Alcoholism is linked to higher rates of general and cancer-related deaths Public release date: 15-Nov-2011
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Contact: Domenico Palli, M.D.
d.palli@ispo.toscana.it
39-55-7972540 (Italy)
Cancer Research and Prevention Institute

Add’l contact: Emanuele Scafato, M.D.
emanuele.scafato@iss.it
39-06-4990-4028 (Italy)
Istituto Superiore di Sanita

Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research

Alcohol consumption causes approximately four percent of all deaths worldwide and is responsible for roughly five percent of global diseases. A study of alcohol consumption in Tuscany, Italy has found that alcoholics have significantly higher rates of both general and cancer mortality when compared to the general population. Results will be published in the February 2012 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View. “[We conducted this study of] mortality rates [among] this relatively large group of alcoholics because of our interest in better understanding the risk profile of alcoholism,” explained Domenico Palli, head of the Nutritional and Molecular Epidemiology Unit at the Cancer Research and Prevention Institute (ISPO) in Florence, and corresponding author for the study. “The higher number of male alcoholics in our group reflects the distribution of alcohol consumption in the Italian population.” “There have been other studies of the relationship between alcohol and mortality but not with so many addicted people and particularly those with cancer,” added Emanuele Scafato, director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Research & Health Promotion on Alcohol and Alcohol-Related Problems at the Istituto Superiore di Sanit. “From an epidemiological point of view, this is a unique opportunity to examine health experiences and outcomes due to long-term hazardous and harmful consumption of a toxic and well-known carcinogenic that has resulted in alcohol dependence. This is relevant from a public-health perspective in order to formulate caution messages to the public to increase levels of awareness about the need for a healthier lifestyle and really moderate alcohol consumption.” Palli and his colleagues gathered data on 2,272 alcoholics (1,467 males, 805 females), predominantly middle-aged, who were treated at the Alcohol Center of Florence during the period of April 1985 through September 2001, for a total of 21,855 person-years. Expected deaths were estimated by using age, gender, and calendar-specific regional mortality rates. “Our study has provided strong evidence that alcohol addiction significantly increases the risk of death from several causes in comparison to the general population in a Mediterranean country,” said Palli. “The alcoholics seemed to be at greater risk of mortality for specific diseases such as infections, diabetes, diseases of the immunological, nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, and digestive systems, as well as violent causes. Alcohol’s role as a ‘dietary’ carcinogen emerged quite clearly. The highest risks were found for cancers of the pharynx, oral cavity, liver, and larynx, but also the risk of other cancers esophagus, rectum, pancreas, female breast was increased.” “This research is certainly a step in the right direction in order to foster awareness not only for addicted people but for the general population as well,” said Scafato. “It is also important for health professionals to increase levels of valid information and competent actions aimed at prevention, early identification, advice, and helping people change. It is furthermore one more tool for better dealing with a counterproductive and misleading information spread mainly by commercial interests that always give a positive image of drinkers, portraying drinking as a ‘must’ behavior. Those who are advised or believe that one glass could be good for the heart, they should also be aware that WHO councils that for many people, females and the elderly for example, just a bit more than a glass increases the risk of 60 diseases and 14 cancers. This is what prevention needs to address in terms of informed choices, keeping in mind that hazardous alcohol use always produces more harm than benefits at the population level.” The results also showed that female alcoholics reported higher survival rates than male alcoholics. “Perhaps female alcoholics are more likely to obtain help and achieve remission, tend to benefit more than men from continued participation in treatment programs, and/or tend to be referred to specific alcohol centre earlier than men, who often are admitted with advanced disease or only when severe symptoms emerge,” said Palli. “Women usually live longer than males on average,” added Scafato, “and are much more keen to control their health status; they also tend to have a higher probability of receiving medical interventions due to a different social networking and mutual gender support. “ “Clearly alcohol abuse can compromise the structure and functionality of several human organs, thus directly increasing the risk of death,” said Palli. “Other aspects of the characteristic life-style of alcoholics smoking, drug abuse, promiscuity and a poor diet may contribute to this high-risk pattern together with reduced health-consciousness.” “These results send a clear message about drinking,” said Scafato. “Less is better. Alcohol-related cancer is by definition an avoidable cause of premature mortality, morbidity, and disabilities. It is up to the consumer to adopt a model of consumption that follows existing national guidelines, and respects alcohol-free workplaces, drink/driving laws, and abstaining from alcohol during pregnancy and adolescence. Clinicians and medical doctors should keep in mind the need for early detection of hazardous or harmful consumption. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test is the best option as a general-population level screen.” ### 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, “General and Cancer Mortality in a Large Cohort of Italian Alcoholics,” were: Gabriele Bardazzi of the Diurnal Alcohol Centre UFM C at the Local Health Unit ASL10; Calogero Saieva, Giovanna Masala, Marco Ceroti, Elena Gelain, and Andrea Querci of the Molecular and Nutritional Epidemiology Unit at ISPO; Andrea Quartini of the Alcohol Unit UFM C at the Local Health Unit ASL10; Adriana Iozzi of the Drug Addiction Unit UFM C at the Local Health Unit ASL10; and Allaman Allamani of the Alcohol Centre Research Group UFM C at the Local Health Unit ASL10 all in Florence, Italy. This release is supported by the Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network at http://www.ATTCnetwork.org.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Alcoholism is linked to higher rates of general and cancer-related deaths Public release date: 15-Nov-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Domenico Palli, M.D.
d.palli@ispo.toscana.it
39-55-7972540 (Italy)
Cancer Research and Prevention Institute

Add’l contact: Emanuele Scafato, M.D.
emanuele.scafato@iss.it
39-06-4990-4028 (Italy)
Istituto Superiore di Sanita

Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research

Alcohol consumption causes approximately four percent of all deaths worldwide and is responsible for roughly five percent of global diseases. A study of alcohol consumption in Tuscany, Italy has found that alcoholics have significantly higher rates of both general and cancer mortality when compared to the general population. Results will be published in the February 2012 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View. “[We conducted this study of] mortality rates [among] this relatively large group of alcoholics because of our interest in better understanding the risk profile of alcoholism,” explained Domenico Palli, head of the Nutritional and Molecular Epidemiology Unit at the Cancer Research and Prevention Institute (ISPO) in Florence, and corresponding author for the study. “The higher number of male alcoholics in our group reflects the distribution of alcohol consumption in the Italian population.” “There have been other studies of the relationship between alcohol and mortality but not with so many addicted people and particularly those with cancer,” added Emanuele Scafato, director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Research & Health Promotion on Alcohol and Alcohol-Related Problems at the Istituto Superiore di Sanit. “From an epidemiological point of view, this is a unique opportunity to examine health experiences and outcomes due to long-term hazardous and harmful consumption of a toxic and well-known carcinogenic that has resulted in alcohol dependence. This is relevant from a public-health perspective in order to formulate caution messages to the public to increase levels of awareness about the need for a healthier lifestyle and really moderate alcohol consumption.” Palli and his colleagues gathered data on 2,272 alcoholics (1,467 males, 805 females), predominantly middle-aged, who were treated at the Alcohol Center of Florence during the period of April 1985 through September 2001, for a total of 21,855 person-years. Expected deaths were estimated by using age, gender, and calendar-specific regional mortality rates. “Our study has provided strong evidence that alcohol addiction significantly increases the risk of death from several causes in comparison to the general population in a Mediterranean country,” said Palli. “The alcoholics seemed to be at greater risk of mortality for specific diseases such as infections, diabetes, diseases of the immunological, nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, and digestive systems, as well as violent causes. Alcohol’s role as a ‘dietary’ carcinogen emerged quite clearly. The highest risks were found for cancers of the pharynx, oral cavity, liver, and larynx, but also the risk of other cancers esophagus, rectum, pancreas, female breast was increased.” “This research is certainly a step in the right direction in order to foster awareness not only for addicted people but for the general population as well,” said Scafato. “It is also important for health professionals to increase levels of valid information and competent actions aimed at prevention, early identification, advice, and helping people change. It is furthermore one more tool for better dealing with a counterproductive and misleading information spread mainly by commercial interests that always give a positive image of drinkers, portraying drinking as a ‘must’ behavior. Those who are advised or believe that one glass could be good for the heart, they should also be aware that WHO councils that for many people, females and the elderly for example, just a bit more than a glass increases the risk of 60 diseases and 14 cancers. This is what prevention needs to address in terms of informed choices, keeping in mind that hazardous alcohol use always produces more harm than benefits at the population level.” The results also showed that female alcoholics reported higher survival rates than male alcoholics. “Perhaps female alcoholics are more likely to obtain help and achieve remission, tend to benefit more than men from continued participation in treatment programs, and/or tend to be referred to specific alcohol centre earlier than men, who often are admitted with advanced disease or only when severe symptoms emerge,” said Palli. “Women usually live longer than males on average,” added Scafato, “and are much more keen to control their health status; they also tend to have a higher probability of receiving medical interventions due to a different social networking and mutual gender support. “ “Clearly alcohol abuse can compromise the structure and functionality of several human organs, thus directly increasing the risk of death,” said Palli. “Other aspects of the characteristic life-style of alcoholics smoking, drug abuse, promiscuity and a poor diet may contribute to this high-risk pattern together with reduced health-consciousness.” “These results send a clear message about drinking,” said Scafato. “Less is better. Alcohol-related cancer is by definition an avoidable cause of premature mortality, morbidity, and disabilities. It is up to the consumer to adopt a model of consumption that follows existing national guidelines, and respects alcohol-free workplaces, drink/driving laws, and abstaining from alcohol during pregnancy and adolescence. Clinicians and medical doctors should keep in mind the need for early detection of hazardous or harmful consumption. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test is the best option as a general-population level screen.” ### 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, “General and Cancer Mortality in a Large Cohort of Italian Alcoholics,” were: Gabriele Bardazzi of the Diurnal Alcohol Centre UFM C at the Local Health Unit ASL10; Calogero Saieva, Giovanna Masala, Marco Ceroti, Elena Gelain, and Andrea Querci of the Molecular and Nutritional Epidemiology Unit at ISPO; Andrea Quartini of the Alcohol Unit UFM C at the Local Health Unit ASL10; Adriana Iozzi of the Drug Addiction Unit UFM C at the Local Health Unit ASL10; and Allaman Allamani of the Alcohol Centre Research Group UFM C at the Local Health Unit ASL10 all in Florence, Italy. This release is supported by the Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network at http://www.ATTCnetwork.org.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Higher minimum legal drinking ages linked to lower rates of suicides and homicides later in life Public release date: 15-Nov-2011
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Contact: Richard A. Grucza, Ph. D., M.P.E.
rick@wustl.edu
314-362-6535
Washington University School of Medicine

Add’l contact: Katherine M. Keyes, Ph.D.
kmk2104@columbia.edu
212-543-5002
Columbia University

Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research

Prior to the 1984 passage of a uniform drinking-age limit of 21 years in the U.S., many states permitted the legal purchase of alcohol at age 18. These lower drinking ages have been associated with several adverse outcomes such as higher rates of suicide and homicide among youth. A new study of individuals who were legally permitted to drink before the age of 21 has found they remain at elevated risk for suicide and homicide as adults, particularly women born after 1960. Results will be published in the February 2012 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View. “After prohibition, most states had a drinking age of 21,” explained Richard A. Grucza, an epidemiologist at Washington University School of Medicine, and corresponding author for the study. “In the late 1960s and early 1970s, as voting rights were extended to people as young as 18, and people of that age were also being drafted to serve in Viet Nam, a lot of states lowered their drinking ages. But by the late 1970s, we saw spikes in DUI-related deaths among young people and states began to revert to a drinking age of 21. The 1984 federal act was really just a completion of change that was already underway.” “Alcohol-control policies are always controversial, as many people are generally in opposition to laws which seem to govern individual choices and behavior,” observed Katherine M. Keyes, a post-doctoral fellow in epidemiology at Columbia University. “However, this study and other data make the case for minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) laws as a public health benefit incredibly clear: MLDA laws save lives, both among young people and as currently demonstrated, throughout the life course.” Grucza added that he and his colleagues had earlier observed higher rates of alcohol and drug use disorders among adults both men and women who were born in states that allowed alcohol sales to youth under age 21. Furthermore, other shorter-term studies had found higher rates of DUI accidents, other drinking behaviors, suicides, and homicides in states with lower drinking ages during the time those laws were in effect. “So studying the longer-term effects of drinking ages on suicide and homicide was a logical next step,” he said. Grucza and his co-authors used data from the U.S. Multiple Cause of Death files, 1990-2004, along with data on living populations from the U.S. Census and American Community Survey. The combined data contained records on more than 200,000 suicides and 130,000 homicides for individuals who turned 18 between the years 1967 and 1989, the years during which legal drinking ages were in flux. “A number of adverse consequences were associated with lower drinking ages during the time periods that those laws were in effect, including elevated rates of suicide and homicide,” said Grucza. “In this study we found that youth who lived in states with lower drinking ages remain at elevated risk for suicide and homicide as adults. The effect seems to be specific for women.” “This study is an incredibly important documentation of the long-term impact of alcohol-control policies,” said Keyes. “These findings indicate that populations among whom alcohol was restricted until age 21 experience health benefits of that restriction throughout adulthood, with significantly reduced risk of homicide and suicide among women in more recently born cohorts.” More specifically, study authors estimated that the national drinking age of 21 years may be preventing approximately 600 suicides and 600 homicides annually. “Suicide and homicide are very different phenomena,” observed Grucza. “For homicide, females are victimized by acquaintances in 92 percent of the cases. If lower drinking ages result in elevated rates of alcohol problems, this could contribute to alcohol-fueled domestic violence. Alcohol use by both women and their partners could contribute to domestic-violence situations. For suicide, it may be that alcohol contributes to the severity of suicide attempts. In general, women attempt suicide more often than men, but men complete or die from suicide more often than women. Alcohol problems may tip the balance by turning attempts into completions more often, and this would be particularly risky for women because of the higher number of attempts.” “While women are less likely overall to drink and develop alcohol use disorders compared to men, the consequences of drinking are often more harmful for women,” added Keyes. “This study adds important evidence to the literature, indicating that exposure to alcohol during a critical period of development in young adulthood may have long ranging health consequences for women, increasing the risk of suicide and homicide throughout the life course.” “Many scientists believe the adolescent brain is especially vulnerable to the effects of drugs, including alcohol,” said Grucza. “But a lot of the findings supporting that idea come from animal experiments that can’t be extended to humans. We saw drinking-age changes as a ‘natural experiment’ to see what happens to young people who have easy access to alcohol compared to those whose access is restricted: if early drinking was a true risk factor for subsequent alcoholism, then we should see multiple adverse long-term consequences among people who lived under more permissive drinking age laws as youth. Our results help to solidify the case for drinking age laws.” Keyes concurred. “Grucza and colleagues have elegantly demonstrated that individuals who were young adults during a time in which they could legally drink between the ages of 18 and 21 have far-reaching health consequences in adulthood,” she said. “Given that debate over the MLDA in the U.S. continues to persist, especially in light of the Amethyst Initiative supported by many college presidents which advocates returning to an age 18 MLDA, this study is an important reminder of the public-health effectiveness of controlling alcohol at the population level during a very critical time in development. These data underscore that, especially for young women, drinking during young adulthood can lead to a wide range of consequences throughout the life course.” “The 21 MLDA was initially adopted to reduce the number of DUI related accidents and other social consequences of drinking involving young people,” added Grucza. “The finding that it may also save lives and reduce problems during adulthood shows the importance of maintaining these laws, and developing other interventions aimed toward reducing drinking among young people.” ### 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, “The Legacy of Minimum Legal Drinking Age Law Changes: Long-Term Effects on Suicide and Homicide Deaths among Women,” were: Pamela R Hipp, Laura Rundell, Anastasia Evanoff, Patricia Cavazos-Rehg, and Laura J. Bierut of the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine; and Karen E. Norberg of the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine, and the National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health. This release is supported by the Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network at http://www.ATTCnetwork.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ]  
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Higher minimum legal drinking ages linked to lower rates of suicides and homicides later in life Public release date: 15-Nov-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Richard A. Grucza, Ph. D., M.P.E.
rick@wustl.edu
314-362-6535
Washington University School of Medicine

Add’l contact: Katherine M. Keyes, Ph.D.
kmk2104@columbia.edu
212-543-5002
Columbia University

Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research

Prior to the 1984 passage of a uniform drinking-age limit of 21 years in the U.S., many states permitted the legal purchase of alcohol at age 18. These lower drinking ages have been associated with several adverse outcomes such as higher rates of suicide and homicide among youth. A new study of individuals who were legally permitted to drink before the age of 21 has found they remain at elevated risk for suicide and homicide as adults, particularly women born after 1960. Results will be published in the February 2012 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View. “After prohibition, most states had a drinking age of 21,” explained Richard A. Grucza, an epidemiologist at Washington University School of Medicine, and corresponding author for the study. “In the late 1960s and early 1970s, as voting rights were extended to people as young as 18, and people of that age were also being drafted to serve in Viet Nam, a lot of states lowered their drinking ages. But by the late 1970s, we saw spikes in DUI-related deaths among young people and states began to revert to a drinking age of 21. The 1984 federal act was really just a completion of change that was already underway.” “Alcohol-control policies are always controversial, as many people are generally in opposition to laws which seem to govern individual choices and behavior,” observed Katherine M. Keyes, a post-doctoral fellow in epidemiology at Columbia University. “However, this study and other data make the case for minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) laws as a public health benefit incredibly clear: MLDA laws save lives, both among young people and as currently demonstrated, throughout the life course.” Grucza added that he and his colleagues had earlier observed higher rates of alcohol and drug use disorders among adults both men and women who were born in states that allowed alcohol sales to youth under age 21. Furthermore, other shorter-term studies had found higher rates of DUI accidents, other drinking behaviors, suicides, and homicides in states with lower drinking ages during the time those laws were in effect. “So studying the longer-term effects of drinking ages on suicide and homicide was a logical next step,” he said. Grucza and his co-authors used data from the U.S. Multiple Cause of Death files, 1990-2004, along with data on living populations from the U.S. Census and American Community Survey. The combined data contained records on more than 200,000 suicides and 130,000 homicides for individuals who turned 18 between the years 1967 and 1989, the years during which legal drinking ages were in flux. “A number of adverse consequences were associated with lower drinking ages during the time periods that those laws were in effect, including elevated rates of suicide and homicide,” said Grucza. “In this study we found that youth who lived in states with lower drinking ages remain at elevated risk for suicide and homicide as adults. The effect seems to be specific for women.” “This study is an incredibly important documentation of the long-term impact of alcohol-control policies,” said Keyes. “These findings indicate that populations among whom alcohol was restricted until age 21 experience health benefits of that restriction throughout adulthood, with significantly reduced risk of homicide and suicide among women in more recently born cohorts.” More specifically, study authors estimated that the national drinking age of 21 years may be preventing approximately 600 suicides and 600 homicides annually. “Suicide and homicide are very different phenomena,” observed Grucza. “For homicide, females are victimized by acquaintances in 92 percent of the cases. If lower drinking ages result in elevated rates of alcohol problems, this could contribute to alcohol-fueled domestic violence. Alcohol use by both women and their partners could contribute to domestic-violence situations. For suicide, it may be that alcohol contributes to the severity of suicide attempts. In general, women attempt suicide more often than men, but men complete or die from suicide more often than women. Alcohol problems may tip the balance by turning attempts into completions more often, and this would be particularly risky for women because of the higher number of attempts.” “While women are less likely overall to drink and develop alcohol use disorders compared to men, the consequences of drinking are often more harmful for women,” added Keyes. “This study adds important evidence to the literature, indicating that exposure to alcohol during a critical period of development in young adulthood may have long ranging health consequences for women, increasing the risk of suicide and homicide throughout the life course.” “Many scientists believe the adolescent brain is especially vulnerable to the effects of drugs, including alcohol,” said Grucza. “But a lot of the findings supporting that idea come from animal experiments that can’t be extended to humans. We saw drinking-age changes as a ‘natural experiment’ to see what happens to young people who have easy access to alcohol compared to those whose access is restricted: if early drinking was a true risk factor for subsequent alcoholism, then we should see multiple adverse long-term consequences among people who lived under more permissive drinking age laws as youth. Our results help to solidify the case for drinking age laws.” Keyes concurred. “Grucza and colleagues have elegantly demonstrated that individuals who were young adults during a time in which they could legally drink between the ages of 18 and 21 have far-reaching health consequences in adulthood,” she said. “Given that debate over the MLDA in the U.S. continues to persist, especially in light of the Amethyst Initiative supported by many college presidents which advocates returning to an age 18 MLDA, this study is an important reminder of the public-health effectiveness of controlling alcohol at the population level during a very critical time in development. These data underscore that, especially for young women, drinking during young adulthood can lead to a wide range of consequences throughout the life course.” “The 21 MLDA was initially adopted to reduce the number of DUI related accidents and other social consequences of drinking involving young people,” added Grucza. “The finding that it may also save lives and reduce problems during adulthood shows the importance of maintaining these laws, and developing other interventions aimed toward reducing drinking among young people.” ### 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, “The Legacy of Minimum Legal Drinking Age Law Changes: Long-Term Effects on Suicide and Homicide Deaths among Women,” were: Pamela R Hipp, Laura Rundell, Anastasia Evanoff, Patricia Cavazos-Rehg, and Laura J. Bierut of the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine; and Karen E. Norberg of the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine, and the National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health. This release is supported by the Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network at http://www.ATTCnetwork.org.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Embargoed until 4 p.m. ET Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011

Newswise — Alcoholic brains can perform a simple finger-tapping exercise as well as their sober counterparts but their brain must work a lot harder to do it, according to a Vanderbilt study released today by the journal, Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

Chronic drinking is associated with abnormalities in the structure, metabolism and function of the brain. One of the consequences of these deficits is impairment of motor functioning.

The new study, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a finger-tapping exercise, found that the frontal lobe and cerebellum activities were less integrated in alcoholic individuals.

“The relationship was weaker in alcoholic people, even a week after they had stopped drinking,” said lead author Baxter Rogers, Ph.D., research assistant professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences.

Rogers and colleagues used fMRI to examine 10 uncomplicated chronic alcoholic patients after five to seven days of abstinence and once signs of withdrawal were no longer present, as well as 10 matched healthy controls.

Finger tapping recruits portions of both the cerebellum and frontal cortex, Rogers said, and previous research strongly suggested that both are affected in alcoholism, especially the cerebellum.

“We used fMRI because it measures the function of the entire brain painlessly and non-invasively,” Rogers said. “And it can identify specific brain regions that are involved in tasks, and that are affected in disease.”

The study showed that alcoholic patients could produce the same number of finger taps per minute as did the normal controls, but employed different parts of the brain to do it.

“This suggests that alcoholics needed to compensate for their brain injury,” he said. “They may need to expend more effort, or at least a different brain response, to produce a normal outcome on simple tasks because they are unable to utilize the brain regions needed in an integrated fashion.”

Rogers said that while the study was small, it supports other research showing problems in the frontal-cerebellar brain circuits in alcoholic patients. “Its major contribution is related to studying the simple tasks that alcoholics apparently perform quite normally,” he said.

“Studies like this allow us to see what changes in brain strategies are employed by alcoholic patients in task performance, something that is not apparent to an examining physician without fMRI. Better understanding how brain circuits of alcoholics are rewired due to their disease may one day lead to new approaches to healing alcoholism and rehabilitation of these brain dysfunctions,” said Peter Martin, M.D., professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, senior author of the study

Results will be published in the February 2012 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.

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Alcoholism and other substance-use disorders appear strongly linked to a particular gene mutation, researchers reported Tuesday.

Substance-use disorders are thought to arise from a combination of environmental or lifestyle factors and genetic characteristics. Identifying certain genes that are known to predispose people to the disease could be helpful in preventing drug addiction. Researchers have been working to identify some of the prominent gene mutations that could serve as markers.

The study focused on a gene called cannabinoid receptor 1 — or CRN 1. Researchers in Spain examined three variants of the gene that had previously been linked to alcoholism. The genes were identified from blood samples of 298 males with alcoholism and 155 people without addiction. In two of those variants the researchers found a combination of alterations in the normal gene sequence that appear to be inherited together. Those two mutations appear more frequently in people with alcoholism.

“Certain patients consuming a large amount of alcohol will be more likely to develop alcohol dependence according to the possession of specific CNR1 polymorphisms,” the lead author of the study, Rogelio Gonazalez-Sarmiento, of the University of Salamanca, Spain, said in a news release.

The study was published online in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

Another study in that journal, published Tuesday, estimates that alcohol consumption causes about 4% of deaths worldwide and about 5% of worldwide disease. Excessive alcohol consumption is linked to an increased risk of infections, diabetes, immune-system disorders, cardiovascular and respiratory disorders, digestive ailments, violence and accidents. It also raises the risk of cancer of the pharynx, oral cavity, liver, larynx, esophagus, rectum, pancreas and, for females, breast cancer.

“These results send a clear message about drinking,” said a co-author of the study, Emanuele Scafato of the Instituto Superiore di Sanita in Italy. “Less is better.”

Return to Booster Shots blog.

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People who are alcohol-dependent and who also carry a particular variant of a gene run an increased risk of premature death. This is a recent finding from the interdisciplinary research at the Department of Psychology and the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Researchers in the longitudinal project Goteborg Alcohol Research Project (GARP) have been investigating the dopamine D2 receptor gene and found that a variant of this gene is overrepresented in people with severe alcohol dependency, and that it is linked to a number of different negative consequences that can be of vital significance to the person affected.

“Our research shows that alcohol-dependent individuals, who are also carriers of this gene variant, run 10 times the risk of dying prematurely, compared with the average population,” says Claudia Fahlke, a representative from the research team.

In a study published recently in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism (issue 46), the research team shows that this gene variant also appears to be associated with a higher tendency among these individuals to suffer a relapse, even if they have undergone treatment for their alcohol dependency. This may provide one explanation as to the higher mortality rate in people suffering from alcohol dependency, who are carriers of this gene variant.

“This knowledge emphasises the importance of developing methods for early identifying individuals who are also carriers of this gene variant, since the consequences can be so serious,” says Jan Balldin at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.

Provided by University of Gothenburg (news : web)

Gene impedes recovery from alcoholism Public release date: 15-Nov-2011
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Contact: Kristina Berglund
Kristina.Berglund@psy.gu.se
46-031-786-1878
University of Gothenburg

People who are alcohol-dependent and who also carry a particular variant of a gene run an increased risk of premature death. This is a recent finding from the interdisciplinary research at the Department of Psychology and the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Researchers in the longitudinal project Gteborg Alcohol Research Project (GARP) have been investigating the dopamine D2 receptor gene and found that a variant of this gene is overrepresented in people with severe alcohol dependency, and that it is linked to a number of different negative consequences that can be of vital significance to the person affected. “Our research shows that alcohol-dependent individuals, who are also carriers of this gene variant, run 10 times the risk of dying prematurely, compared with the average population,” says Claudia Fahlke, a representative from the research team. In a study published recently in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism (issue 46), the research team shows that this gene variant also appears to be associated with a higher tendency among these individuals to suffer a relapse, even if they have undergone treatment for their alcohol dependency. This may provide one explanation as to the higher mortality rate in people suffering from alcohol dependency, who are carriers of this gene variant. “This knowledge emphasises the importance of developing methods for early identifying individuals who are also carriers of this gene variant, since the consequences can be so serious,” says Jan Balldin at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg. ### [ | E-mail | Share ]  
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Gene impedes recovery from alcoholism Public release date: 15-Nov-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Kristina Berglund
Kristina.Berglund@psy.gu.se
46-031-786-1878
University of Gothenburg

People who are alcohol-dependent and who also carry a particular variant of a gene run an increased risk of premature death. This is a recent finding from the interdisciplinary research at the Department of Psychology and the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Researchers in the longitudinal project Gteborg Alcohol Research Project (GARP) have been investigating the dopamine D2 receptor gene and found that a variant of this gene is overrepresented in people with severe alcohol dependency, and that it is linked to a number of different negative consequences that can be of vital significance to the person affected. “Our research shows that alcohol-dependent individuals, who are also carriers of this gene variant, run 10 times the risk of dying prematurely, compared with the average population,” says Claudia Fahlke, a representative from the research team. In a study published recently in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism (issue 46), the research team shows that this gene variant also appears to be associated with a higher tendency among these individuals to suffer a relapse, even if they have undergone treatment for their alcohol dependency. This may provide one explanation as to the higher mortality rate in people suffering from alcohol dependency, who are carriers of this gene variant. “This knowledge emphasises the importance of developing methods for early identifying individuals who are also carriers of this gene variant, since the consequences can be so serious,” says Jan Balldin at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg. ### [ | E-mail | Share ]  
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THE DIARY

Tony Bilson’s Number One Wine Bar and Bilson’s Restaurant at the Radisson Plaza collapsed a few weeks ago with debts totalling $1.5 million.

As Bilson continues to plot the reopening of the former, the Diary has learnt liquidators will take the cellar of the latter to an unreserved online auction tomorrow morning.

A spokeswoman for GraysOnline told us 1226 bottles will go under the digital hammer – 620 lots all up – with all bottles starting at $9. The cellar was valued at $300,000 by Rob Geddes, one of three of Australian Masters of Wine. (Geddes, incidentally, blurbed the sale somewhat clumsily in the release: ”At least you can drink like Tony!!” Bilson has confessed to bouts of alcoholism.)

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So we went to the Herald’s wine expert, Huon Hooke to ask what he thought.

”It’s a pretty interesting selection with really nice, quirky and interesting wines,” he said.

Hooke said that the list featured many single bottles and only three Granges, and suggested people could have had ”a pick at it before auction or [Bilson’s] could have been trying to run down the inventory before they went broke”.

He said a handful of wines – such as the two bottles of 1978 Chateau Latour – would be worth several hundred dollars; some Remoissenet (White Burgundy), a Chapoutier and three bottles of 1959 Bredif Vouvray also stood out.

As for bargains? ”I have no idea, but I imagine ones that are quite common would go cheap,” he said.

THE ABC OF STAFF RESHUFFLES

While the debate continues over just who should replace ABC radio presenter Deborah Cameron, a swag of contenders for the job have been taken out of the equation after Radio National confirmed a major shake-up of the network for 2012.

In an internal memo to ABC staff yesterday, Radio National manager Michael Mason revealed a move towards more media coverage, a fresh face for religion and changing timeslots for a number of network stalwarts, all part of a renewed commitment to ”nurturing genuine and real intellectual ideas and debate” in Australia. ”It [Radio National] retains what is best about the network – our commitment to specialist programming, thoughtful analysis of current events and ideas, arts and cultural programming and the extraordinary level of intelligence and passion that our staff bring to program making,” he said, going on to list the changes.

”At the top of the day, a female voice returns to Life Matters, with Natasha Mitchell presenting the program,” he said, going on to say Robbie Buck would join a new music program on weekday afternoons, Richard Aedy would move from Life Matters to the returning Media Report (as well as Sunday Profile), a new show tentatively titled Books and Arts with Michael Cathcart would air weekdays at 10am, and Waleed Aly will present Drive from Monday to Thursday.

Other changes include a new presenter for Big Ideas (Paul Barclay), Julian Morrow has joined Friday Night Drive, Fenella Kernebone will take over By Design, and more. One announcement in particular caught our eye, that the Herald’s own Andrew West will be jumping from print to radio to present The Religion and Ethics Report. ”As hard as it is to leave the company that I really love and where I have worked on three separate occasions now, the chance to present a program in an area that has fascinated me for many years was too good to pass up,” West said.

CLAP YOUR HANDS

We’ve always known they were pretty hip, but now there’s proof the Wiggles are a lot more than a kids’ band, with a tribute album featuring some of the country’s hottest musicians reinterpreting the under fours’ Fab Four’s hits. Released to mark the Wiggles’ 20th birthday, the album has serious street cred, with Paul Greene, Adalita, Frenzal Rhomb, Spiderbait, Sarah Blasco, Architecture in Helsinki and more (21 artists in total) contributing. The idea, Wiggles manager Paul Field said, was to get musos who were Wiggles fans in the early days to rework their favourite tracks. ”I’ve never had so much fun!” he said. It also won the band a few new fans, with Greene admitting he didn’t really know too much about their work until he took on the project, but has suddenly become a convert. ”I didn’t have a Wiggles CD before I took on the project to tell you the truth,” said Greene, who has reworked their track Henry’s Spinning, originally a dance track for a whirling octopus, into a haunting ballad. ”My knowledge of the Wiggles and my adoration of them has been a recent thing, in a way I think a lot of people will do so now. This reinterpretation just shows a new side to songs that are so pervasive,” he said. It also makes, for parents, the pain of having those ear worms stuck in your head just that little bit more bearable.

FIRED UP OVER EQUITY

The bitter dispute over the importation of foreign actors has flared again, with Melbourne film producer Antony Ginnane reaching for his metaphorical AK-47 and telling an audience of his peers that actors union Equity was “frightened, heading for the hills, and it’s our job to get out there and shoot them down”. Eek! Mr Ginnane expressed his frustration with opposition from ”a bunch of union hooligans” to his plan to import American actor Gena Rowlands in a session at the Screen Producers Association of Australia conference in Sydney. Mr Ginnane cast US screen legend Rowlands in his psychological drama Last Dance, a $3 million feature now shooting, in February. Under the government’s proposed guidelines the budgets and percentages of foreign investment under which foreign actors could be granted a temporary work visa would be lowered, and an “exceptional circumstances” trigger introduced (Equity vigorously opposes the changes). But with the changes still in limbo when Ginnane submitted his application for Rowlands’s work visa, which was refused last Monday, Rowlands was replaced by Julia Blake, a well-regarded performer – and, incidentally, the wife of Terry Norris, an active supporter of the Equity campaign.

STAY IN TOUCH … WITH REVOLTING STUDENTS AT HARVARD

THE Occupy Wall Street movement has found a new venue in a most unlikely place: Harvard. Yes, the movement’s signature chant of ”we are the 99 per cent” is now being heard in and around the Ivy League university’s rich verdant quadrangles, doubtless inspiring the rejoinder: yes, you’re the 99 per cent of the 1 per cent, you bright, fat kittens, you. But it’s true: a tent city has sprung up there in extension of the global anti-corporate greed movement. Twice in the past 10 days marches have been led through the university as hundreds protested Harvard’s role in the inequality of wealth between the US elite and its poor. On her Washington Post blog, Alexandra Petri wrote that many will be thinking ”oh, go to class!” But she added, why not do just that. ”It might be an oversimplification but surely the events since 2008 have been a vivid and painful reminder of how dangerous it is to entrust the world economy to people without a firm grasp on economics. Don’t occupy the Harvard Yard. Occupy the libraries.

Occupy the classrooms. You have just four years to devote to actually getting a grip on some small portion of the vast array of human knowledge. Do not spend any of them in a tent, surrounded by other people who have no better ideas than you, ‘engaging in dialogue’. It smells peculiar there, and you could be in a red-brick building next to a bust of John Adams, learning something. If you actually want to come up with a way to remedy the injustice, it is the only thing to do.”

WITH FEATS OF ENDURANCE

HAS the specialness disappeared from the once hallowed field of extreme human endeavour? At this very moment there are so many people on Mount Everest it is practically a human pyramid; so many tots in yachts are circumnavigating the globe that tumbleweed blows through the kindergartens of Europe; millionaires are buckling in for a ride around the troposphere with Richard Branson: and now some twerp from France is plotting to swim the Pacific. Yes, the London Telegraph reports Benoit Lecomte is to swim from Tokyo to San Francisco in an epic five-month journey of 8350 kilometres across the Pacific from Japan next year. Lecomte became the first man to swim across the Atlantic without flotation devices in a 73-day journey in 1998, after which he said: ”Never again.” Lecomte, who lives in the US, aims to swim for up to eight hours a day, rest overnight on a trailing catamaran and resume his journey from the same spot in the morning. Swimming in a protective cage on his journey towards California, he will be supported by a five-man crew and advanced technology. Lecomte said he would be able to talk to the crew and receive telephone calls through a system that fits inside a mask. A microchip under his skin will monitor his health. Lecomte will wear an ankle bracelet emitting a magnetic field to deter sharks from attacking him.

WITH GOD (ON YOUR IPHONE)

IN A masterstroke of reinvention, the apple – portrayed in the Bible as forbidden fruit and the instrument of man’s downfall – is being given a second spiritual chance as the home of a new app that lets Catholics monitor their religious fervour. We refer of course to the Apple iPhone and not the fruit, with the new Ignio app allowing the religious to monitor their devotion through a series of activities. To keep a virtual flame alive, users have to read scriptures, post prayers, comment on the prayers of others and more. Keep it up and the ”flame” glows brightly. Let your devotion slide however and the flame goes out. And the only way to re-light it is to ”bump” up against another iPhone that has a lit candle. WeDoBelieve underwrote the app and is working on other faith-based projects.

GOT A TIP?

Contact diary@smh.com.au or 92822350 or twitter.com/thesmhdiary

By Prue Salasky 4:55 p.m. EST, November 14, 2011

I was going to ditch this along with a slew of other holiday-related emails, but it actually has some great tips for how not to overdo. As usual, it’s common sense — but it bears repeating.

“Save the Stuffing for the Turkey: Try Mindful Eating Instead“
By Michelle May, MD

This holiday season, experience maximal pleasure from all the wonderful food. By eating mindfully you’ll eat less and enjoy these special holiday meals even more.
 
The key to mindful eating is to notice the details. Pretend you’re writing an article about your Thanksgiving or other holiday meal for a gourmet magazine.

12 Steps to leave you satisfied with Thanksgiving dinner…minus the stuffed part:

• Focus on the people you’re sharing your meal with. Engage in interesting conversations. Ask questions and really listen to your companions.
• Notice how hungry you are. If you aren’t hungry yet, become aware of the reasons you feel like eating anyway. If it’s for social reasons, then be social for awhile longer, then eat when you get hungry.
• Decide how you want to feel when you’re done eating. Stuffed and miserable? Or comfortable and content? Eating the right amount of food is not about being good but about feeling good. Fill your plate or order accordingly.
• Mentally describe the table setting and the ambiance. Notice the aromas, colors, textures, and presentation of the meal.
• Before eating, take a moment to be truly thankful about where your food came from, including all the people who invested their time, effort, and talent to get it from farm to plate.
• Choose food carefully by asking yourself what you want and what you need. Don’t waste your appetite on cranberry sauce shaped like a can if you don’t love it!
• Put one small bite in your mouth. You only have taste buds on your tongue so the flavors of a large bite of food are lost on your teeth, cheeks, and the roof of your mouth.
• Notice the texture and flavors of the food on your tongue then slowly begin to chew. Breathe since flavors other than salty, sweet, bitter, and sour actually come from the aromas.
• Set your fork down between bites. If you begin to load your next forkful your attention will be on the next bite, not the one you are eating now. And if you are focused on the next bite of food instead of the one you’re eating, you won’t stop eating until there are no more forkfuls.
• Sit for a moment and let the flavors and experience linger before you take the next bite.
• Notice as the food gently fills your stomach. Pause for several minutes in the middle of eating to reconnect with your hunger and fullness levels and enjoyment of the meal.
• Remind yourself that you can eat more later or at another meal so there’s no need to eat it all now and ruin the experience by being too stuffed.

Mindful eating is a great way to enjoy Thanksgiving and other meals more while eating less. You’ll be thankful that you did!

Michelle May, M.D. is a recovered yo-yo dieter and author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat. Website: http://www.amihungry.com.

For more health news, go to www.dailypress.com/health

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East Texan Sharon Rasco said despite repeated efforts to get the juggling act of her life organized she was falling short.

The Hideway Lake resident said she tried a variety or organizational tools from different types of planners to calendars. But nothing was quite helping her pull all the diverse elements of her life together.

Rasco said that changed a couple of years ago when she showed up to attend a two-hour workshop hosted by author Deniece Schofield, who has received national attention for her work in helping people manage their time and their homes.

“I got more than I went after,” Rasco said. “There was just a whole lot good, useful real world information.”

Perhaps the best part, Rasco said, was that Schofield did not recommend going out and buying a lot of organizational tools.

“She just has hint after hint of things you can do that can make a difference,” Rasco said.

Schofield, author of five books on home management and organization, will be in the Longview area Tuesday and Wednesday. There are morning sessions slated at 10 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and an evening session Tuesday at 7.

All sessions will be held at the CenterStone Suites, which were formerly Comfort Suites, at 711 N. North Acess Road, Longview

All three seminars cover the same information. The cost, including handouts, is $25 at the door.

Schofield readily admits that she was once a disorganized person, suffering from a chronic case of cluttered closets and negative attitudes. When wishful thinking didn’t work, she decided to attack the problems directly.

She said she tried and retried various techniques, refined and adapted numerous strategies, and eventually came up with solutions that let her handle home management while giving her time and freedom to enjoy other activities.

“Remove things that are used once a month or less often and place them in another room or put them into a harder to reach spot,” Schofield said. She said some people never get started on getting organized because the task seems so overwhelming.

“If you feel overwhelmed, try the tidbit method,” she said. “Instead of one room at a time, tackle one drawer or one corner at a time.”

In the workshop, Schofield will share what she learned from her experience.

The Sacramento County Probation Department announced that it has been awarded a grant to step-up supervision of individuals repeatedly convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The $360,000 grant awarded by the California Office of Traffic Safety will help fund special probation supervision measures targeting high-risk, felony and repeat DUI offenders, according to a Probation Department news release.

“Over the past year, multiple probation home searches of repeat DUI offenders have resulted in the recovery of methamphetamines, a still producing 84 proof alcohol, a loaded handgun, a MAC-10 machine gun and ammunition, and the revocation of a dozen of mature marijuana plants,” Chief Probation Officer Don L. Meyer said in a written statement.

The grant, he said, will assist in efforts to deal with the worst offenders who pose the highest risk to the community. Activities will include monitoring of treatment and DUI program participation, conducting office visits, warrant sweeps, unannounced home searches, and random alcohol and drug testing to confirm compliance with court-ordered terms of probation.

Traffic deaths from all causes declined in California by 11.9 percent, from 3,081 in 2009 to 2,715 in 2010, according to the news release. Although the number of deaths involving alcohol-impaired drivers also declined, officials said, DUI deaths account for 30 percent of traffic fatalities.

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