UF study is the first of its kind to evaluate the effects of alcohol mixed with energy drinks in an actual drinking environment, that is, at night outside bars. Research on college student alcohol use in campus communities has traditionally relied on self-report questionnaires administered to sober students in daytime settings, Thombs said.
Data for the UF study were collected in 2008 from more than 800 randomly selected patrons exiting establishments in a college bar district between the hours of 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. Researchers conducted face-to-face interviews with participants to gather demographic information and details on participants' energy drink consumption and drinking behavior. Participants also completed self-administered questionnaires that asked about their drinking history and intention to drive that night. Next, researchers tested participants' breath alcohol concentration levels. Participants received feedback on their intoxication levels and advice about driving risk.
Bar patrons who reported drinking alcohol mixed with energy drinks -- 6.5 percent of study participants -- were three times more likely to be intoxicated than drinkers who consumed alcohol only. The average breath-alcohol concentration reading for those who mixed alcohol and energy drinks was 0.109, well above the legal driving limit of 0.08. Consumers of energy drink cocktails also left bars later at night, drank for longer periods of time, ingested more grams of ethanol and were four times more likely to express an intention to drive within the hour than patrons who drank alcohol only.
Consumers of alcohol mixed with energy drinks may drink more and misjudge their capabilities because caffeine diminishes the sleepy feeling most people experience as they become intoxicated. It's a condition commonly described as "wide awake and drunk," said study co-author Bruce Goldberger, a professor and director of toxicology in the UF College of Medicine.
"There's a very common misconception that if you drink caffeine with an alcoholic beverage the stimulant effect of the caffeine counteracts the depressant effect of the alcohol and that is not true," Goldberger said. "We know that caffeine aggravates the degree of intoxication, which can lead to risky behaviors."
The study, funded by the University of Florida Office of the President, raises a lot of questions and suggests topics for future research, Thombs said.
"This study demonstrates that there definitely is reason for concern and more research is needed," he said. "We don't know what self-administered caffeine levels bar patrons are reaching, what are safe and unsafe levels of caffeine and what regulations or policies should be implemented to better protect bar patrons or consumers in general."
Thombs' study is a very valuable addition to the existing body of research on the association of energy drink consumption and alcohol-related consequences, said Dr. Mary Claire O'Brien, an associate professor of emergency medicine and public health sciences at Wake Forest University who has studied the relationship between energy drink cocktails and high-risk behavior.
"His approach is unique because it was conducted in a natural drinking environment college bars," O'Brien said. "His results clearly support the serious concern raised by previous research, that subjective drunkenness may be reduced by the concurrent ingestion of caffeinated energy drinks, increasing both the likelihood of further alcohol consumption, and of driving when intoxicated."
Source: University of Florida Health Science Center
In a study of college-aged adults exiting bars, patrons who consumed energy drinks mixed with alcohol had a threefold increased risk of leaving a bar highly intoxicated and were four times more likely to intend to drive after drinking than bar patrons who drank alcohol only.
The study appears in the April issue of the journal Addictive Behaviors.
"Previous laboratory research suggests that when caffeine is mixed with alcohol it overcomes the sedating effects of alcohol and people may perceive that they are less intoxicated than they really are," said the study's lead researcher Dennis Thombs, an associate professor in the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions' department of behavioral science and community health. "This may lead people to drink more or make uninformed judgments about whether they are safe to drive."
Experts believe that among college drinkers, as many as 28 percent consume alcohol mixed with energy drinks in a typical month.
The UF study is the first of its kind to evaluate the effects of alcohol mixed with energy drinks in an actual drinking environment, that is, at night outside bars. Research on college student alcohol use in campus communities has traditionally relied on self-report questionnaires administered to sober students in daytime settings, Thombs said.
Data for the UF study were collected in 2008 from more than 800 randomly selected patrons exiting establishments in a college bar district between the hours of 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. Researchers conducted face-to-face interviews with participants to gather demographic information and details on participants' energy drink consumption and drinking behavior. Participants also completed self-administered questionnaires that asked about their drinking history and intention to drive that night. Next, researchers tested participants' breath alcohol concentration levels. Participants received feedback on their intoxication levels and advice about driving risk.
Bar patrons who reported drinking alcohol mixed with energy drinks -- 6.5 percent of study participants -- were three times more likely to be intoxicated than drinkers who consumed alcohol only. The average breath-alcohol concentration reading for those who mixed alcohol and energy drinks was 0.109, well above the legal driving limit of 0.08. Consumers of energy drink cocktails also left bars later at night, drank for longer periods of time, ingested more grams of ethanol and were four times more likely to express an intention to drive within the hour than patrons who drank alcohol only.
Consumers of alcohol mixed with energy drinks may drink more and misjudge their capabilities because caffeine diminishes the sleepy feeling most people experience as they become intoxicated. It's a condition commonly described as "wide awake and drunk," said study co-author Bruce Goldberger, a professor and director of toxicology in the UF College of Medicine.
"There's a very common misconception that if you drink caffeine with an alcoholic beverage the stimulant effect of the caffeine counteracts the depressant effect of the alcohol and that is not true," Goldberger said. "We know that caffeine aggravates the degree of intoxication, which can lead to risky behaviors."
The study, funded by the University of Florida Office of the President, raises a lot of questions and suggests topics for future research, Thombs said.
"This study demonstrates that there definitely is reason for concern and more research is needed," he said. "We don't know what self-administered caffeine levels bar patrons are reaching, what are safe and unsafe levels of caffeine and what regulations or policies should be implemented to better protect bar patrons or consumers in general."
Thombs' study is a very valuable addition to the existing body of research on the association of energy drink consumption and alcohol-related consequences, said Dr. Mary Claire O'Brien, an associate professor of emergency medicine and public health sciences at Wake Forest University who has studied the relationship between energy drink cocktails and high-risk behavior.
"His approach is unique because it was conducted in a natural drinking environment college bars," O'Brien said. "His results clearly support the serious concern raised by previous research, that subjective drunkenness may be reduced by the concurrent ingestion of caffeinated energy drinks, increasing both the likelihood of further alcohol consumption, and of driving when intoxicated."
Source: University of Florida Health Science Center
Alcohol Linked To Increased Breast Cancer Risk
A new Danish study suggests that the more alcohol a woman consumes per week, the higher her chances of developing breast cancer.
The study is published in the The European Journal of Public Health.
The researchers, led by Dr Lina Morch of the Centre for Alcohol Research in Denmark, followed a group of 17,647 female nurses from 1993 to 2001. They were aged 45 and over and completed questionnaires about their alcohol intake
and pattern, and other lifestyle factors at the start of the study. During the follow-up period 457 women were diagnosed with breast cancer.
Using a statistical method known as Cox's proportional hazard assessment, the researchers were able to assess the breast cancer risk of different levels and
patterns of alcohol consumption.
The results showed that:
-- Ten per cent of the women were binge drinkers. That is they drank more than 4 drinks a day.
-- 13 per cent of them were weekend binge drinkers. That is they drank more than 10 drinks between Friday and Sunday.
-- A woman who drank between 22 to 27 drinks a week was 2.3 times more likely to develop breast cancer than a woman who only had 1 to 3 drinks a week.
-- For each extra drink of alcohol a week, the risk of breast cancer went up by 2 per cent.
-- If this extra drink was at the weekend, the risk went up by 4 per cent.
-- Drinking 4 to 5 drinks on the last day of the week (bingeing before the weekend) increased the risk by 55 per cent compared with having only one drink on
this day.
A drink in Denmark is about 12g of alcohol, or 1.5 times the 8g unit used in the UK.
This is roughly equal to a bottle of beer or a glass of wine or spirits.
The researchers concluded that:
"For alcohol consumption above the intake most frequently reported, the risk of breast cancer is increased. The risk is minor for moderate levels but
increases for each additional drink consumed during the week."
"Weekend consumption and binge drinking imply an additional increase in breast cancer risk," they added.
Speculating on the explanation for the link between alcohol and breast cancer, the researchers suggest that alcohol increases levels of estrogen, the hormone
involved with the development of breast cancer.
The researchers pointed out that while their figures show a significant link between the total weekly alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk, there was
also a pattern effect coming through, in that drinking a lot of alcohol in a short space of time is linked to the highest risks.
This ties in with their theory that the more alcohol there is in the bloodstream at any one time, the higher the estrogen levels.
How Much Alcohol is In a Drink?
In the UK, a unit of alcohol is 8g or 10 ml of pure alcohol. How much alcohol is in a drink depends on how big the drink is, and its alcohol concentration.
Alcohol is measured in ABV, or alcohol by volume.
For example:
-- Half a pint of normal beer or cider (3.5 per cent ABV) is 1 unit.
-- A 400 ml bottle of alcopop (5 per cent ABV) is 2 units.
-- A small 125 ml glass of wine (9 per cent ABV) is 1 unit.
-- A 500 ml can of normal lager (4 per cent ABV) is 2 units.
-- A 500 ml can of extra strong lager (8 per cent ABV) is 4 units.
-- A 25ml pub measure of spirit (40 per cent ABV) is 1 unit.
However, many drinks come in different strengths. For instance beer and lager can range from 3.5 to 9 per cent, wine from 9 to 13 per cent.
So what might seem to be a small jump in glass size could end up being double the units. For instance, a more typical glass of wine consumed at home or in a
restaurant or pub is nearer to 160 ml of 12 per cent ABV, which is nearly 2 unit.
The recommended weekly limit for men is 21 units and for women it is 14 units. It is also recommended that you have at least one clear alcohol free day a
week.
"Alcohol drinking, consumption patterns and breast cancer among Danish nurses: a cohort study."
Lina S. M??rch, Ditte Johansen, Lau C. Thygesen, Anne Tj??nneland, Ellen L??kkegaard, Claudia Stahlberg, and Morten Gr??nb?¦k.
The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access published on April 18, 2007.
doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckm036.
Click here for Abstract.
Click here for Drugscope - Independent UK expert information site on alcohol and other drugs.
The study is published in the The European Journal of Public Health.
The researchers, led by Dr Lina Morch of the Centre for Alcohol Research in Denmark, followed a group of 17,647 female nurses from 1993 to 2001. They were aged 45 and over and completed questionnaires about their alcohol intake
and pattern, and other lifestyle factors at the start of the study. During the follow-up period 457 women were diagnosed with breast cancer.
Using a statistical method known as Cox's proportional hazard assessment, the researchers were able to assess the breast cancer risk of different levels and
patterns of alcohol consumption.
The results showed that:
-- Ten per cent of the women were binge drinkers. That is they drank more than 4 drinks a day.
-- 13 per cent of them were weekend binge drinkers. That is they drank more than 10 drinks between Friday and Sunday.
-- A woman who drank between 22 to 27 drinks a week was 2.3 times more likely to develop breast cancer than a woman who only had 1 to 3 drinks a week.
-- For each extra drink of alcohol a week, the risk of breast cancer went up by 2 per cent.
-- If this extra drink was at the weekend, the risk went up by 4 per cent.
-- Drinking 4 to 5 drinks on the last day of the week (bingeing before the weekend) increased the risk by 55 per cent compared with having only one drink on
this day.
A drink in Denmark is about 12g of alcohol, or 1.5 times the 8g unit used in the UK.
This is roughly equal to a bottle of beer or a glass of wine or spirits.
The researchers concluded that:
"For alcohol consumption above the intake most frequently reported, the risk of breast cancer is increased. The risk is minor for moderate levels but
increases for each additional drink consumed during the week."
"Weekend consumption and binge drinking imply an additional increase in breast cancer risk," they added.
Speculating on the explanation for the link between alcohol and breast cancer, the researchers suggest that alcohol increases levels of estrogen, the hormone
involved with the development of breast cancer.
The researchers pointed out that while their figures show a significant link between the total weekly alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk, there was
also a pattern effect coming through, in that drinking a lot of alcohol in a short space of time is linked to the highest risks.
This ties in with their theory that the more alcohol there is in the bloodstream at any one time, the higher the estrogen levels.
How Much Alcohol is In a Drink?
In the UK, a unit of alcohol is 8g or 10 ml of pure alcohol. How much alcohol is in a drink depends on how big the drink is, and its alcohol concentration.
Alcohol is measured in ABV, or alcohol by volume.
For example:
-- Half a pint of normal beer or cider (3.5 per cent ABV) is 1 unit.
-- A 400 ml bottle of alcopop (5 per cent ABV) is 2 units.
-- A small 125 ml glass of wine (9 per cent ABV) is 1 unit.
-- A 500 ml can of normal lager (4 per cent ABV) is 2 units.
-- A 500 ml can of extra strong lager (8 per cent ABV) is 4 units.
-- A 25ml pub measure of spirit (40 per cent ABV) is 1 unit.
However, many drinks come in different strengths. For instance beer and lager can range from 3.5 to 9 per cent, wine from 9 to 13 per cent.
So what might seem to be a small jump in glass size could end up being double the units. For instance, a more typical glass of wine consumed at home or in a
restaurant or pub is nearer to 160 ml of 12 per cent ABV, which is nearly 2 unit.
The recommended weekly limit for men is 21 units and for women it is 14 units. It is also recommended that you have at least one clear alcohol free day a
week.
"Alcohol drinking, consumption patterns and breast cancer among Danish nurses: a cohort study."
Lina S. M??rch, Ditte Johansen, Lau C. Thygesen, Anne Tj??nneland, Ellen L??kkegaard, Claudia Stahlberg, and Morten Gr??nb?¦k.
The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access published on April 18, 2007.
doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckm036.
Click here for Abstract.
Click here for Drugscope - Independent UK expert information site on alcohol and other drugs.
Drink Up Before You Go Caroling This Season As Long As It's Not Alcohol
If you're planning to hit the streets and sing Christmas carols around the neighborhood during the holiday season make sure to drink plenty of water, that is.
During cold weather, the air is cold and dry, and in turn, can dry up your voice, explains Thomas Jefferson University Hospital voice specialist Joseph R. Spiegel, M.D., and co-director of the Jefferson Center for Voice and Swallowing.
"Carolers need to hydrate well before going out and while outside," said Dr. Speigel, associate professor of otolaryngology/head and neck surgery, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University.
But that doesn't mean downing egg nog or any alcoholic beverages to prepare to sing O Holy Night, he warned.
"Christmas cheer is for those enjoying the carolers and should only be
enjoyed by those caroling when they are finished," Dr. Spiegel said. "Alcohol produces further dehydration. It also numbs a person to the cold temperature but not the effects of the cold temperature."
The voice results from air that blows up through the vocal folds and causes them to vibrate like two reeds on a reed instrument. Vocal injury most commonly results when the throat is dry or the singer is straining.
Dr. Spiegel also cautions that singing outdoors, especially in groups, is difficult because you can't hear yourself well and know if you're in key. If possible, carolers should bring someone with them to stand in the audience, who can provide feedback about loudness and quality of the voices.
Thomas Jefferson University
211 S. 9th St., Ste 310
Philadelphia, PA 19107-5506
United States
jefferson
During cold weather, the air is cold and dry, and in turn, can dry up your voice, explains Thomas Jefferson University Hospital voice specialist Joseph R. Spiegel, M.D., and co-director of the Jefferson Center for Voice and Swallowing.
"Carolers need to hydrate well before going out and while outside," said Dr. Speigel, associate professor of otolaryngology/head and neck surgery, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University.
But that doesn't mean downing egg nog or any alcoholic beverages to prepare to sing O Holy Night, he warned.
"Christmas cheer is for those enjoying the carolers and should only be
enjoyed by those caroling when they are finished," Dr. Spiegel said. "Alcohol produces further dehydration. It also numbs a person to the cold temperature but not the effects of the cold temperature."
The voice results from air that blows up through the vocal folds and causes them to vibrate like two reeds on a reed instrument. Vocal injury most commonly results when the throat is dry or the singer is straining.
Dr. Spiegel also cautions that singing outdoors, especially in groups, is difficult because you can't hear yourself well and know if you're in key. If possible, carolers should bring someone with them to stand in the audience, who can provide feedback about loudness and quality of the voices.
Thomas Jefferson University
211 S. 9th St., Ste 310
Philadelphia, PA 19107-5506
United States
jefferson
Fetal Alcohol Exposure: Baby's First Stool May Provide Clues
Meconium: Baby's first stool may provide clues to fetal alcohol exposure
* Fetal alcohol exposure is usually determined through self-reported maternal consumption.
* New research shows that certain fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) in meconium may provide dependable biomarkers of fetal alcohol exposure.
* FAEEs ethyl linoleate and ethyl arachidonate appear particularly promising.
Fetal alcohol exposure is usually determined through self-reported maternal consumption. Self-reported drinking, however, is often an unreliable measure. Researchers have found that the presence of certain fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) in meconium may provide a dependable biomarker of fetal alcohol exposure.
Results are published in the July 2006 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
"There are only a few biomarkers that indicate if an infant has been exposed to alcohol during pregnancy, and most of them are not strictly associated with alcohol use," said Enrique M. Ostrea, Jr., professor of pediatrics at Wayne State University. "In this study, we have found a direct association between the presence of certain FAEEs and alcohol use." Ostrea, Jr. is also the corresponding author for the study.
When people drink alcohol, it combines with certain fats in the body known as fatty acids, and FAEEs are formed. These "markers" are either deposited in tissues or, in the case of a growing fetus, in fetal urine or meconium.
"People characteristically underreport the amount of alcohol they drink," said Michael Laposata, director of clinical laboratories at the Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School. "One can measure blood alcohol but it disappears from the blood relatively quickly after drinking stops, so only very recent intake can be documented. FAEEs are 'long-term markers' of alcohol intake because they stay much longer in blood than alcohol itself and, in this case, accumulate in meconium."
For this study, researchers examined 124 mother/infant pairs. Based on self reports, 93 of the mothers had consumed alcohol during pregnancy, and 31 had not. FAEEs were analyzed in the infants' meconium by a highly sensitive and specific method called positive chemical ionization gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Results were correlated to maternal alcohol use during pregnancy.
The presence of FAEE ethyl linoleate in meconium is highly indicative of fetal exposure to alcohol during pregnancy, said Ostrea, Jr.
"The incidence of ethyl linoleate in meconium was found to be significantly higher in the alcohol-exposed group when compared to the control group," he said. "There was also a significant association between alcohol exposure and group concentrations of ethyl linoleate. Furthermore, the highest ethyl-linoleate concentration was only found in the alcohol-exposed infants."
Ostrea, Jr. said that results also suggest that FAEEs ethyl arachidonate and docosahexanoate may have potential as biomarkers of alcohol effects on the developing fetal brain.
"Polyunsaturated long chain fatty acids, such as arachidonic and docosahexanoic acids, are important for the body," he explained. "Arachidonic acid is used in the formation of important compounds called eicosanoids, while docosahexanoic acid is used for retinal and brain development in the fetus and infant. We propose that when the fetus is exposed to alcohol … arachidonic and docosahexanoic acids may become unavailable to the fetus for its developmental needs, particularly brain development. This could result in mental retardation."
"This is an important report," said Laposata. "The measurements of the FAEEs are exceedingly well done. However, the test is only able to identify about one quarter of the mothers who ingest alcohol during pregnancy." He suggested that testing expectant mothers for alcohol intake prior to delivery would have more merit than testing meconium after birth because an objective identification of alcohol intake during pregnancy could lead to intervention, possible cessation of drinking, and a better outcome for the fetus. "We have an obvious need to check mothers during pregnancy before damage to the fetus is done," he said.
Until that transpires, said Ostrea, Jr., "our manuscript is supportive of the validity of using FAEEs as biomarkers of prenatal alcohol exposure. This would allow early identification and treatment for children born with fetal alcohol effects who might otherwise not be recognized, particularly if the mother does not admit to drinking."
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (ACER) is the official journal of the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism. Co-authors of the ACER paper, "Fatty acid ethyl esters in meconium: Are they biomarkers of fetal alcohol exposure and effect?," were: Joel D. Hernandez, Dawn M. Bielawski, Jack M. Kan and Gregorio M. Leonardo of the Department of Pediatrics at Hutzel Hospital; Michelle Buda Abela, Michael W. Church, John H. Hannigan, and Robert J. Sokol of the Department of Obstetrics at the Mott Center for Human Growth and Development; and James J. Janisse and Joel W. Ager of the Center for Healthcare Effectiveness Research at Wayne State University. The study was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Contact:
Enrique M. Ostrea, Jr., MD
eostreamed.wayne
Hutzel Hospital
Michael Laposata, MD, PhD
Massachusetts General Hospital
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
* Fetal alcohol exposure is usually determined through self-reported maternal consumption.
* New research shows that certain fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) in meconium may provide dependable biomarkers of fetal alcohol exposure.
* FAEEs ethyl linoleate and ethyl arachidonate appear particularly promising.
Fetal alcohol exposure is usually determined through self-reported maternal consumption. Self-reported drinking, however, is often an unreliable measure. Researchers have found that the presence of certain fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) in meconium may provide a dependable biomarker of fetal alcohol exposure.
Results are published in the July 2006 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
"There are only a few biomarkers that indicate if an infant has been exposed to alcohol during pregnancy, and most of them are not strictly associated with alcohol use," said Enrique M. Ostrea, Jr., professor of pediatrics at Wayne State University. "In this study, we have found a direct association between the presence of certain FAEEs and alcohol use." Ostrea, Jr. is also the corresponding author for the study.
When people drink alcohol, it combines with certain fats in the body known as fatty acids, and FAEEs are formed. These "markers" are either deposited in tissues or, in the case of a growing fetus, in fetal urine or meconium.
"People characteristically underreport the amount of alcohol they drink," said Michael Laposata, director of clinical laboratories at the Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School. "One can measure blood alcohol but it disappears from the blood relatively quickly after drinking stops, so only very recent intake can be documented. FAEEs are 'long-term markers' of alcohol intake because they stay much longer in blood than alcohol itself and, in this case, accumulate in meconium."
For this study, researchers examined 124 mother/infant pairs. Based on self reports, 93 of the mothers had consumed alcohol during pregnancy, and 31 had not. FAEEs were analyzed in the infants' meconium by a highly sensitive and specific method called positive chemical ionization gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Results were correlated to maternal alcohol use during pregnancy.
The presence of FAEE ethyl linoleate in meconium is highly indicative of fetal exposure to alcohol during pregnancy, said Ostrea, Jr.
"The incidence of ethyl linoleate in meconium was found to be significantly higher in the alcohol-exposed group when compared to the control group," he said. "There was also a significant association between alcohol exposure and group concentrations of ethyl linoleate. Furthermore, the highest ethyl-linoleate concentration was only found in the alcohol-exposed infants."
Ostrea, Jr. said that results also suggest that FAEEs ethyl arachidonate and docosahexanoate may have potential as biomarkers of alcohol effects on the developing fetal brain.
"Polyunsaturated long chain fatty acids, such as arachidonic and docosahexanoic acids, are important for the body," he explained. "Arachidonic acid is used in the formation of important compounds called eicosanoids, while docosahexanoic acid is used for retinal and brain development in the fetus and infant. We propose that when the fetus is exposed to alcohol … arachidonic and docosahexanoic acids may become unavailable to the fetus for its developmental needs, particularly brain development. This could result in mental retardation."
"This is an important report," said Laposata. "The measurements of the FAEEs are exceedingly well done. However, the test is only able to identify about one quarter of the mothers who ingest alcohol during pregnancy." He suggested that testing expectant mothers for alcohol intake prior to delivery would have more merit than testing meconium after birth because an objective identification of alcohol intake during pregnancy could lead to intervention, possible cessation of drinking, and a better outcome for the fetus. "We have an obvious need to check mothers during pregnancy before damage to the fetus is done," he said.
Until that transpires, said Ostrea, Jr., "our manuscript is supportive of the validity of using FAEEs as biomarkers of prenatal alcohol exposure. This would allow early identification and treatment for children born with fetal alcohol effects who might otherwise not be recognized, particularly if the mother does not admit to drinking."
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (ACER) is the official journal of the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism. Co-authors of the ACER paper, "Fatty acid ethyl esters in meconium: Are they biomarkers of fetal alcohol exposure and effect?," were: Joel D. Hernandez, Dawn M. Bielawski, Jack M. Kan and Gregorio M. Leonardo of the Department of Pediatrics at Hutzel Hospital; Michelle Buda Abela, Michael W. Church, John H. Hannigan, and Robert J. Sokol of the Department of Obstetrics at the Mott Center for Human Growth and Development; and James J. Janisse and Joel W. Ager of the Center for Healthcare Effectiveness Research at Wayne State University. The study was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Contact:
Enrique M. Ostrea, Jr., MD
eostreamed.wayne
Hutzel Hospital
Michael Laposata, MD, PhD
Massachusetts General Hospital
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
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