High pesticide levels found in fruit-based drinks in some countries outside U. S.
In the first worldwide study of pesticides in fruit-based soft drinks, researchers in Spain are reporting relatively high levels of pesticides in drinks in some countries, especially the United Kingdom and Spain. Drinks sampled from the United States, however, had relatively low levels, the researchers note. Their study was scheduled for the December 15 issue of ACS' Analytical Chemistry, a semi-monthly journal.
In the report, Antonio Molina-D?az, Amadeo Fern??ndez-Alba and colleagues note that strict regulations limit pesticide levels in fresh fruits, vegetables, and drinking water. However, regulators have paid less attention to the presence of pesticides in soft drinks made from fruits. Scientists are increasingly concerned about the possible impact of pesticide-containing fruit juices on the health of children, who tend to consume large amounts of such soft drinks, they add.
The scientists used a sophisticated lab test to measure levels of a wide range of common pesticides in more than 100 fruit-based soft drink samples from 15 different countries. They tested for pesticides such as carbendazim, thiabendazole, and imazalil, and malathion, which are applied to crops after harvest and can remain on fruits and vegetables during processing. They found relatively large concentrations of pesticides, in the micrograms per liter range, in most of the samples analyzed. Samples from Spain and the U. K. had the highest levels of pesticides, while samples from the U. S. and Russia were among the lowest. "Steps should be taken toward the removal of pesticides in these beverages by changing the way they are manufactured," the researchers conclude. - MTS
ARTICLE: "Determination of Pesticide Residues in Fruit-Based Soft Drinks"
CONTACT:
Antonio Molian-D?az, Ph.D.
University of Ja?©n
Ja?©n, Spain
Tiny delivery system with a big impact on cancer cells
Researchers in Pennsylvania are reporting for the first time that nanoparticles 1/5,000 the diameter of a human hair encapsulating an experimental anticancer agent, kill human melanoma and drug-resistant breast cancer cells growing in laboratory cultures. The discovery could lead to the development of a new generation of anti-cancer drugs that are safer and more effective than conventional chemotherapy agents, the scientists suggest. The research was scheduled for the Dec. 10 issue of ACS' Nano Letters, a monthly journal.
In the new study, Mark Kester, James Adair and colleagues at Penn State's Hershey Medical Center and University Park campus point out that certain nanoparticles have shown promise as drug delivery vehicles. However, many of these particles will not dissolve in body fluids and are toxic to cells, making them unsuitable for drug delivery in humans. Although promising as an anti-cancer agent, ceramide also is insoluble in the blood stream making delivery to cancer cells difficult.
The scientists report a potential solution with development of calcium phosphate nanocomposite particles (CPNPs). The particles are soluble and with ceramide encapsulated with the calcium phosphate, effectively make ceramide soluble. With ceramide encapsulated inside, the CPNPs killed 95 percent of human melanoma cells and was "highly effective" against human breast cancer cells that are normally resistant to anticancer drugs, the researchers say.
Penn State Research Foundation has licensed the calcium phosphate nanocomposite particle technology known as "NanoJackets" to Keystone Nano, Inc. MK and JA are CMO and CSO, respectively. - MTS
ARTICLE: "Calcium Phosphate Nanocomposite Particles for In Vitro Imaging and Encapsulated Chemotherapeutic Drug Delivery to Cancer Cells"
CONTACT:
James H. Adair, Ph.D.
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
Tracking community-wide drug use by testing water at sewage treatment plants
Scientists in Oregon and Washington State are reporting the development and successful testing of a new method for determining the extent of illicit drug use in entire communities from water flushed down toilets that enters municipal wastewater treatment plants. The technique may be an effective tool for comparing drug use in different regions of the United States and the world, they note in a study was scheduled for the December 15 issue of ACS' Environmental Science & Technology, a semi-monthly journal.
In the study, Aurea C. Chiaia and colleagues note that the new test eliminates the need for sample preparation - saving time and money and decreasing the risk of sample contamination. They proved the test's effectiveness by measured levels of illegal drugs like methamphetamine and legal drugs like prescription painkillers in wastewater from seven U.S. municipalities. The research team also tested the levels of 'urine indicators' such as creatinine, a metabolic byproduct that can be used as an indicator of drug use.
The scientists determined the 'index loads' of the different drugs - the amount of drug per person per day - based on estimates of the population served by each wastewater facility. These calculated index loads generally reflect known illegal drug use patterns in the US and worldwide. The loads for methamphetamine in western and southern U.S. were much larger than previous reports from Europe, for example. The authors proposed that urine indicator compounds like creatinine could be used in place of population estimates - which can fluctuate and be unreliable - to determine more accurate community-level drug index loads, which can then be compared between municipalities. - KSD
ARTICLE: "Eliminating Solid Phase Extraction with Large-Volume Injection LC/MS/MS: Analysis of Illicit and Legal Drugs and Human Urine Indicators in US Wastewaters"
CONTACT:
Jennifer Field, Ph.D.
Department of Chemistry and Department of Environmental Toxicology
Oregon State University
Healthy make-over: Natural colors replace artificial colorants in foods, beverages
In the future, Santa may be leaving candy canes and nibbling holiday cookies that are a little duller, but better for your health. The reason? Food color manufacturers are going natural. Food manufacturers worldwide are increasingly turning to more natural colors in an effort to replace potentially harmful, though often dazzling, artificial colorings now used in many foods and beverages. An article on this topic was scheduled for the December 15 issue of Chemical & Engineering News, ACS' weekly newsmagazine.
In the article, C&EN senior editor Melody Voith points out that some artificial colors, such as Red #40, have been linked to hyperactivity in children as well as other health problems. Such health concerns have spurred colorant phase-outs and new regulations, causing manufacturers to search for natural alternatives. Food coloring now represents a $1.2 billion global market, with natural colors capturing 31 percent of the food market but growing at a rate of 5 percent yearly, according to the article.
The switch is not easy. Food manufacturers are finding it difficult to substitute synthetic colors with natural ones that preserve the exact look and appeal of the original product, whose quality consumers often judge by appearance. That's why researchers are now experimenting with a wide range of natural colorants derived from dark-colored vegetables in an effort to closely match their artificial counterparts. Ingredient makers are looking, for example, to red cabbage and purple sweet potatoes to provide new natural sources of red, purple, and blue, the article notes.
ARTICLE : "The effort to eliminate synthetics gives chemists the blues"
The American Chemical Society - the world's largest scientific society - is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
Source: Michael Woods
American Chemical Society
четверг, 20 октября 2011 г.
понедельник, 17 октября 2011 г.
Genes And Genius
If you're particularly good with puzzles or chess, the reason may be in your genes.
A team of scientists, led by psychiatric geneticists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has gathered the most extensive evidence to date that a gene that activates signaling pathways in the brain influences one kind of intelligence. They have confirmed a link between the gene, CHRM2, and performance IQ, which involves a person's ability to organize things logically.
"This is not a gene FOR intelligence," says Danielle M. Dick, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and lead author on the study. "It's a gene that's involved in some kinds of brain processing, and specific alterations in the gene appear to influence IQ. But this single gene isn't going to be the difference between whether a person is a genius or has below-average intelligence."
Dick's team comprehensively studied the DNA along the gene and found that several variations within the CHRM2 gene could be correlated with slight differences in performance IQ scores, which measure a person's visual-motor coordination, logical and sequential reasoning, spatial perception and abstract problem solving skills. When people had more than one positive variation in the gene, the improvements in performance IQ were cumulative. The study's findings are available online in Behavioral Genetics and will appear in an upcoming print issue of that journal.
IQ tests also measure verbal skills and typically include many subtests. For this study, subjects took five verbal subtests and four performance subtests, but the genetic variations influenced only performance IQ scores.
"One way to measure performance IQ may be to ask people to order pictures correctly to tell a story," Dick explains. "A simple example might be pictures of a child holding a vase, the vase broken to bits on the floor and the child crying. The person taking the test would have to put those pictures into an order that tells the story of how the child dropped the vase and broke it and then cried."
The researchers studied DNA gathered as part of the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA). In this multi-center study, people who have been treated for alcohol dependence and members of their families provide DNA samples to researchers, who isolated DNA regions related to alcohol abuse and dependence, as well as a variety of other outcomes.
Some of the participants in the study also took the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised, a traditional IQ test. In all, members of 200 families, including more than 2,150 individuals, took the Wechsler test, and those results were matched to differences in individuals' DNA.
By comparing individual differences embedded in DNA, the team zeroed in on CHRM2, the neuronal receptor gene on chromosome 7. The CHRM2 gene activates a multitude of signaling pathways in the brain involved in learning, memory and other higher brain functions. The research team doesn't yet understand how the gene exerts its effects on intelligence.
Intelligence was one of the first traits that attracted the attention of people interested in the interplay of genes and environmental influences. Early studies of adopted children, for example, showed that when children grow up away from their biological parents, their IQs are more closely correlated to biological parents, with whom they share genes, than adoptive parents, with whom they share an environment.
But in spite of the association between genes and intelligence, it has been difficult to find specific variations that influence intelligence. The genes identified in the past were those that had profoundly negative effects on intelligence - genes that cause mental retardation, for example. Those that contribute to less dramatic differences have been much harder to isolate.
Dick's team is not the first to notice a link between intelligence and the CHRM2 gene. In 2003, a group in Minnesota looked at a single marker in the gene and noted that the variation was related to an increase in IQ. A more recent Dutch study looked at three regions of DNA along the gene and also noticed influences on intelligence. In this new study, however, researchers tested multiple genetic markers throughout the gene.
"If we look at a single marker, a DNA variation might influence IQ scores between two and four points, depending on which variant a person carries," Dick explains. "We did that all up and down the gene and found that the variations had cumulative effects, so that if one person had all of the 'good' variations and another all of the 'bad' variations, the difference in IQ might be 15 to 20 points. Unfortunately, the numbers of people at those extremes were so small that the finding isn't statistically significant, but the point is we saw fairly substantial differences in our sample when we combined information across multiple regions of the gene."
Dick says the next step is to look at the gene and its numerous variants to learn what is going on biologically that might affect cognitive performance. Presently, she says it's too early to predict how small changes in the gene might be influencing communication in the brain to affect intelligence, and she says it's nearly certain CHRM2 is not the only gene involved.
"Perhaps as many as 100 genes or more could influence intelligence," she says. "I think all of the genes involved probably have small, cumulative effects on increasing or decreasing I.Q., and I expect overall intelligence is a function of the accumulation of all of these genetic variants, not to mention environmental influences ranging from socio-economic status to the value that's placed on learning when children are growing up."
Dick DM, et al. Association of CHRM2 with IQ: Converging Evidence for a Gene Influencing Intelligence. Behavioral Genetics, DOI 10.1007/s10519-006-9131-2
This work was funded by grants from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and that National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) of the National Institutes of Health.
Washington University School of Medicine's full-time and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked fourth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.
Contact: Jim Dryden
Washington University School of Medicine
A team of scientists, led by psychiatric geneticists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has gathered the most extensive evidence to date that a gene that activates signaling pathways in the brain influences one kind of intelligence. They have confirmed a link between the gene, CHRM2, and performance IQ, which involves a person's ability to organize things logically.
"This is not a gene FOR intelligence," says Danielle M. Dick, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and lead author on the study. "It's a gene that's involved in some kinds of brain processing, and specific alterations in the gene appear to influence IQ. But this single gene isn't going to be the difference between whether a person is a genius or has below-average intelligence."
Dick's team comprehensively studied the DNA along the gene and found that several variations within the CHRM2 gene could be correlated with slight differences in performance IQ scores, which measure a person's visual-motor coordination, logical and sequential reasoning, spatial perception and abstract problem solving skills. When people had more than one positive variation in the gene, the improvements in performance IQ were cumulative. The study's findings are available online in Behavioral Genetics and will appear in an upcoming print issue of that journal.
IQ tests also measure verbal skills and typically include many subtests. For this study, subjects took five verbal subtests and four performance subtests, but the genetic variations influenced only performance IQ scores.
"One way to measure performance IQ may be to ask people to order pictures correctly to tell a story," Dick explains. "A simple example might be pictures of a child holding a vase, the vase broken to bits on the floor and the child crying. The person taking the test would have to put those pictures into an order that tells the story of how the child dropped the vase and broke it and then cried."
The researchers studied DNA gathered as part of the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA). In this multi-center study, people who have been treated for alcohol dependence and members of their families provide DNA samples to researchers, who isolated DNA regions related to alcohol abuse and dependence, as well as a variety of other outcomes.
Some of the participants in the study also took the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised, a traditional IQ test. In all, members of 200 families, including more than 2,150 individuals, took the Wechsler test, and those results were matched to differences in individuals' DNA.
By comparing individual differences embedded in DNA, the team zeroed in on CHRM2, the neuronal receptor gene on chromosome 7. The CHRM2 gene activates a multitude of signaling pathways in the brain involved in learning, memory and other higher brain functions. The research team doesn't yet understand how the gene exerts its effects on intelligence.
Intelligence was one of the first traits that attracted the attention of people interested in the interplay of genes and environmental influences. Early studies of adopted children, for example, showed that when children grow up away from their biological parents, their IQs are more closely correlated to biological parents, with whom they share genes, than adoptive parents, with whom they share an environment.
But in spite of the association between genes and intelligence, it has been difficult to find specific variations that influence intelligence. The genes identified in the past were those that had profoundly negative effects on intelligence - genes that cause mental retardation, for example. Those that contribute to less dramatic differences have been much harder to isolate.
Dick's team is not the first to notice a link between intelligence and the CHRM2 gene. In 2003, a group in Minnesota looked at a single marker in the gene and noted that the variation was related to an increase in IQ. A more recent Dutch study looked at three regions of DNA along the gene and also noticed influences on intelligence. In this new study, however, researchers tested multiple genetic markers throughout the gene.
"If we look at a single marker, a DNA variation might influence IQ scores between two and four points, depending on which variant a person carries," Dick explains. "We did that all up and down the gene and found that the variations had cumulative effects, so that if one person had all of the 'good' variations and another all of the 'bad' variations, the difference in IQ might be 15 to 20 points. Unfortunately, the numbers of people at those extremes were so small that the finding isn't statistically significant, but the point is we saw fairly substantial differences in our sample when we combined information across multiple regions of the gene."
Dick says the next step is to look at the gene and its numerous variants to learn what is going on biologically that might affect cognitive performance. Presently, she says it's too early to predict how small changes in the gene might be influencing communication in the brain to affect intelligence, and she says it's nearly certain CHRM2 is not the only gene involved.
"Perhaps as many as 100 genes or more could influence intelligence," she says. "I think all of the genes involved probably have small, cumulative effects on increasing or decreasing I.Q., and I expect overall intelligence is a function of the accumulation of all of these genetic variants, not to mention environmental influences ranging from socio-economic status to the value that's placed on learning when children are growing up."
Dick DM, et al. Association of CHRM2 with IQ: Converging Evidence for a Gene Influencing Intelligence. Behavioral Genetics, DOI 10.1007/s10519-006-9131-2
This work was funded by grants from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and that National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) of the National Institutes of Health.
Washington University School of Medicine's full-time and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked fourth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.
Contact: Jim Dryden
Washington University School of Medicine
пятница, 14 октября 2011 г.
Cannabis Smoking Linked To Gum Disease
Most Popular Articles For Dentistry
These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Dental Surgery Linked To Short Term Stroke And Heart Attack Risk
19 Oct 2010
An individual who undergoes dental surgery has a higher risk of developing a heart attack or stroke for a few weeks after the procedure, British researchers have revealed in an article published in the peer-reviewed journal...
Homeopathic Teething Tablets Contain Inconsistent And Potentially Dangerous Levels Of Belladonna
24 Oct 2010
Stop Making Unproven Health Claims, FDA Tells Mouthwash Makers
28 Sep 2010
Tooth Loss Linked To Dementia
10 Jan 2011
Potential Tooth Loss Link To Breast Cancer
13 Feb 2011
_uacct = "UA-849615-1";
urchinTracker();
These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Dental Surgery Linked To Short Term Stroke And Heart Attack Risk
19 Oct 2010
An individual who undergoes dental surgery has a higher risk of developing a heart attack or stroke for a few weeks after the procedure, British researchers have revealed in an article published in the peer-reviewed journal...
Homeopathic Teething Tablets Contain Inconsistent And Potentially Dangerous Levels Of Belladonna
24 Oct 2010
Stop Making Unproven Health Claims, FDA Tells Mouthwash Makers
28 Sep 2010
Tooth Loss Linked To Dementia
10 Jan 2011
Potential Tooth Loss Link To Breast Cancer
13 Feb 2011
_uacct = "UA-849615-1";
urchinTracker();
вторник, 11 октября 2011 г.
Vocational Counseling: NDRI Learns How To Increase Participation And Help Substance Abusers
Treatment success for substance users is enhanced through employment, with reduced rates of relapse to drug use, criminality, and parole violations. Researchers from National Development and Research Institutes, Inc. (NDRI) have published a study in the journal Substance Use & Misuse that identifies the factors contributing to higher participation in vocational rehabilitation services.
Sung-Yeon Kang, Stephen Magura, and Laura Blankertz from NDRI joined with Elizabeth Madison and Michael Spinelli to conduct the first scientific study identifying the predictors of engagement in vocational services among patients in methadone treatment. They studied 211 patients in two methadone treatment programs located in New York City. Most of the participants were polysubstance users prior to treatment and almost all were unemployed at the time of the study. The findings indicated that it was often the most "needy" unemployed methadone patients who became more engaged in vocational counseling when it was offered to them. Most importantly, an innovative vocational program offering active outreach, intensive counseling and ongoing support resulted in higher participation than did standard vocational counseling.
Dr. Stephen Magura, the study's Principal Investigator, pointed out: "Employment is a key ingredient in successful long-term outcomes for substance users. And achieving employment must start with strengthening active engagement in vocational counseling."
The study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Keywords: employment; engagement; methadone treatment; substance use; vocational counseling; vocational rehabilitation; treatment outcomes.
Substance Use & Misuse, Volume 41, Number 8 (June 2006), pp. 1125 - 1138. Predictors of Engagement in Vocational Counseling for Methadone Treatment Patients. Sung-Yeon Kang, Stephen Magura, Laura Blankertz, Elizabeth Madison, Michael Spinelli
Funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, grant number 5R01 DA013596
Contact: Betty Wagoner
National Development & Research Institutes
Sung-Yeon Kang, Stephen Magura, and Laura Blankertz from NDRI joined with Elizabeth Madison and Michael Spinelli to conduct the first scientific study identifying the predictors of engagement in vocational services among patients in methadone treatment. They studied 211 patients in two methadone treatment programs located in New York City. Most of the participants were polysubstance users prior to treatment and almost all were unemployed at the time of the study. The findings indicated that it was often the most "needy" unemployed methadone patients who became more engaged in vocational counseling when it was offered to them. Most importantly, an innovative vocational program offering active outreach, intensive counseling and ongoing support resulted in higher participation than did standard vocational counseling.
Dr. Stephen Magura, the study's Principal Investigator, pointed out: "Employment is a key ingredient in successful long-term outcomes for substance users. And achieving employment must start with strengthening active engagement in vocational counseling."
The study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Keywords: employment; engagement; methadone treatment; substance use; vocational counseling; vocational rehabilitation; treatment outcomes.
Substance Use & Misuse, Volume 41, Number 8 (June 2006), pp. 1125 - 1138. Predictors of Engagement in Vocational Counseling for Methadone Treatment Patients. Sung-Yeon Kang, Stephen Magura, Laura Blankertz, Elizabeth Madison, Michael Spinelli
Funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, grant number 5R01 DA013596
Contact: Betty Wagoner
National Development & Research Institutes
суббота, 8 октября 2011 г.
Does Moderate Drinking Confer Health Benefits Or Not?
While moderate drinking - one to less than three drinks per day - is linked to a decrease in mortality in middle-aged and older adults, there is also concern that the health benefits of moderate drinking have been overestimated. A new study of the association between drinking and mortality during a 20-year period, which controlled for confounding factors such as previous problem drinking, confirms an association of moderate drinking and reduced mortality among older adults.
Results will be published in the November 2010 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.
"Although alcohol misuse is linked to many medical conditions, considerable epidemiological evidence indicates that moderate alcohol use is related to reduced total mortality," explained Charles J. Holahan, a professor in the department of psychology at The University of Texas at Austin and corresponding author for the study. "We expected that a substantial part of the health benefits associated with moderating drinking were due to confounding factors associated with alcohol abstention. For example, abstainers may include former problem drinkers with health problems and individuals who are atypical in terms of sociodemographic and social-behavioral factors that may increase health risk."
"None of the studies that have examined the association of drinking and mortality and cardiovascular disease have been experimental studies in which a group of people was randomly chosen to drink a particular amount of alcohol or to not drink alcohol," observed Alison A. Moore, professor of medicine and psychiatry in the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. "All have been observational studies, meaning those in which persons who consume varying amounts of alcohol are compared with those who don't. Because conditions in these observational studies are not controlled and the characteristics of persons who choose to drink varying amounts of alcohol or not differ quite a bit, it is impossible to prove that alcohol consumption causes reduced risks for coronary heart disease, diabetes or mortality."
For this study, using data gathered from a larger study of late-life patterns of drinking and related problems, researchers followed 1,824 older adults (1,142 men, 682 women) between the ages of 55 and 65 years of age - who were former or current drinkers - for 20 years. The information collected included: daily alcohol consumption, sociodemographic factors, former problem-drinking status, health factors, and social behavioral factors. Death was confirmed primarily by a death certificate.
"Controlling only for age and gender, mortality was highest among abstainers and heavy drinkers and lowest in moderate drinkers," said Holahan. "Controlling for former problem drinking status, existing health problems, and key sociodemographic and social-behavioral factors substantially reduced the mortality effect for abstainers compared to moderate drinkers. However, even after adjusting for all covariates, abstainers and heavy drinkers continued to show increased mortality risks of 49 percent and 42 percent, respectively, compared to moderate drinkers."
"In other words, the association of moderate drinking and reduced mortality among older adults is reduced but still present when taking into consideration factors that affect both alcohol consumption and mortality," said Moore. "For example, socioeconomic status has been a consistent factor in the link between alcohol consumption and mortality. That is, those with higher income and/or education are less likely to be abstainers and to die."
Thus, the health benefits of moderate drinking ae complicated because a number of underlying health risks are correlated with later life abstention, Holahan noted.
"Our findings demonstrate that abstainers were significantly more likely to have had prior drinking problems, to be obese, and to smoke cigarettes than moderate drinkers and scored significantly higher than moderate drinkers on health problems, depressive symptoms, and avoidance coping," he said. "In addition, abstainers were significantly lower than moderate drinkers on socioeconomic status, physical activity, number of close friends, and quality of friend support and significantly less likely to be married than moderate drinkers. Moreover, all of these factors that were associated with abstention significantly predicted mortality."
Both Holahan and Moore reiterated that any health benefits are linked to moderation. "Older persons drinking alcohol should remember that consuming more than two drinks a day exceeds recommended alcohol consumption guidelines in the U.S. and is associated with increased falls, a higher risk of alcohol use problems, and potential adverse interactions with medications," said Holahan. "Moreover, nondrinkers should not start drinking to try to enhance their health, and individuals who are or plan to become pregnant, or have alcohol problems or medical conditions that could be worsened by alcohol should not drink."
Sources:
Charles J. Holahan, Ph.D.
University of Texas at Austin
Alison A. Moore, M.D., M.P.H.
University of California, Los Angeles
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
Results will be published in the November 2010 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.
"Although alcohol misuse is linked to many medical conditions, considerable epidemiological evidence indicates that moderate alcohol use is related to reduced total mortality," explained Charles J. Holahan, a professor in the department of psychology at The University of Texas at Austin and corresponding author for the study. "We expected that a substantial part of the health benefits associated with moderating drinking were due to confounding factors associated with alcohol abstention. For example, abstainers may include former problem drinkers with health problems and individuals who are atypical in terms of sociodemographic and social-behavioral factors that may increase health risk."
"None of the studies that have examined the association of drinking and mortality and cardiovascular disease have been experimental studies in which a group of people was randomly chosen to drink a particular amount of alcohol or to not drink alcohol," observed Alison A. Moore, professor of medicine and psychiatry in the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. "All have been observational studies, meaning those in which persons who consume varying amounts of alcohol are compared with those who don't. Because conditions in these observational studies are not controlled and the characteristics of persons who choose to drink varying amounts of alcohol or not differ quite a bit, it is impossible to prove that alcohol consumption causes reduced risks for coronary heart disease, diabetes or mortality."
For this study, using data gathered from a larger study of late-life patterns of drinking and related problems, researchers followed 1,824 older adults (1,142 men, 682 women) between the ages of 55 and 65 years of age - who were former or current drinkers - for 20 years. The information collected included: daily alcohol consumption, sociodemographic factors, former problem-drinking status, health factors, and social behavioral factors. Death was confirmed primarily by a death certificate.
"Controlling only for age and gender, mortality was highest among abstainers and heavy drinkers and lowest in moderate drinkers," said Holahan. "Controlling for former problem drinking status, existing health problems, and key sociodemographic and social-behavioral factors substantially reduced the mortality effect for abstainers compared to moderate drinkers. However, even after adjusting for all covariates, abstainers and heavy drinkers continued to show increased mortality risks of 49 percent and 42 percent, respectively, compared to moderate drinkers."
"In other words, the association of moderate drinking and reduced mortality among older adults is reduced but still present when taking into consideration factors that affect both alcohol consumption and mortality," said Moore. "For example, socioeconomic status has been a consistent factor in the link between alcohol consumption and mortality. That is, those with higher income and/or education are less likely to be abstainers and to die."
Thus, the health benefits of moderate drinking ae complicated because a number of underlying health risks are correlated with later life abstention, Holahan noted.
"Our findings demonstrate that abstainers were significantly more likely to have had prior drinking problems, to be obese, and to smoke cigarettes than moderate drinkers and scored significantly higher than moderate drinkers on health problems, depressive symptoms, and avoidance coping," he said. "In addition, abstainers were significantly lower than moderate drinkers on socioeconomic status, physical activity, number of close friends, and quality of friend support and significantly less likely to be married than moderate drinkers. Moreover, all of these factors that were associated with abstention significantly predicted mortality."
Both Holahan and Moore reiterated that any health benefits are linked to moderation. "Older persons drinking alcohol should remember that consuming more than two drinks a day exceeds recommended alcohol consumption guidelines in the U.S. and is associated with increased falls, a higher risk of alcohol use problems, and potential adverse interactions with medications," said Holahan. "Moreover, nondrinkers should not start drinking to try to enhance their health, and individuals who are or plan to become pregnant, or have alcohol problems or medical conditions that could be worsened by alcohol should not drink."
Sources:
Charles J. Holahan, Ph.D.
University of Texas at Austin
Alison A. Moore, M.D., M.P.H.
University of California, Los Angeles
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
среда, 5 октября 2011 г.
Wine better for your heart than gin
When the choice is red wine or gin, choose red wine - at least when considering your heart's health.
That's according to a recent study by Jefferson Medical College researchers, who compared the effects of drinking either red wine or gin on several biochemical markers in the blood. Red wine contains many complex compounds including polyphenols, which are absent from gin. They found that drinking red wine had a much greater effect in lowering levels in the bloodstream of so-called "anti-inflammatory" substances that are risk factors in the development of heart disease and stroke.
The results, which appeared recently in the journal Atherosclerosis, didn't surprise co-author Emanuel Rubin, M.D., who led the study. "It's clear from these results that while drinking some form of alcohol lowers inflammatory markers, red wine has a much greater effect than gin," says Dr. Rubin, Distinguished Professor of Pathology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
While there are well known associations between alcohol and a lowered risk of heart attack and stroke - the so-called "French paradox," for example - Dr. Rubin says that "breaking down the data epidemiologically" has been difficult.
To find evidence related to alcohol's effect in reducing heart attack and stroke, he and his colleagues at the University of Barcelona turned to "surrogate" or substitute markers of disease. Inflammation, he notes, has long been implicated in the development of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. "High levels of c-reactive proteins and other markers of inflammation in the blood are risk factors that have been implicated in coronary artery disease and ischemic stroke," he says.
The Jefferson-led team compared the effects of red wine and gin on the levels of inflammatory biomarkers in the blood, including adhesion molecules, chemokines and white blood cells that are related to atherosclerosis. According to Dr. Rubin, no clinical trials have been done comparing the effect of red wine to that of alcoholic beverages with low levels of non-alcoholic substances, such as polyphenols.
In the first part of the study, the researcher gave 20 subjects in two groups two drinks a day of either wine or gin for 28 days. That was followed by a "washout period" of 15 days with no alcohol. In the second part of the trial, those who received red wine the first time then were given gin. Those who had gin first then received red wine. The researchers measured levels of biomarkers before and after each half of the trial. They attempted to rigorously control subjects' diets.
Both wine and gin showed anti-inflammatory effects. Both groups had reduced levels of fibrinogen which clots blood but is not an inflammatory marker, and IL-1, which is. Raised levels of fibrinogen are a risk factor for heart attack.
But red wine also dramatically lowered the levels of inflammatory molecules such as adhesion molecules, and proteins in monocytes and lymphocytes.
Dr. Rubin argues that one or two glasses of red wine a day may be beneficial, and that there is some degree of protection from heart disease and stroke by alcoholic beverages in general. Still, the results are only indirect evidence and can't prove a protective effect against the development of atherosclerosis. The study is far too brief to analyze a process that takes years to develop, he says. "It's tough to root out just what is going on," he says. "There will have to be long-term epidemiological studies done."
Contact: Steve Benowitz or Phyllis Fisher
steven.benowitzjefferson
215-955-6300
After Hours: 215-955-6060
Thomas Jefferson University
That's according to a recent study by Jefferson Medical College researchers, who compared the effects of drinking either red wine or gin on several biochemical markers in the blood. Red wine contains many complex compounds including polyphenols, which are absent from gin. They found that drinking red wine had a much greater effect in lowering levels in the bloodstream of so-called "anti-inflammatory" substances that are risk factors in the development of heart disease and stroke.
The results, which appeared recently in the journal Atherosclerosis, didn't surprise co-author Emanuel Rubin, M.D., who led the study. "It's clear from these results that while drinking some form of alcohol lowers inflammatory markers, red wine has a much greater effect than gin," says Dr. Rubin, Distinguished Professor of Pathology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
While there are well known associations between alcohol and a lowered risk of heart attack and stroke - the so-called "French paradox," for example - Dr. Rubin says that "breaking down the data epidemiologically" has been difficult.
To find evidence related to alcohol's effect in reducing heart attack and stroke, he and his colleagues at the University of Barcelona turned to "surrogate" or substitute markers of disease. Inflammation, he notes, has long been implicated in the development of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. "High levels of c-reactive proteins and other markers of inflammation in the blood are risk factors that have been implicated in coronary artery disease and ischemic stroke," he says.
The Jefferson-led team compared the effects of red wine and gin on the levels of inflammatory biomarkers in the blood, including adhesion molecules, chemokines and white blood cells that are related to atherosclerosis. According to Dr. Rubin, no clinical trials have been done comparing the effect of red wine to that of alcoholic beverages with low levels of non-alcoholic substances, such as polyphenols.
In the first part of the study, the researcher gave 20 subjects in two groups two drinks a day of either wine or gin for 28 days. That was followed by a "washout period" of 15 days with no alcohol. In the second part of the trial, those who received red wine the first time then were given gin. Those who had gin first then received red wine. The researchers measured levels of biomarkers before and after each half of the trial. They attempted to rigorously control subjects' diets.
Both wine and gin showed anti-inflammatory effects. Both groups had reduced levels of fibrinogen which clots blood but is not an inflammatory marker, and IL-1, which is. Raised levels of fibrinogen are a risk factor for heart attack.
But red wine also dramatically lowered the levels of inflammatory molecules such as adhesion molecules, and proteins in monocytes and lymphocytes.
Dr. Rubin argues that one or two glasses of red wine a day may be beneficial, and that there is some degree of protection from heart disease and stroke by alcoholic beverages in general. Still, the results are only indirect evidence and can't prove a protective effect against the development of atherosclerosis. The study is far too brief to analyze a process that takes years to develop, he says. "It's tough to root out just what is going on," he says. "There will have to be long-term epidemiological studies done."
Contact: Steve Benowitz or Phyllis Fisher
steven.benowitzjefferson
215-955-6300
After Hours: 215-955-6060
Thomas Jefferson University
воскресенье, 2 октября 2011 г.
The 26th Of June International Day Against Drug Abuse And Illicit Trafficking
The 26th of June International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was established by the United Nations in 1987. In its 2006 edition, the UNODC launched an anti-drugs campaign entitled "Do drugs control your life? Your life. Your community. No place for drugs."
This three-years campaign focuses on different aspects of drug control: drug abuse in 2007, drug cultivation and production in 2008, and illicit drug trafficking in 2009. The campaign's goal is to raise people's awareness and mobilize support for drug control. The campaign only focuses on drugs subject to control, as specified in the three multilateral drug treaties that form the backbone of the international drug control system, which include amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS), coca/cocaine, cannabis, hallucinogens, opiates, and sedative hypnotics.
The UNGASS process
The international drug control system, based on three main Treaties, has been in continuous evolution since 1961. June 1998, when the 20th UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) convened in New York to debate the world drug problem, marked a critical new juncture in the global fight against drugs and set the agenda for international drug control on the eve of the 21st century, on the basis of three key documents: a political declaration, the declaration on the guiding principle of drugs demand reduction and a five-part resolution with action plans to enhance international cooperation. In adopting the political declaration, UN Member States committed themselves to achieving measurable results in reducing the illicit supply and demand for drugs by 2008. They were also asked to adapt their national drug strategies accordingly and report to the CND (UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs) on their progress in meeting UNGASS targets. Monitoring instruments were developed.
The UNGASS debate is taking place since then, the objective being that the international community would assess the efficiency of the system in place and the measures taken - based on objective data and evidences- and will decide on the follow-up to the UNGASS 1998 process and on the future of the international counternarcotics system during the high-level segment of the 52nd CND in 2009.
The EU has constructively participated in the UNGASS debate and working groups and, since September 2007, has been working on a common position to be on the table for the 2009 CND, thus demonstrating to be a fundamental actor in the world's fight against drugs and that the "European model" is efficient and a good example to follow.
The EU framework for drug policy - evaluation of the action plan/the new action plan
The EU Drugs Strategy (2005-2012) endorsed in December 2004 by the European Council, is an integral part of the multi-annual programme "The Hague Programme' for strengthening freedom, security and justice in the EU[1]". It is based on the fundamental principles of EU law and upholds the founding values of the Union: respect for human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, solidarity, the rule of law and human rights. It aims to protect and improve the well-being of society and of the individual, to protect public health, to offer a high level of security for the general public and to take a balanced, integrated approach to the drugs problem.
The Strategy sets the framework, objectives and priorities for all drug-related activities in the EU by means of two consecutive four-year Drug Action Plans to be brought forward by the Commission. Implementation of most of the activities is the responsibility of the Member States; the Community plays a coordination role and has a complementary role (e.g. in public health) or a specific mandate on some issues (e.g. prevention of the diversion of chemical precursors used for the manufacturing of illicit drugs and the prevention of money laundering).
Depending on historical background, traditions and development patterns in the drug market, drug use and the health and social harms associated with drug dependence varies between Member States. Nonetheless, all EU Member States have formulated and implemented national drug policies that - with different levels of success - seem to be increasingly successful in reducing the most serious health and social damages associated with drug use.
The EU Drug Strategy (2005-2012) continues to be the overarching framework for the on going evaluation of the current EU Action Plan on Drugs (2005-2008) and for a new EU Action Plan on Drugs covering the period from 2009 to 2012. The new EU Action Plan on Drugs covering the period from 2009 to 2012 together with the conclusions of the final evaluation are to be presented in the Communication on an EU Action Plan on Drugs (2009-2012), which is scheduled for adoption in September 2008.
Eurobarometer 233- Young people and drugs
The objective of the Eurobarometer survey is to study young citizens' attitudes and perceptions about the issues of drugs. Interviews were conducted to over 12,000 randomly selected young people (15-24 years - of- age) in the twenty-seven Member States of the European Union by telephone interviews between 14 May and 18 May 2008, around the following questions:
Becoming more informed about illicit drugs and drug use: Almost two-thirds (61%) of young people in the EU27 who responded said they would use the Internet to get information about illicit drugs and drug use in general; only in Cyprus and Greece did figures fall below 50%. There was a great similarity across Member States, with many young people opting for similar sources (the Internet, a friend, parents, a health professional or drugs counsellor). These preferences would be at the expense of potential contact with the police, social workers and a telephone helpline. However, despite the above findings, which referred to methods that theoretically might be used, the Internet (35%) was not actually the channel most frequently consulted to find out about drug-related issues. More use was made of media campaigns (46%) and school prevention programmes (39%).
Perceived health risks of using drugs: The young people that participated in the survey made a distinction between the health risks of using heroin, cocaine and ecstasy and the risks of using cannabis. Between 81% and 96% of respondents thought heroin, cocaine and ecstasy pose a high risk, while almost 41% of young people thought cannabis pose a high risk, and 43% thought cannabis poses a medium risk, somewhat similar to the risk perceived with tobacco smoking. Of the respondents, 70% thought the smoking of tobacco poses a medium to low health risk, while 75% thought alcohol poses a medium to low risk. For ecstasy and cannabis, Czech respondents stood out with only 37% and 17%, respectively, associating high health risks with these illicit drugs. Young Czechs thought tobacco (20%) and alcohol (18%) posed a slightly higher risk than cannabis (17%). Romanians were the most likely to say that alcohol or tobacco, (37% and 42%, respectively), posed a high health risk.
How should society's drug problems be tackled: The 15-24 year olds in the survey seem to support the EU's balanced approach in drug policy by advocating tough measures to be taken against drug dealers and traffickers (63%) but also advocating "soft" measures to be used against drug users, e.g. through information and prevention campaigns (47%) and the treatment and rehabilitation of offenders (33%) as opposed to tough measures against drug users (23%). Exceptions were Estonia, Latvia, Hungary and the Netherlands, where tough measures against drug users were considered to be more effective than treatment and rehabilitation.
To ban or regulate illicit drugs, alcohol and tobacco: There was a consensus that heroine, cocaine and ecstasy should continue to be banned: 97% for heroin, 95% for cocaine and 94% for ecstasy. Only a very small minority would regulate one or more of these substances (3% for heroin, 4% for cocaine and 5% for ecstasy). However there were major differences in opinions relating to the use of cannabis: two-thirds (67%) of young people wanted to continue the ban and 31% wanted to bring in regulation, similar to what is custom for alcohol and tobacco. When asked if cannabis should continue to be banned young people in Romania, Sweden, and Cyprus supported a continued ban on cannabis (91%, 89%, and 84% respectively). On the other hand, respondents e.g. from the Czech Republic, Netherlands, Spain and the UK said the sale and consumption of cannabis should be regulated (53%, resp. 52%, 41% and 40%).
Access to illicit drugs, alcohol and tobacco: Among all respondents, heroin was seen to be the most difficult illicit drug to obtain followed by cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis. Among 35% of them considered cocaine to be easy or very accessible, with high accessibility in Ireland (58%) and the UK (51%) and the lowest availability in Finland (9%) and Romania (19%). Cannabis was considered to be the most easily accessible: nearly two out of three respondents (63%) thought it would be fairly easy to very easy for them to acquire cannabis, with greatest availability in Spain (85%), the Czech Republic (83%) and Denmark (73%) and lowest availability in Cyprus (38%), Finland (38%) and Sweden (42%). Moreover 72% of 15-18 year-olds thought it would be easy to very easy for them to get hold of tobacco compared to 87% of 22-24 year olds and more than nine out of 10 respondents in all Member States (except Cyprus) said it would be easy for them to obtain alcohol, only 83% of respondents in Cyprus said it would be easy.
The 15-18 year-olds were the ones thinking it would be very or fairly difficult for them to get hold of illicit drugs, while the 19-24 year-olds most often expected it to be very or fairly easy to obtain them. Moreover, just under half (47%) of rural residents said it would be very difficult to acquire heroin, compared to 39% of urban residents and 40% of metropolitan residents.
[1] COM (2005) 184 final, 10.5.200
europa.eu
This three-years campaign focuses on different aspects of drug control: drug abuse in 2007, drug cultivation and production in 2008, and illicit drug trafficking in 2009. The campaign's goal is to raise people's awareness and mobilize support for drug control. The campaign only focuses on drugs subject to control, as specified in the three multilateral drug treaties that form the backbone of the international drug control system, which include amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS), coca/cocaine, cannabis, hallucinogens, opiates, and sedative hypnotics.
The UNGASS process
The international drug control system, based on three main Treaties, has been in continuous evolution since 1961. June 1998, when the 20th UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) convened in New York to debate the world drug problem, marked a critical new juncture in the global fight against drugs and set the agenda for international drug control on the eve of the 21st century, on the basis of three key documents: a political declaration, the declaration on the guiding principle of drugs demand reduction and a five-part resolution with action plans to enhance international cooperation. In adopting the political declaration, UN Member States committed themselves to achieving measurable results in reducing the illicit supply and demand for drugs by 2008. They were also asked to adapt their national drug strategies accordingly and report to the CND (UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs) on their progress in meeting UNGASS targets. Monitoring instruments were developed.
The UNGASS debate is taking place since then, the objective being that the international community would assess the efficiency of the system in place and the measures taken - based on objective data and evidences- and will decide on the follow-up to the UNGASS 1998 process and on the future of the international counternarcotics system during the high-level segment of the 52nd CND in 2009.
The EU has constructively participated in the UNGASS debate and working groups and, since September 2007, has been working on a common position to be on the table for the 2009 CND, thus demonstrating to be a fundamental actor in the world's fight against drugs and that the "European model" is efficient and a good example to follow.
The EU framework for drug policy - evaluation of the action plan/the new action plan
The EU Drugs Strategy (2005-2012) endorsed in December 2004 by the European Council, is an integral part of the multi-annual programme "The Hague Programme' for strengthening freedom, security and justice in the EU[1]". It is based on the fundamental principles of EU law and upholds the founding values of the Union: respect for human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, solidarity, the rule of law and human rights. It aims to protect and improve the well-being of society and of the individual, to protect public health, to offer a high level of security for the general public and to take a balanced, integrated approach to the drugs problem.
The Strategy sets the framework, objectives and priorities for all drug-related activities in the EU by means of two consecutive four-year Drug Action Plans to be brought forward by the Commission. Implementation of most of the activities is the responsibility of the Member States; the Community plays a coordination role and has a complementary role (e.g. in public health) or a specific mandate on some issues (e.g. prevention of the diversion of chemical precursors used for the manufacturing of illicit drugs and the prevention of money laundering).
Depending on historical background, traditions and development patterns in the drug market, drug use and the health and social harms associated with drug dependence varies between Member States. Nonetheless, all EU Member States have formulated and implemented national drug policies that - with different levels of success - seem to be increasingly successful in reducing the most serious health and social damages associated with drug use.
The EU Drug Strategy (2005-2012) continues to be the overarching framework for the on going evaluation of the current EU Action Plan on Drugs (2005-2008) and for a new EU Action Plan on Drugs covering the period from 2009 to 2012. The new EU Action Plan on Drugs covering the period from 2009 to 2012 together with the conclusions of the final evaluation are to be presented in the Communication on an EU Action Plan on Drugs (2009-2012), which is scheduled for adoption in September 2008.
Eurobarometer 233- Young people and drugs
The objective of the Eurobarometer survey is to study young citizens' attitudes and perceptions about the issues of drugs. Interviews were conducted to over 12,000 randomly selected young people (15-24 years - of- age) in the twenty-seven Member States of the European Union by telephone interviews between 14 May and 18 May 2008, around the following questions:
Becoming more informed about illicit drugs and drug use: Almost two-thirds (61%) of young people in the EU27 who responded said they would use the Internet to get information about illicit drugs and drug use in general; only in Cyprus and Greece did figures fall below 50%. There was a great similarity across Member States, with many young people opting for similar sources (the Internet, a friend, parents, a health professional or drugs counsellor). These preferences would be at the expense of potential contact with the police, social workers and a telephone helpline. However, despite the above findings, which referred to methods that theoretically might be used, the Internet (35%) was not actually the channel most frequently consulted to find out about drug-related issues. More use was made of media campaigns (46%) and school prevention programmes (39%).
Perceived health risks of using drugs: The young people that participated in the survey made a distinction between the health risks of using heroin, cocaine and ecstasy and the risks of using cannabis. Between 81% and 96% of respondents thought heroin, cocaine and ecstasy pose a high risk, while almost 41% of young people thought cannabis pose a high risk, and 43% thought cannabis poses a medium risk, somewhat similar to the risk perceived with tobacco smoking. Of the respondents, 70% thought the smoking of tobacco poses a medium to low health risk, while 75% thought alcohol poses a medium to low risk. For ecstasy and cannabis, Czech respondents stood out with only 37% and 17%, respectively, associating high health risks with these illicit drugs. Young Czechs thought tobacco (20%) and alcohol (18%) posed a slightly higher risk than cannabis (17%). Romanians were the most likely to say that alcohol or tobacco, (37% and 42%, respectively), posed a high health risk.
How should society's drug problems be tackled: The 15-24 year olds in the survey seem to support the EU's balanced approach in drug policy by advocating tough measures to be taken against drug dealers and traffickers (63%) but also advocating "soft" measures to be used against drug users, e.g. through information and prevention campaigns (47%) and the treatment and rehabilitation of offenders (33%) as opposed to tough measures against drug users (23%). Exceptions were Estonia, Latvia, Hungary and the Netherlands, where tough measures against drug users were considered to be more effective than treatment and rehabilitation.
To ban or regulate illicit drugs, alcohol and tobacco: There was a consensus that heroine, cocaine and ecstasy should continue to be banned: 97% for heroin, 95% for cocaine and 94% for ecstasy. Only a very small minority would regulate one or more of these substances (3% for heroin, 4% for cocaine and 5% for ecstasy). However there were major differences in opinions relating to the use of cannabis: two-thirds (67%) of young people wanted to continue the ban and 31% wanted to bring in regulation, similar to what is custom for alcohol and tobacco. When asked if cannabis should continue to be banned young people in Romania, Sweden, and Cyprus supported a continued ban on cannabis (91%, 89%, and 84% respectively). On the other hand, respondents e.g. from the Czech Republic, Netherlands, Spain and the UK said the sale and consumption of cannabis should be regulated (53%, resp. 52%, 41% and 40%).
Access to illicit drugs, alcohol and tobacco: Among all respondents, heroin was seen to be the most difficult illicit drug to obtain followed by cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis. Among 35% of them considered cocaine to be easy or very accessible, with high accessibility in Ireland (58%) and the UK (51%) and the lowest availability in Finland (9%) and Romania (19%). Cannabis was considered to be the most easily accessible: nearly two out of three respondents (63%) thought it would be fairly easy to very easy for them to acquire cannabis, with greatest availability in Spain (85%), the Czech Republic (83%) and Denmark (73%) and lowest availability in Cyprus (38%), Finland (38%) and Sweden (42%). Moreover 72% of 15-18 year-olds thought it would be easy to very easy for them to get hold of tobacco compared to 87% of 22-24 year olds and more than nine out of 10 respondents in all Member States (except Cyprus) said it would be easy for them to obtain alcohol, only 83% of respondents in Cyprus said it would be easy.
The 15-18 year-olds were the ones thinking it would be very or fairly difficult for them to get hold of illicit drugs, while the 19-24 year-olds most often expected it to be very or fairly easy to obtain them. Moreover, just under half (47%) of rural residents said it would be very difficult to acquire heroin, compared to 39% of urban residents and 40% of metropolitan residents.
[1] COM (2005) 184 final, 10.5.200
europa.eu
четверг, 29 сентября 2011 г.
Discovery Of Mechanism Involved In Addictions And Some Forms Of Obesity
A researcher from the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta has discovered a mechanism underlying some forms of obesity and addictions which could lead to a treatment for both diseases.
When a hungry animal finds food in the wild, it is a rewarding stimulus for the animal and is recognized by the brain by the release of the chemical messenger dopamine. Because narcotics such as cocaine, heroin and amphetamines, and even tasty and highly-caloric foods also cause the release of dopamine and therefore make people feel rewarded, it's clear that dopamine has a role in addiction and the development of obesity. When an animal knows it can expect rewarding stimuli, like a treat, in a certain location, either in the wild or captivity, this is called 'conditioned place preference' and is dependent on spatial memories being formed in a specific part of the brain called the dentate gyrus.
Professor Bill Colmers and his research group, in the department of pharmacology, set out to find if dopamine may have an effect on the memory-forming brain cells in the dentate gyrus. His group used living brain slices from laboratory models and were able to mimic activity in brain cells when an animal is exploring a novel environment. When dopamine was added, it increased the excitability in part of the brain cell called the dendrites. A chemical secreted by the brain, Neuropeptide Y, had the opposite effect making the cells less excitable.
They took this experiment further by looking at a model called long term potentiation, which is the name for a form of cellular learning. When the scientists stimulated dopamine receptors they found that cellular learning was strengthened. While doing the same experiment with neuropeptide Y, applied together with dopamine, it prevented long-term potentiation from happening
The group also did this in human brain slices taken from patients undergoing therapy for temporal lobe epilepsy. The human brain cells showed the same properties as cells found in rats, and they also undergo dopamine-dependent cellular learning when stimulated in the same fashion as the laboratory models.
Considering Colmers and his group's major focus is in obesity, this is a very exciting finding.
"You can find the fridge and you know there's good stuff in there, so you can find it in your sleep, and people do," said Colmers. "So there's this whole reward aspect to place that we've been able to unravel."
These results help explain the mechanisms that underlie the formation of reward-cued spatial memories in both the laboratory model and human dentate gyrus. Understanding this mechanism not only explains the biology of an important form of learning, but may also lead to potential treatments for addiction and obesity.
Source:
Quinn Phillips
University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry
When a hungry animal finds food in the wild, it is a rewarding stimulus for the animal and is recognized by the brain by the release of the chemical messenger dopamine. Because narcotics such as cocaine, heroin and amphetamines, and even tasty and highly-caloric foods also cause the release of dopamine and therefore make people feel rewarded, it's clear that dopamine has a role in addiction and the development of obesity. When an animal knows it can expect rewarding stimuli, like a treat, in a certain location, either in the wild or captivity, this is called 'conditioned place preference' and is dependent on spatial memories being formed in a specific part of the brain called the dentate gyrus.
Professor Bill Colmers and his research group, in the department of pharmacology, set out to find if dopamine may have an effect on the memory-forming brain cells in the dentate gyrus. His group used living brain slices from laboratory models and were able to mimic activity in brain cells when an animal is exploring a novel environment. When dopamine was added, it increased the excitability in part of the brain cell called the dendrites. A chemical secreted by the brain, Neuropeptide Y, had the opposite effect making the cells less excitable.
They took this experiment further by looking at a model called long term potentiation, which is the name for a form of cellular learning. When the scientists stimulated dopamine receptors they found that cellular learning was strengthened. While doing the same experiment with neuropeptide Y, applied together with dopamine, it prevented long-term potentiation from happening
The group also did this in human brain slices taken from patients undergoing therapy for temporal lobe epilepsy. The human brain cells showed the same properties as cells found in rats, and they also undergo dopamine-dependent cellular learning when stimulated in the same fashion as the laboratory models.
Considering Colmers and his group's major focus is in obesity, this is a very exciting finding.
"You can find the fridge and you know there's good stuff in there, so you can find it in your sleep, and people do," said Colmers. "So there's this whole reward aspect to place that we've been able to unravel."
These results help explain the mechanisms that underlie the formation of reward-cued spatial memories in both the laboratory model and human dentate gyrus. Understanding this mechanism not only explains the biology of an important form of learning, but may also lead to potential treatments for addiction and obesity.
Source:
Quinn Phillips
University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry
понедельник, 26 сентября 2011 г.
NASHO Policy Statement Advocates Coordination To Improve Mental Health Care
The National Association
of Specialty Health Organizations (NASHO), approved a position statement
urging improved coordination of care for individuals with mental health and
substance use disorders. NASHO's members represent provider networks,
payors and health plans that specialize in dental, vision, behavioral
health, pharmacy benefit management, radiology, complementary care, device
management, and other specialty services. The NASHO statement encourages
members, purchasers, providers, and other stakeholders to enhance coverage
and coordination of care to improve outcomes and quality.
"People with mental health and substance use disorders have complex
needs and rely on many organizations to deliver their care. We believe
current legislative initiatives in Congress should recognize that
coordination of services and information is a critical element of effective
policy," said NASHO Executive Director Julian Roberts. "NASHO members
include behavioral health care organizations, pharmacy benefit managers,
and other national organizations with unique expertise to provide efficient
and high quality specialty services. They are committed to taking on the
cross cutting needs of individuals with mental health and substance
problems."
The NASHO statement addresses the following key areas:
-- Benefits for identification and treatment of mental health and
substance use disorders;
-- Coverage for evidence-based screening, treatment and coordination of
care for mental and substance use conditions, including medications;
-- The need for HIPAA-compliant data linkages that enable sharing of
appropriate information related to medication, treatment, and
transitions of care;
-- Mechanisms to promote patient adherence and medication safety for
individuals with mental and substance use conditions;
-- Need for coordination of care for patients making transitions between
settings;
-- Need for improved performance measurement strategies to capture
information on behavioral health services provided in diverse settings.
Michele Alfano, a member of the NASHO Board of Directors and Chief
Operating Officer of ValueOptions, Inc., commented, "NASHO is in a unique
position to bring together many of the participants who have a role in
delivering quality care to individuals with mental health disorders. This
policy statement acknowledges the need to coordinate provider services,
medications, and information. Further, the statement recognizes that
diverse and specialized strategies are needed to administer care and manage
information for this multifaceted population."
Concludes Roberts, "NASHO's mission is to increase awareness of the
value that specialty health organizations bring to health care. We believe
that specialty health brings efficiency and high quality to the table.
These services are most effective when data and information are closely
coordinated. This statement illustrates our vision for improved mental
health and addiction care."
The full text of the NASHO statement can be found at:
NASHO
About NASHO
NASHO was launched in January 2003 as a subsidiary association of the
American Association of Preferred Provider Organizations (AAPPO)
(aappo) to advance and evolve specialty healthcare delivery
in the United States. Its mission is to enhance and promote the value
proposition of specialty health organizations. To learn more about NASHO,
visit nasho.
National Association of Specialty Health Organizations
nasho
of Specialty Health Organizations (NASHO), approved a position statement
urging improved coordination of care for individuals with mental health and
substance use disorders. NASHO's members represent provider networks,
payors and health plans that specialize in dental, vision, behavioral
health, pharmacy benefit management, radiology, complementary care, device
management, and other specialty services. The NASHO statement encourages
members, purchasers, providers, and other stakeholders to enhance coverage
and coordination of care to improve outcomes and quality.
"People with mental health and substance use disorders have complex
needs and rely on many organizations to deliver their care. We believe
current legislative initiatives in Congress should recognize that
coordination of services and information is a critical element of effective
policy," said NASHO Executive Director Julian Roberts. "NASHO members
include behavioral health care organizations, pharmacy benefit managers,
and other national organizations with unique expertise to provide efficient
and high quality specialty services. They are committed to taking on the
cross cutting needs of individuals with mental health and substance
problems."
The NASHO statement addresses the following key areas:
-- Benefits for identification and treatment of mental health and
substance use disorders;
-- Coverage for evidence-based screening, treatment and coordination of
care for mental and substance use conditions, including medications;
-- The need for HIPAA-compliant data linkages that enable sharing of
appropriate information related to medication, treatment, and
transitions of care;
-- Mechanisms to promote patient adherence and medication safety for
individuals with mental and substance use conditions;
-- Need for coordination of care for patients making transitions between
settings;
-- Need for improved performance measurement strategies to capture
information on behavioral health services provided in diverse settings.
Michele Alfano, a member of the NASHO Board of Directors and Chief
Operating Officer of ValueOptions, Inc., commented, "NASHO is in a unique
position to bring together many of the participants who have a role in
delivering quality care to individuals with mental health disorders. This
policy statement acknowledges the need to coordinate provider services,
medications, and information. Further, the statement recognizes that
diverse and specialized strategies are needed to administer care and manage
information for this multifaceted population."
Concludes Roberts, "NASHO's mission is to increase awareness of the
value that specialty health organizations bring to health care. We believe
that specialty health brings efficiency and high quality to the table.
These services are most effective when data and information are closely
coordinated. This statement illustrates our vision for improved mental
health and addiction care."
The full text of the NASHO statement can be found at:
NASHO
About NASHO
NASHO was launched in January 2003 as a subsidiary association of the
American Association of Preferred Provider Organizations (AAPPO)
(aappo) to advance and evolve specialty healthcare delivery
in the United States. Its mission is to enhance and promote the value
proposition of specialty health organizations. To learn more about NASHO,
visit nasho.
National Association of Specialty Health Organizations
nasho
пятница, 23 сентября 2011 г.
Limited Benefits Of Red Wine
One glass of red wine can be good for you, but a second may not, reports the Daily Mail. The first drink relaxes the blood vessels and "reduces the amount of work the heart has to do", the newspaper says, but the second "countered any health benefits - increasing the risk of high blood pressure, coronary artery disease and heart failure".
The story is based on a small study that looked at the direct effects of red wine, plain alcohol, and water on people, using complex measurements of the heart, blood vessels and nervous system. This is the latest addition to the continuing debate of what may be a safe or even optimal amount of alcohol to drink for health. Red wine in particular has repeatedly been hailed as a protection against heart disease.
Although this study found a difference in the results when one drink was given compared with two, it is difficult to see how the experiment relates to real-life drinking patterns, as the trial was conducted in only 13 people, and each of the drinks given on only one occasion. Studies that examined the effects of different alcohol doses over longer periods in more people might produce useful results. At the moment, it seems sensible to follow standard recommendations for limits to alcohol consumption.
Where did the story come from?
Dr Jonas Spaak and colleagues of University of Toronto and Liquor Control Board of Ontario, Canada, carried out this research. The study was supported by Operating Grants from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. It was published in the (peer-reviewed): American Journal Physiology of Heart.
What kind of scientific study was this?
This was a small randomised crossover trial designed to investigate the potential benefits of alcohol consumption on blood circulation, blood vessel function and its related nervous system supply, and whether these effects are dose-dependent (how they change with the quantity consumed) or affected by whether red wine or diluted pure alcohol is consumed.
The researchers selected a group of 13 healthy non-Asians (seven men and six women), who normally drank moderate quantities of alcohol. On three separate occasions during the trial period each of the participants were randomly assigned to drink either water, red wine or ethanol (diluted pure alcohol). During each of the test sessions, the volunteers were seated and linked to an ECG (heart monitor), blood pressure machine. They had an electrode placed in one of the nerves of the leg, and a hand-held ultrasound machine was used to detect heart output and blood flow in the arm in response to changes in pressure change of the blood pressure cuff. Blood was also drawn from the arm for measurements of chemical levels in the blood.
After the first set of measurements were taken, the volunteer drank the alcohol, wine or placebo over five minutes. The measurements were repeated when the peak blood alcohol had reached a target level (using a breathalyser). The measurements were repeated for a third time after the second drink had been given and the peak blood alcohol had reached a higher target level. At the end of the test, a urine sample was taken. There was a two-week period between each of the three test sessions.
A named brand of red wine was used which is known to have high levels of resveratrol and catechin - the chemicals believed to have heart-protective and anti-oxidant properties. For the other alcoholic drink, 95% ethanol was diluted with Perrier water to an equivalent concentration. Perrier water was used as the control.
What were the results of the study? The circulatory output of the heart fell slightly after water and after one drink of red wine or ethanol, but increased after two drinks of either alcohol compared with water. Also, one drink did not alter sympathetic nerve activity (nerve impulses that are not consciously controlled, e.g. the fight or flight response), but two drinks of either alcohol significantly increased nerve activity compared with water.
There was significant increase in the diameter of the main artery in the arm after both one and two drinks of alcohol compared with water. There was no effect of any of the drinks upon the artery diameter (after conducting a test to see how much the artery would dilate when increasing the pressure in the blood pressure cuff to a level that would cause the arm to go red). Ethanol and red wine had no effects overall on either blood pressure of heart rate (although two glasses of wine slightly raised heart rate). Red wine significantly raised blood levels of resveratrol and catechin.
What interpretations did the researchers draw from these results? The authors conclude that one alcoholic drink (either red wine or ethanol) causes blood vessel dilation without an increase in heart rate or sympathetic nerve activity. When compared with water, two drinks increases heart circulatory output, sympathetic nerve activity, and heart rate (red wine only), with no increase in blood pressure. Despite wine causing higher blood levels of resveratrol and catechin - the chemicals believed to have heart-protective and anti-oxidant properties - no differences in measurements were found compared with plain alcohol.
What does the NHS Knowledge Service make of this study?
This is a complex and well-conducted scientific experiment. However, there are several points to note when interpreting the results:
- This is a small study of only 13 volunteers who received each drink once only. It is unclear how this experimental situation relates to any real-life drinking pattern. Studies examining the effects of different alcohol doses over a longer period of time (e.g. one glass per day compared with two) and in a much greater number of people would be valuable.
- Overall, there were no differences found in the effects of two glasses of wine compared with two glasses of plain alcohol; therefore the findings are not limited to wine drinking as the newspaper headlines may imply.
- Importantly, there is nothing to suggest from this study that "a second glass is bad for the heart". It is unclear how the small changes in sympathetic nerve activity, blood vessel diameter and heart output after two glasses of wine or alcohol on a single tested occasion in this study would relate to health.
- The size and alcohol content of the "drink" given in this study may not be comparable to the real life situation. The researchers calculated the alcohol concentration and volume that they believed would be needed to reach the target blood level in a particular individual. The earlier part of the report mentions the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee defining one drink as 120ml glass of wine or a 44ml shot of spirit; however, in the study different quantities of alcohol were taken by each of the volunteers depending on bodyweight.
- The second drink of alcohol was consumed after the breathalyser test had fallen to a defined alcohol level. However, it is not possible to say for certain whether any affects on the heart, blood vessels, or nervous system from the first drink may have continued after this time and could be clouding the effects of the second drink. Likewise, the effects of two drinks were not followed over an extended period.
- Although the study is reported as being single-blind (i.e. either the investigators or the participants did not know which of the study drinks were given) no further details of this are given. Presumably, the investigators would have been unaware of the drinks, as the participants would be able to tell which of the drinks they were consuming. However, even if this were the case, as they were checking for a rise in blood alcohol levels it would seem they would be able to tell when water had been taken. This may have led to some bias in result reporting; although as all measurements were objective this is uncertain.
- This trial is only conducted in non-Asian populations and findings may not be transferable to these groups.
Many questions have been raised by this research and further study would be needed to try and provide some of the answers. At the current time, it seems sensible to follow standard recommendations for alcohol consumption.
Links to the headlines
A second glass of red wine 'is bad for your heart'. Daily Mail, February 14 2008
Links to the science
Dose-related effects of red wine and alcohol on hemodynamics, sympathetic nerve activity, and arterial diameter.
Spaak J, Merlocco AC, Soleas GJ, et al.
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2008; 294:H605-H612
This news comes from NHS Choices
The story is based on a small study that looked at the direct effects of red wine, plain alcohol, and water on people, using complex measurements of the heart, blood vessels and nervous system. This is the latest addition to the continuing debate of what may be a safe or even optimal amount of alcohol to drink for health. Red wine in particular has repeatedly been hailed as a protection against heart disease.
Although this study found a difference in the results when one drink was given compared with two, it is difficult to see how the experiment relates to real-life drinking patterns, as the trial was conducted in only 13 people, and each of the drinks given on only one occasion. Studies that examined the effects of different alcohol doses over longer periods in more people might produce useful results. At the moment, it seems sensible to follow standard recommendations for limits to alcohol consumption.
Where did the story come from?
Dr Jonas Spaak and colleagues of University of Toronto and Liquor Control Board of Ontario, Canada, carried out this research. The study was supported by Operating Grants from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. It was published in the (peer-reviewed): American Journal Physiology of Heart.
What kind of scientific study was this?
This was a small randomised crossover trial designed to investigate the potential benefits of alcohol consumption on blood circulation, blood vessel function and its related nervous system supply, and whether these effects are dose-dependent (how they change with the quantity consumed) or affected by whether red wine or diluted pure alcohol is consumed.
The researchers selected a group of 13 healthy non-Asians (seven men and six women), who normally drank moderate quantities of alcohol. On three separate occasions during the trial period each of the participants were randomly assigned to drink either water, red wine or ethanol (diluted pure alcohol). During each of the test sessions, the volunteers were seated and linked to an ECG (heart monitor), blood pressure machine. They had an electrode placed in one of the nerves of the leg, and a hand-held ultrasound machine was used to detect heart output and blood flow in the arm in response to changes in pressure change of the blood pressure cuff. Blood was also drawn from the arm for measurements of chemical levels in the blood.
After the first set of measurements were taken, the volunteer drank the alcohol, wine or placebo over five minutes. The measurements were repeated when the peak blood alcohol had reached a target level (using a breathalyser). The measurements were repeated for a third time after the second drink had been given and the peak blood alcohol had reached a higher target level. At the end of the test, a urine sample was taken. There was a two-week period between each of the three test sessions.
A named brand of red wine was used which is known to have high levels of resveratrol and catechin - the chemicals believed to have heart-protective and anti-oxidant properties. For the other alcoholic drink, 95% ethanol was diluted with Perrier water to an equivalent concentration. Perrier water was used as the control.
What were the results of the study? The circulatory output of the heart fell slightly after water and after one drink of red wine or ethanol, but increased after two drinks of either alcohol compared with water. Also, one drink did not alter sympathetic nerve activity (nerve impulses that are not consciously controlled, e.g. the fight or flight response), but two drinks of either alcohol significantly increased nerve activity compared with water.
There was significant increase in the diameter of the main artery in the arm after both one and two drinks of alcohol compared with water. There was no effect of any of the drinks upon the artery diameter (after conducting a test to see how much the artery would dilate when increasing the pressure in the blood pressure cuff to a level that would cause the arm to go red). Ethanol and red wine had no effects overall on either blood pressure of heart rate (although two glasses of wine slightly raised heart rate). Red wine significantly raised blood levels of resveratrol and catechin.
What interpretations did the researchers draw from these results? The authors conclude that one alcoholic drink (either red wine or ethanol) causes blood vessel dilation without an increase in heart rate or sympathetic nerve activity. When compared with water, two drinks increases heart circulatory output, sympathetic nerve activity, and heart rate (red wine only), with no increase in blood pressure. Despite wine causing higher blood levels of resveratrol and catechin - the chemicals believed to have heart-protective and anti-oxidant properties - no differences in measurements were found compared with plain alcohol.
What does the NHS Knowledge Service make of this study?
This is a complex and well-conducted scientific experiment. However, there are several points to note when interpreting the results:
- This is a small study of only 13 volunteers who received each drink once only. It is unclear how this experimental situation relates to any real-life drinking pattern. Studies examining the effects of different alcohol doses over a longer period of time (e.g. one glass per day compared with two) and in a much greater number of people would be valuable.
- Overall, there were no differences found in the effects of two glasses of wine compared with two glasses of plain alcohol; therefore the findings are not limited to wine drinking as the newspaper headlines may imply.
- Importantly, there is nothing to suggest from this study that "a second glass is bad for the heart". It is unclear how the small changes in sympathetic nerve activity, blood vessel diameter and heart output after two glasses of wine or alcohol on a single tested occasion in this study would relate to health.
- The size and alcohol content of the "drink" given in this study may not be comparable to the real life situation. The researchers calculated the alcohol concentration and volume that they believed would be needed to reach the target blood level in a particular individual. The earlier part of the report mentions the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee defining one drink as 120ml glass of wine or a 44ml shot of spirit; however, in the study different quantities of alcohol were taken by each of the volunteers depending on bodyweight.
- The second drink of alcohol was consumed after the breathalyser test had fallen to a defined alcohol level. However, it is not possible to say for certain whether any affects on the heart, blood vessels, or nervous system from the first drink may have continued after this time and could be clouding the effects of the second drink. Likewise, the effects of two drinks were not followed over an extended period.
- Although the study is reported as being single-blind (i.e. either the investigators or the participants did not know which of the study drinks were given) no further details of this are given. Presumably, the investigators would have been unaware of the drinks, as the participants would be able to tell which of the drinks they were consuming. However, even if this were the case, as they were checking for a rise in blood alcohol levels it would seem they would be able to tell when water had been taken. This may have led to some bias in result reporting; although as all measurements were objective this is uncertain.
- This trial is only conducted in non-Asian populations and findings may not be transferable to these groups.
Many questions have been raised by this research and further study would be needed to try and provide some of the answers. At the current time, it seems sensible to follow standard recommendations for alcohol consumption.
Links to the headlines
A second glass of red wine 'is bad for your heart'. Daily Mail, February 14 2008
Links to the science
Dose-related effects of red wine and alcohol on hemodynamics, sympathetic nerve activity, and arterial diameter.
Spaak J, Merlocco AC, Soleas GJ, et al.
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2008; 294:H605-H612
This news comes from NHS Choices
вторник, 20 сентября 2011 г.
Impact Of Young Londoners' Alcohol Misuse Revealed, England
The capital's 11-15 year olds now drink the equivalent of 180,000 bottles of lager every week - and the amount they drink is on the rise, a new report from the London Assembly today warns.
In the first comprehensive assessment of the drinking habits of the capital's young people, the report, Too much too young? also reveals that although they drink less than their peers elsewhere in the country, more than a third1 of young Londoners are regular drinkers.
The consequences are of serious concern. Almost 2,000 young people2 in the capital are receiving specialist treatment for alcohol dependence. Alcohol-related hospital admissions have almost doubled in recent years3 and calls to the London Ambulance Service relating to young people drinking have increased 27 percent in just four years4.
During its ten-month investigation, the Assembly Health and Public Services Committee also identified some worrying statistics about young Londoners' drinking habits:
- Young women aged 11-15 are drinking more heavily and now have drinking habits similar to those of their male peers. Hospital admissions for these young women are almost double those for men of the same age because of their lower tolerance of alcohol.
- There has been a substantial increase5 in the proportion of young people from Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities who drink. This raises concern that these recent increases could be the start of an ongoing trend.
- There is a wide variation in drinking habits across the capital: young people living in outer London are more likely to drink and get drunk than those in inner boroughs.
James Cleverly AM, Chair of the London Assembly Health and Public Services Committee, said: "We are very concerned by our findings that young Londoners are drinking more and more often than a few years ago. Young people's drinking is having serious repercussions on their health and on public services.
"We hope this report will highlight the problem, as well as outlining a set of recommendations that will help young Londoners stay safe with alcohol and to ensure this issue is given the priority it deserves."
The investigation found a lack of senior leadership both locally and regionally means efforts to tackle the problem are not always effectively prioritised or co-ordinated. To address this, the Committee believes the Mayor and local leaders need to focus more effort on tackling alcohol.
The report recommends that local alcohol-harm reduction champions should be appointed in boroughs where alcohol-specific hospital admissions for young people - currently Kingston and Sutton - are higher than the national average.
The Committee makes recommendations in key areas to help reduce the harm alcohol can cause, including:
Reducing the supply of alcohol to under 18s
Boroughs should set up local partnerships to reduce alcohol sales, using the successful St Neots Community Alcohol Partnership as a model for this work. This involves the local council working together with the police, alcohol retailers and others to tackle underage alcohol sales through awareness raising, intelligence sharing and joint operations. During this investigation, the Committee helped facilitate the set up of a new pilot community alcohol partnership in Croydon.
Improving education and information
A London-wide marketing campaign is needed to raise awareness of the risks and to help young people stay safe. This campaign should target specific groups, including young women, the Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities, and parents. The Government also needs to ensure alcohol is given sufficient prominence in Personal, Social and Health Education, currently under review.
Helping young people who are misusing alcohol
The NHS needs to focus more on early intervention measures to help reduce people drinking at hazardous levels before they develop long-term problems.
Notes
1. 2005/06 figures for 11-21 year olds - Profile of Young Londoners' drinking, 2009, Institute of Alcohol Studies for the London Assembly
2. Figures for 11-21 year olds from National Treatment Agency
3. In 2006, there were 1315 hospital admissions for 11-21 year olds, compared to 690 in 2002 - an increase of 91 percent. Profile of Young Londoners' drinking, 2009, Institute of Alcohol Studies for the London Assembly
4. In 2001/4 just 4 percent of Pakistani and 2 percent of Bangladeshi young people drank at least once a year. By 2005/07, this figure had grown to 10 percent and 12 percent respectively, although they are less likely to drink than young people from other communities.
5. Alcohol misuse is taken to mean alcohol consumption by young people under the age of 18, and alcohol consumption by 18-21 year olds that exceeds the Government's sensible drinking guidelines of two to three units a day for women and three to four units a day for men.
6. As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
Source
London Assembly
In the first comprehensive assessment of the drinking habits of the capital's young people, the report, Too much too young? also reveals that although they drink less than their peers elsewhere in the country, more than a third1 of young Londoners are regular drinkers.
The consequences are of serious concern. Almost 2,000 young people2 in the capital are receiving specialist treatment for alcohol dependence. Alcohol-related hospital admissions have almost doubled in recent years3 and calls to the London Ambulance Service relating to young people drinking have increased 27 percent in just four years4.
During its ten-month investigation, the Assembly Health and Public Services Committee also identified some worrying statistics about young Londoners' drinking habits:
- Young women aged 11-15 are drinking more heavily and now have drinking habits similar to those of their male peers. Hospital admissions for these young women are almost double those for men of the same age because of their lower tolerance of alcohol.
- There has been a substantial increase5 in the proportion of young people from Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities who drink. This raises concern that these recent increases could be the start of an ongoing trend.
- There is a wide variation in drinking habits across the capital: young people living in outer London are more likely to drink and get drunk than those in inner boroughs.
James Cleverly AM, Chair of the London Assembly Health and Public Services Committee, said: "We are very concerned by our findings that young Londoners are drinking more and more often than a few years ago. Young people's drinking is having serious repercussions on their health and on public services.
"We hope this report will highlight the problem, as well as outlining a set of recommendations that will help young Londoners stay safe with alcohol and to ensure this issue is given the priority it deserves."
The investigation found a lack of senior leadership both locally and regionally means efforts to tackle the problem are not always effectively prioritised or co-ordinated. To address this, the Committee believes the Mayor and local leaders need to focus more effort on tackling alcohol.
The report recommends that local alcohol-harm reduction champions should be appointed in boroughs where alcohol-specific hospital admissions for young people - currently Kingston and Sutton - are higher than the national average.
The Committee makes recommendations in key areas to help reduce the harm alcohol can cause, including:
Reducing the supply of alcohol to under 18s
Boroughs should set up local partnerships to reduce alcohol sales, using the successful St Neots Community Alcohol Partnership as a model for this work. This involves the local council working together with the police, alcohol retailers and others to tackle underage alcohol sales through awareness raising, intelligence sharing and joint operations. During this investigation, the Committee helped facilitate the set up of a new pilot community alcohol partnership in Croydon.
Improving education and information
A London-wide marketing campaign is needed to raise awareness of the risks and to help young people stay safe. This campaign should target specific groups, including young women, the Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities, and parents. The Government also needs to ensure alcohol is given sufficient prominence in Personal, Social and Health Education, currently under review.
Helping young people who are misusing alcohol
The NHS needs to focus more on early intervention measures to help reduce people drinking at hazardous levels before they develop long-term problems.
Notes
1. 2005/06 figures for 11-21 year olds - Profile of Young Londoners' drinking, 2009, Institute of Alcohol Studies for the London Assembly
2. Figures for 11-21 year olds from National Treatment Agency
3. In 2006, there were 1315 hospital admissions for 11-21 year olds, compared to 690 in 2002 - an increase of 91 percent. Profile of Young Londoners' drinking, 2009, Institute of Alcohol Studies for the London Assembly
4. In 2001/4 just 4 percent of Pakistani and 2 percent of Bangladeshi young people drank at least once a year. By 2005/07, this figure had grown to 10 percent and 12 percent respectively, although they are less likely to drink than young people from other communities.
5. Alcohol misuse is taken to mean alcohol consumption by young people under the age of 18, and alcohol consumption by 18-21 year olds that exceeds the Government's sensible drinking guidelines of two to three units a day for women and three to four units a day for men.
6. As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
Source
London Assembly
суббота, 17 сентября 2011 г.
Changing Perceptions About Student Drinking Reduces Alcohol Misuse
Giving students personalised feedback on their drinking behaviour and how it compares to social norms might help to reduce alcohol misuse, according to a Cochrane Systematic Review.
A large body of social science research has established that students tend to overestimate the amount of alcohol that their peers consume. This overestimation causes many to have misguided views about whether their own behaviour is normal and may contribute to the 1.8 million alcohol related deaths every year. Social norms interventions that provide feedback about own and peer drinking behaviours may help to address these misconceptions.
Researchers analysed data from 22 trials that together included 7,275 college and university students, mostly studying in the US. They found that students who were provided with personalised feedback via the internet or individual face-to-face sessions drank less often and indulged in less binge drinking than those in control groups. Web-based feedback also resulted in significant reductions in blood alcohol content and alcohol related problems.
Group counselling and mailed feedback were not found to be effective compared to control interventions, although the researchers say further studies comparing the different ways of providing social normative feedback are required. "We can't make direct comparisons between the different interventions, but based on a small number of studies web-based interventions would certainly seem to be a cost-effective option for reducing alcohol misuse," said lead researcher Maria Teresa Moreira, from the School of Health and Social Care at Oxford Brookes University in the UK.
"We know that social norms have a powerful impact on thought and behaviour, so changing people's perceptions about what is normal can really help. Most of the effects lasted for a few months, but some lasted over a year, particularly for the web-based feedback," added Moreira.
Source:
Jennifer Beal
Wiley-Blackwell
A large body of social science research has established that students tend to overestimate the amount of alcohol that their peers consume. This overestimation causes many to have misguided views about whether their own behaviour is normal and may contribute to the 1.8 million alcohol related deaths every year. Social norms interventions that provide feedback about own and peer drinking behaviours may help to address these misconceptions.
Researchers analysed data from 22 trials that together included 7,275 college and university students, mostly studying in the US. They found that students who were provided with personalised feedback via the internet or individual face-to-face sessions drank less often and indulged in less binge drinking than those in control groups. Web-based feedback also resulted in significant reductions in blood alcohol content and alcohol related problems.
Group counselling and mailed feedback were not found to be effective compared to control interventions, although the researchers say further studies comparing the different ways of providing social normative feedback are required. "We can't make direct comparisons between the different interventions, but based on a small number of studies web-based interventions would certainly seem to be a cost-effective option for reducing alcohol misuse," said lead researcher Maria Teresa Moreira, from the School of Health and Social Care at Oxford Brookes University in the UK.
"We know that social norms have a powerful impact on thought and behaviour, so changing people's perceptions about what is normal can really help. Most of the effects lasted for a few months, but some lasted over a year, particularly for the web-based feedback," added Moreira.
Source:
Jennifer Beal
Wiley-Blackwell
среда, 14 сентября 2011 г.
Dopamine Involved In Aggression
New research from Vanderbilt University shows for the first time that the brain processes aggression as a reward - much like sex, food and drugs - offering insights into our propensity to fight and our fascination with violent sports like boxing and football.
The research will be published online the week of Jan. 14 by the journal Psychopharmacology.
"Aggression occurs among virtually all vertebrates and is necessary to get and keep important resources such as mates, territory and food," Craig Kennedy, professor of special education and pediatrics, said. "We have found that the 'reward pathway' in the brain becomes engaged in response to an aggressive event and that dopamine is involved."
"It is well known that dopamine is produced in response to rewarding stimuli such as food, sex and drugs of abuse," Maria Couppis, who conducted the study as her doctoral thesis at Vanderbilt, said. "What we have now found is that it also serves as positive reinforcement for aggression."
For the experiments, a pair of mice - one male, one female - was kept in one cage and five "intruder" mice were kept in a separate cage. The female mouse was temporarily removed, and an intruder mouse was introduced in its place, triggering an aggressive response by the "home" male mouse. Aggressive behavior included tail rattle, an aggressive sideways stance, boxing and biting.
The home mouse was then trained to poke a target with its nose to get the intruder to return, at which point it again behaved aggressively toward it. The home mouse consistently poked the trigger, which was presented once a day, indicating it experienced the aggressive encounter with the intruder as a reward.
The same home mice were then treated with a drug that suppressed their dopamine receptors. After this treatment, they decreased the frequency with which they instigated the intruder's entry.
In a separate experiment, the mice were treated with the dopamine receptor suppressors again and their movements in an open cage were observed. They showed no significant changes in overall movement compared to times when they had not received the drugs. This was done to demonstrate that their decreased aggression in the previous experiment was not caused by overall lethargy in response to the drug, a problem that had confounded previous experiments.
The Vanderbilt experiments are the first to demonstrate a link between behavior and the activity of dopamine receptors in response to an aggressive event.
"We learned from these experiments that an individual will intentionally seek out an aggressive encounter solely because they experience a rewarding sensation from it," Kennedy said. "This shows for the first time that aggression, on its own, is motivating, and that the well-known positive reinforcer dopamine plays a critical role."
Kennedy is chair of Vanderbilt's Peabody College of education and human development's special education department, which is consistently ranked as the top special education program in the nation. He is also director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research of Human Development's Behavior Analysis Clinic.
Couppis conducted her research in affiliation with the Vanderbilt Brain Institute. She is also affiliated with the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development and the Vanderbilt Center for Integrative and Cognitive Neuroscience.
The research was supported by a Discovery Grant from Vanderbilt University.
Source: Melanie Moran
Vanderbilt University
The research will be published online the week of Jan. 14 by the journal Psychopharmacology.
"Aggression occurs among virtually all vertebrates and is necessary to get and keep important resources such as mates, territory and food," Craig Kennedy, professor of special education and pediatrics, said. "We have found that the 'reward pathway' in the brain becomes engaged in response to an aggressive event and that dopamine is involved."
"It is well known that dopamine is produced in response to rewarding stimuli such as food, sex and drugs of abuse," Maria Couppis, who conducted the study as her doctoral thesis at Vanderbilt, said. "What we have now found is that it also serves as positive reinforcement for aggression."
For the experiments, a pair of mice - one male, one female - was kept in one cage and five "intruder" mice were kept in a separate cage. The female mouse was temporarily removed, and an intruder mouse was introduced in its place, triggering an aggressive response by the "home" male mouse. Aggressive behavior included tail rattle, an aggressive sideways stance, boxing and biting.
The home mouse was then trained to poke a target with its nose to get the intruder to return, at which point it again behaved aggressively toward it. The home mouse consistently poked the trigger, which was presented once a day, indicating it experienced the aggressive encounter with the intruder as a reward.
The same home mice were then treated with a drug that suppressed their dopamine receptors. After this treatment, they decreased the frequency with which they instigated the intruder's entry.
In a separate experiment, the mice were treated with the dopamine receptor suppressors again and their movements in an open cage were observed. They showed no significant changes in overall movement compared to times when they had not received the drugs. This was done to demonstrate that their decreased aggression in the previous experiment was not caused by overall lethargy in response to the drug, a problem that had confounded previous experiments.
The Vanderbilt experiments are the first to demonstrate a link between behavior and the activity of dopamine receptors in response to an aggressive event.
"We learned from these experiments that an individual will intentionally seek out an aggressive encounter solely because they experience a rewarding sensation from it," Kennedy said. "This shows for the first time that aggression, on its own, is motivating, and that the well-known positive reinforcer dopamine plays a critical role."
Kennedy is chair of Vanderbilt's Peabody College of education and human development's special education department, which is consistently ranked as the top special education program in the nation. He is also director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research of Human Development's Behavior Analysis Clinic.
Couppis conducted her research in affiliation with the Vanderbilt Brain Institute. She is also affiliated with the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development and the Vanderbilt Center for Integrative and Cognitive Neuroscience.
The research was supported by a Discovery Grant from Vanderbilt University.
Source: Melanie Moran
Vanderbilt University
воскресенье, 11 сентября 2011 г.
How Cocaine Addiction Develops
Permanent drug seeking and relapse after renewed drug administration are typical behavioral patterns of addiction. Molecular changes at the connection points in the brain's reward center are directly responsible for this. This finding was published by a research team from the Institute of Mental Health (ZI) in Mannheim, the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg and the University of Geneva, Switzerland, in the latest issue of Neuron. The results provide researchers with new approaches in the medical treatment of drug addiction.
Addiction leaves detectable traces in the brain: In particular regions of the central nervous system, which produce the messenger substance dopamine, the drug cocaine causes molecular restructuring processes at the synapses, the points of connection between two neurons. As a reaction to the drug, protein subunits are exchanged in specific receptor complexes. As a result, the modified synapse becomes able to transmit nervous signals with enhanced strength - a phenomenon that has been termed 'drug-induced synaptic plasticity'. Researchers have suspected for many years that drug-induced synaptic plasticity plays a crucial role in addiction development. However, this hypothesis has not yet been proven experimentally.
Using genetic engineering, researchers headed by Professor Dr. G??nther Sch??tz at the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) have now been able to selectively switch off those protein components in dopamine-producing neurons that are integrated into the receptor complexes under the influence of cocaine. Jointly with the team of Professor Dr. Rainer Spanagel at the Central Institute of Mental Health (Zentralinstitut f??r Seelische Gesundheit, ZI) in Mannheim and the research group of Professor Dr. Christian L??scher at Geneva University, the Heidelberg researchers studied the changes in physiology and behavior of the genetically modified animals.
The scientists performed standardized tests to measure addictive behavior in the animals. At first sight, both the genetically modified and the control animals displayed the usual behavior under the influence of cocaine. Forced to increase their agility, the lab animals covered significantly greater running distances and preferentially frequented those places where they had been conditioned to be regularly administered the drug.
If normal mice do not find drugs at the familiar places over a longer period of time, their addictive behavior and preference for the cocaine-associated places subside. However, this is not true for animals whose receptor subunit GluR1 has been switched off: These mice invariably frequent the places where they expect to find the drug, i.e., their addictive behavior persists.
Mice whose NR1 protein has been switched off have surprised scientists with a different conspicuous behavior. If control animals withdrawn from cocaine are readministered the drug after some time, addictive behavior and drug seeking are reactivated. In contrast, NR1 deficient animals proved to be resistant to relapsing into the addiction.
"It is fascinating to observe how individual proteins can determine addictive behavioral patterns," says G??nther Sch??tz, and his colleague Rainer Spanagel adds: "In addition, our results open up whole new prospects for treating addiction. Thus, blocking the NR1 receptor might protect from relapsing into addiction. Selective activation of GluR1 would even contribute to 'extinguishing' the addiction."
David Engblom; Ainhoa Bilbao; Carles Sanchis-Segura; Lionel Dahan; St?©phanie Perreau-Lenz; B?©n?©dicte Balland; Jan Rodriguez Parkitna; Rafael Lujan; Briac Halbout; ManuelMameli; Rosanna Parlato; Rolf Sprengel; Christian L??scher; G??nther Sch??tz and Rainer Spanagel: Glutamate Receptors on Dopamine Neurons Control the Persistence of Cocaine-Seeking. Neuron, August 14, 2008
The task of the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum in Heidelberg (German Cancer Research Center, DKFZ) is to systematically investigate the mechanisms of cancer development and to identify cancer risk factors. The results of this basic research are expected to lead to new approaches in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Center is financed to 90 percent by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and to 10 percent by the State of Baden-Wuerttemberg. It is a member of the Helmholtz Association of National Research Centers (Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft Deutscher Forschungszentren e.V.).
Source: Dr. Sibylle Kohlst?¤dt
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
Addiction leaves detectable traces in the brain: In particular regions of the central nervous system, which produce the messenger substance dopamine, the drug cocaine causes molecular restructuring processes at the synapses, the points of connection between two neurons. As a reaction to the drug, protein subunits are exchanged in specific receptor complexes. As a result, the modified synapse becomes able to transmit nervous signals with enhanced strength - a phenomenon that has been termed 'drug-induced synaptic plasticity'. Researchers have suspected for many years that drug-induced synaptic plasticity plays a crucial role in addiction development. However, this hypothesis has not yet been proven experimentally.
Using genetic engineering, researchers headed by Professor Dr. G??nther Sch??tz at the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) have now been able to selectively switch off those protein components in dopamine-producing neurons that are integrated into the receptor complexes under the influence of cocaine. Jointly with the team of Professor Dr. Rainer Spanagel at the Central Institute of Mental Health (Zentralinstitut f??r Seelische Gesundheit, ZI) in Mannheim and the research group of Professor Dr. Christian L??scher at Geneva University, the Heidelberg researchers studied the changes in physiology and behavior of the genetically modified animals.
The scientists performed standardized tests to measure addictive behavior in the animals. At first sight, both the genetically modified and the control animals displayed the usual behavior under the influence of cocaine. Forced to increase their agility, the lab animals covered significantly greater running distances and preferentially frequented those places where they had been conditioned to be regularly administered the drug.
If normal mice do not find drugs at the familiar places over a longer period of time, their addictive behavior and preference for the cocaine-associated places subside. However, this is not true for animals whose receptor subunit GluR1 has been switched off: These mice invariably frequent the places where they expect to find the drug, i.e., their addictive behavior persists.
Mice whose NR1 protein has been switched off have surprised scientists with a different conspicuous behavior. If control animals withdrawn from cocaine are readministered the drug after some time, addictive behavior and drug seeking are reactivated. In contrast, NR1 deficient animals proved to be resistant to relapsing into the addiction.
"It is fascinating to observe how individual proteins can determine addictive behavioral patterns," says G??nther Sch??tz, and his colleague Rainer Spanagel adds: "In addition, our results open up whole new prospects for treating addiction. Thus, blocking the NR1 receptor might protect from relapsing into addiction. Selective activation of GluR1 would even contribute to 'extinguishing' the addiction."
David Engblom; Ainhoa Bilbao; Carles Sanchis-Segura; Lionel Dahan; St?©phanie Perreau-Lenz; B?©n?©dicte Balland; Jan Rodriguez Parkitna; Rafael Lujan; Briac Halbout; ManuelMameli; Rosanna Parlato; Rolf Sprengel; Christian L??scher; G??nther Sch??tz and Rainer Spanagel: Glutamate Receptors on Dopamine Neurons Control the Persistence of Cocaine-Seeking. Neuron, August 14, 2008
The task of the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum in Heidelberg (German Cancer Research Center, DKFZ) is to systematically investigate the mechanisms of cancer development and to identify cancer risk factors. The results of this basic research are expected to lead to new approaches in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Center is financed to 90 percent by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and to 10 percent by the State of Baden-Wuerttemberg. It is a member of the Helmholtz Association of National Research Centers (Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft Deutscher Forschungszentren e.V.).
Source: Dr. Sibylle Kohlst?¤dt
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
четверг, 8 сентября 2011 г.
Reducing Drinking In University Students: Web-Based Screening And Intervention May Be Helpful
A report in the September issue of Archives of Internal Medicine (one of the JAMA/Archives journals) shows that web-based screening and personalized interventions for alcohol use may reduce drinking in undergraduate students.
In many countries, unhealthy alcohol use is becoming more common among young adults. The authors write: "Young people at university have a particularly high prevalence of unhealthy alcohol use and have been found to drink more heavily and to exhibit more clinically significant alcohol-related problems than their non-student peers."
Kypros Kypri, Ph.D., of the University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia and the University of Otago, New Zealand, and colleagues studied 7,237 undergraduate university students in Australia, aged from 17 to 24. They all had taken the 2007 Web-based Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. The test consisted of an online questionnaire covering items such as:
??? demographics
??? drinking behavior in the last year
??? largest number of drinks consumed on one occasion within the last four weeks
??? duration of drinking episode
??? secondhand effects such as being pushed, hit or assaulted
??? opinions on alcohol beverage labeling
??? smoking history
??? height and weight
Participants who scored in the hazardous/harmful drinking range were placed in either a Web-based intervention group, which received motivational assessments and personalized feedback or a control group, which received no feedback. The personalized motivational interventions included information about reducing the related health risk, an estimated blood alcohol concentration for the respondent's heaviest episode, monetary expenditure, comparison to other students' drinking. It also incorporated hyperlinks to smoking cessation and help with drinking problems. Follow-ups were conducted one and six months after screening.
In total, 2,435 participants scored in the hazardous/harmful drinking range. Of these, 1,251 were selected at random and included in the Web-based motivational feedback group. The remaining 1,184 were assigned to the control group. The authors write: "After one month, participants receiving intervention drank less often, smaller quantities per occasion and less alcohol overall than did controls. Differences in alcohol-related harms were nonsignificant. At six months, intervention effects persisted for drinking frequency and overall volume but not for other variables."
"Given the scale on which proactive Web-based electronic screening and brief intervention (e-SBI) can be delivered and its acceptability to student drinkers, we can be optimistic that a widespread application of this intervention would produce a benefit in this population group," the authors write in conclusion. "The e-SBI, a program that is available free for nonprofit purposes, could be extended to other settings, including high schools, general practices and hospitals."
Arch Intern Med. 2009; 169[16]:1508-1514.
Archives of Internal Medicine
Written by Stephanie Brunner (B.A.)
In many countries, unhealthy alcohol use is becoming more common among young adults. The authors write: "Young people at university have a particularly high prevalence of unhealthy alcohol use and have been found to drink more heavily and to exhibit more clinically significant alcohol-related problems than their non-student peers."
Kypros Kypri, Ph.D., of the University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia and the University of Otago, New Zealand, and colleagues studied 7,237 undergraduate university students in Australia, aged from 17 to 24. They all had taken the 2007 Web-based Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. The test consisted of an online questionnaire covering items such as:
??? demographics
??? drinking behavior in the last year
??? largest number of drinks consumed on one occasion within the last four weeks
??? duration of drinking episode
??? secondhand effects such as being pushed, hit or assaulted
??? opinions on alcohol beverage labeling
??? smoking history
??? height and weight
Participants who scored in the hazardous/harmful drinking range were placed in either a Web-based intervention group, which received motivational assessments and personalized feedback or a control group, which received no feedback. The personalized motivational interventions included information about reducing the related health risk, an estimated blood alcohol concentration for the respondent's heaviest episode, monetary expenditure, comparison to other students' drinking. It also incorporated hyperlinks to smoking cessation and help with drinking problems. Follow-ups were conducted one and six months after screening.
In total, 2,435 participants scored in the hazardous/harmful drinking range. Of these, 1,251 were selected at random and included in the Web-based motivational feedback group. The remaining 1,184 were assigned to the control group. The authors write: "After one month, participants receiving intervention drank less often, smaller quantities per occasion and less alcohol overall than did controls. Differences in alcohol-related harms were nonsignificant. At six months, intervention effects persisted for drinking frequency and overall volume but not for other variables."
"Given the scale on which proactive Web-based electronic screening and brief intervention (e-SBI) can be delivered and its acceptability to student drinkers, we can be optimistic that a widespread application of this intervention would produce a benefit in this population group," the authors write in conclusion. "The e-SBI, a program that is available free for nonprofit purposes, could be extended to other settings, including high schools, general practices and hospitals."
Arch Intern Med. 2009; 169[16]:1508-1514.
Archives of Internal Medicine
Written by Stephanie Brunner (B.A.)
понедельник, 5 сентября 2011 г.
Babies Receive Drugs And Medicines Through Breast Milk
There is great confusion among the scientific community about whether women who are drug abusers should breast feed their babies. In order to shed some light on this issue, scientists from various Spanish hospitals and research centres are reviewing the methods used to detect substances in breast milk, their adverse effects, and the recommendations that mothers should follow in this month's issue of the journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry.
"The general recommendation is to totally avoid drug abuse while breastfeeding, because these substances can pass directly through to the newborn", Oscar Garc?a Algar, co-author of the study and a doctor in the Paediatrics Department at the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona, tells SINC.
The researcher adds: "This recommendation extends to the prenatal period, because these substances are passed on to the foetus via the placenta, and then in the postnatal period via the environment. If they have exposure through the milk, they will certainly also have had it during the pregnancy, and they can also be in the environment, as is the case with tobacco smoke".
For this study, the team used the average daily intake of the breastfeeding baby, around 150 millilitres of milk per kilo of weight, as a benchmark. The recommendations are listed for each substance, taking the advice of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as a reference.
Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol
The breast milk of smoking mothers contains between 2 and 240 nanograms of nicotine per millilitre, which means their babies receive a dose equivalent to 0.3 to 36 micrograms/kg/day. These infants tend to suffer more from colic and are more prone to respiratory infections.
The advice is to give up smoking during pregnancy and breastfeeding, or at least to limit the habit as much as possible, extend the time between the last cigarette and the baby's feed, use nicotine patches, smoke outside the house and avoid smoky environments.
Caffeine - found in coffee, tea, cola drinks and medicines - can cause irritability and insomnia. Although the level of caffeine absorption varies greatly from one person to another, this substance has a lengthy half-life in newborns. For this reason, it is recommended to reduce consumption during breastfeeding to a maximum of 300 mg/day, equivalent to around three cups of coffee per day.
For alcohol, the exact risk is still ill-defined, and no studies have been carried out to correlate the dose, although some research suggests it can harm the infant's motor development, as well as causing changes to their sleep patterns, reduce the amount they eat, and increase the risk of hypoglycaemia.
The AAP feels that alcohol consumption is compatible with breastfeeding, but this study states that no amount can be considered safe until the levels in breast milk are established. Strategies for minimising risk include feeding the baby before consuming alcoholic drinks, or at least allowing two or three hours to pass after drinking. Alcoholic women are advised to feed their babies with a bottle.
The risks of alcohol to the foetus in pregnant women have already been shown. "But despite this, a recent study by our group showed that 45.7% of the women who came to give birth in our hospital had consumed considerable amounts of alcohol during pregnancy", says the doctor.
Cannabis, cocaine and other drugs
Cannabis, which is transmitted both through the mother's milk and smoke, can cause sedation, lethargy, weakness and poor feeding habits in breastfeeding babies. The long-term risks are also unknown. Women are advised not to use it, but if they use marijuana occasionally, the experts advise them to do so several hours before feeding, and not to expose their children to the smoke.
The advice on cocaine, meanwhile, is to "totally avoid it" during breastfeeding. The first case of toxicity caused by this drug through breast milk was a baby boy just two weeks old who suffered irritability, trembling, dilated pupils, tachycardia and high blood pressure after feeding.
Women are also advised against breastfeeding if they take amphetamines. These can cause agitation, crying and lack of sleep. Using them also reduces a mother's ability to care for her children.
Breastfeeding is not recommended either for women who use heroin, which is excreted into the milk in sufficient amounts to cause addiction in the baby. In the case of "need", the advice is to allow at least one or two days to pass after taking the drug before feeding the baby, and to start a substitute treatment as soon as possible, if possible with methadone.
Other opiates used as medicines - morphine, meperidine and codeine - are excreted into the milk in minimal amounts and are compatible with breastfeeding, as are benzodiazepines, as long as they are taken in controlled doses. These are the drugs most frequently prescribed to women during pregnancy and after birth.
In terms of anti-depressant and anti-psychotic drugs, the AAP says "these can be a cause for concern during breastfeeding". For now, their effects on breastfeeding babies are unknown, and further studies are recommended.
References:
Fr?guls B, Joya X, Garc?a-Algar O, Pall??s CR, Vall O, Pichini S. "A comprehensive review of assay methods to determine 5 drugs in breast milk and the safety of breastfeeding 6 when taking drugs". Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 397(3):1157-79, junio de 2010. Doi 10.1007/s00216-010-3681-0.
Source:
SINC
FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology
"The general recommendation is to totally avoid drug abuse while breastfeeding, because these substances can pass directly through to the newborn", Oscar Garc?a Algar, co-author of the study and a doctor in the Paediatrics Department at the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona, tells SINC.
The researcher adds: "This recommendation extends to the prenatal period, because these substances are passed on to the foetus via the placenta, and then in the postnatal period via the environment. If they have exposure through the milk, they will certainly also have had it during the pregnancy, and they can also be in the environment, as is the case with tobacco smoke".
For this study, the team used the average daily intake of the breastfeeding baby, around 150 millilitres of milk per kilo of weight, as a benchmark. The recommendations are listed for each substance, taking the advice of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as a reference.
Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol
The breast milk of smoking mothers contains between 2 and 240 nanograms of nicotine per millilitre, which means their babies receive a dose equivalent to 0.3 to 36 micrograms/kg/day. These infants tend to suffer more from colic and are more prone to respiratory infections.
The advice is to give up smoking during pregnancy and breastfeeding, or at least to limit the habit as much as possible, extend the time between the last cigarette and the baby's feed, use nicotine patches, smoke outside the house and avoid smoky environments.
Caffeine - found in coffee, tea, cola drinks and medicines - can cause irritability and insomnia. Although the level of caffeine absorption varies greatly from one person to another, this substance has a lengthy half-life in newborns. For this reason, it is recommended to reduce consumption during breastfeeding to a maximum of 300 mg/day, equivalent to around three cups of coffee per day.
For alcohol, the exact risk is still ill-defined, and no studies have been carried out to correlate the dose, although some research suggests it can harm the infant's motor development, as well as causing changes to their sleep patterns, reduce the amount they eat, and increase the risk of hypoglycaemia.
The AAP feels that alcohol consumption is compatible with breastfeeding, but this study states that no amount can be considered safe until the levels in breast milk are established. Strategies for minimising risk include feeding the baby before consuming alcoholic drinks, or at least allowing two or three hours to pass after drinking. Alcoholic women are advised to feed their babies with a bottle.
The risks of alcohol to the foetus in pregnant women have already been shown. "But despite this, a recent study by our group showed that 45.7% of the women who came to give birth in our hospital had consumed considerable amounts of alcohol during pregnancy", says the doctor.
Cannabis, cocaine and other drugs
Cannabis, which is transmitted both through the mother's milk and smoke, can cause sedation, lethargy, weakness and poor feeding habits in breastfeeding babies. The long-term risks are also unknown. Women are advised not to use it, but if they use marijuana occasionally, the experts advise them to do so several hours before feeding, and not to expose their children to the smoke.
The advice on cocaine, meanwhile, is to "totally avoid it" during breastfeeding. The first case of toxicity caused by this drug through breast milk was a baby boy just two weeks old who suffered irritability, trembling, dilated pupils, tachycardia and high blood pressure after feeding.
Women are also advised against breastfeeding if they take amphetamines. These can cause agitation, crying and lack of sleep. Using them also reduces a mother's ability to care for her children.
Breastfeeding is not recommended either for women who use heroin, which is excreted into the milk in sufficient amounts to cause addiction in the baby. In the case of "need", the advice is to allow at least one or two days to pass after taking the drug before feeding the baby, and to start a substitute treatment as soon as possible, if possible with methadone.
Other opiates used as medicines - morphine, meperidine and codeine - are excreted into the milk in minimal amounts and are compatible with breastfeeding, as are benzodiazepines, as long as they are taken in controlled doses. These are the drugs most frequently prescribed to women during pregnancy and after birth.
In terms of anti-depressant and anti-psychotic drugs, the AAP says "these can be a cause for concern during breastfeeding". For now, their effects on breastfeeding babies are unknown, and further studies are recommended.
References:
Fr?guls B, Joya X, Garc?a-Algar O, Pall??s CR, Vall O, Pichini S. "A comprehensive review of assay methods to determine 5 drugs in breast milk and the safety of breastfeeding 6 when taking drugs". Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 397(3):1157-79, junio de 2010. Doi 10.1007/s00216-010-3681-0.
Source:
SINC
FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology
пятница, 2 сентября 2011 г.
Physicians Need To Be Advocates For Prisoners' Health
Physicians are an essential component of correctional institutions and have a responsibility to advocate for effective and humane treatment for inmates. This is the view expressed in a commentary published in the January 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine by Scott A. Allen, MD, and Josiah D. Rich, MD, MPH, physicians at the Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights at The Miriam Hospital and Brown Medical School.
Citing the steady increase of incarcerated individuals in the United States that has resulted in record high inmate numbers, the authors point to the inadequate treatment of mental illness and addiction in the community as a source of the increase - especially among women.
"The natural history of untreated addiction and mental illness often results in illegal activity, and persistently inadequate treatment perpetuates a cycle of crime and incarceration," says Rich. "The correctional system should view incarceration as an opportunity to link inmates with effective therapy such as mental health services, high-quality drug treatment, and support services for reentry into society upon release, if we ever expect to decrease recidivism rates."
The authors note that punishment is often favored over rehabilitation in many prisons, which may cause harm to a prisoner's physical and mental health. In addition, in situations where effective therapeutic services are available, they are often underused.
Statistics show that although 57 percent of inmates in state prisons reported using drugs during the month before committing their offense, only 20 percent participated in substance abuse programs while in prison. Federal prisons echo this trend with reports stating that of the 63 percent of inmates being held for drug offenses, only 15 percent participated in prison-based drug treatment programs.
The authors also support programs for non-violent offenders that would place them in residential treatment programs and group homes instead of in prison. California took initiative with this concept when it passed The Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act, known as Proposition 36, in 2000. Proposition 36 changed California state law to allow first- and second-time nonviolent, simple drug possession offenders the opportunity to receive substance abuse treatment instead of incarceration.
"We feel strongly that alternatives to mass incarceration for non-violent offenders, such as residential treatment programs, need to be explored," says Allen. "Here, the basic requirements such as nutrition, shelter, and medical care would be provided, but in a more efficient, nonpunitive therapeutic setting. In addition, community-based alternatives would save taxpayers millions of dollars in incarceration costs annually."
Initial reports analyzing the effectiveness of California's Proposition 36 estimate that over 150,000 people benefited from the treatment and that it saved taxpayers about $1.3 billion. Given that the annual cost of housing an inmate is approximately $36,000, while the average cost of a 50-day residential treatment program is $3840 - the savings is evident.
Rich and Allen encourage physicians to campaign for sentencing laws, policies and procedures that directly affect the health and well-being of their patients and to encourage more humane and effective treatment alternatives for addiction and mental illness.
The Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights at the Miriam Hospital Immunology Center (prisonerhealth/) was established in 2005.
The Miriam Hospital, established in 1926 in Providence, RI, is a not-for-profit hospital affiliated with Brown Medical School. Nationally recognized as a top hospital in cardiovascular care, The Miriam Hospital (miriamhospital/) offers particular expertise in cardiac catheterization, angioplasty and women's cardiac care. One of 20 designated Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) sites, The Miriam is a leader in the treatment, research and prevention of HIV/AIDS, attracting $17 million of the world's HIV/AIDS research dollars. The Miriam Hospital has been awarded Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Services three times and is committed to excellence in patient care, research and medical education. The Miriam is a founding member of the Lifespan health system.
Contact: Megan Martin
Lifespan
Citing the steady increase of incarcerated individuals in the United States that has resulted in record high inmate numbers, the authors point to the inadequate treatment of mental illness and addiction in the community as a source of the increase - especially among women.
"The natural history of untreated addiction and mental illness often results in illegal activity, and persistently inadequate treatment perpetuates a cycle of crime and incarceration," says Rich. "The correctional system should view incarceration as an opportunity to link inmates with effective therapy such as mental health services, high-quality drug treatment, and support services for reentry into society upon release, if we ever expect to decrease recidivism rates."
The authors note that punishment is often favored over rehabilitation in many prisons, which may cause harm to a prisoner's physical and mental health. In addition, in situations where effective therapeutic services are available, they are often underused.
Statistics show that although 57 percent of inmates in state prisons reported using drugs during the month before committing their offense, only 20 percent participated in substance abuse programs while in prison. Federal prisons echo this trend with reports stating that of the 63 percent of inmates being held for drug offenses, only 15 percent participated in prison-based drug treatment programs.
The authors also support programs for non-violent offenders that would place them in residential treatment programs and group homes instead of in prison. California took initiative with this concept when it passed The Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act, known as Proposition 36, in 2000. Proposition 36 changed California state law to allow first- and second-time nonviolent, simple drug possession offenders the opportunity to receive substance abuse treatment instead of incarceration.
"We feel strongly that alternatives to mass incarceration for non-violent offenders, such as residential treatment programs, need to be explored," says Allen. "Here, the basic requirements such as nutrition, shelter, and medical care would be provided, but in a more efficient, nonpunitive therapeutic setting. In addition, community-based alternatives would save taxpayers millions of dollars in incarceration costs annually."
Initial reports analyzing the effectiveness of California's Proposition 36 estimate that over 150,000 people benefited from the treatment and that it saved taxpayers about $1.3 billion. Given that the annual cost of housing an inmate is approximately $36,000, while the average cost of a 50-day residential treatment program is $3840 - the savings is evident.
Rich and Allen encourage physicians to campaign for sentencing laws, policies and procedures that directly affect the health and well-being of their patients and to encourage more humane and effective treatment alternatives for addiction and mental illness.
The Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights at the Miriam Hospital Immunology Center (prisonerhealth/) was established in 2005.
The Miriam Hospital, established in 1926 in Providence, RI, is a not-for-profit hospital affiliated with Brown Medical School. Nationally recognized as a top hospital in cardiovascular care, The Miriam Hospital (miriamhospital/) offers particular expertise in cardiac catheterization, angioplasty and women's cardiac care. One of 20 designated Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) sites, The Miriam is a leader in the treatment, research and prevention of HIV/AIDS, attracting $17 million of the world's HIV/AIDS research dollars. The Miriam Hospital has been awarded Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Services three times and is committed to excellence in patient care, research and medical education. The Miriam is a founding member of the Lifespan health system.
Contact: Megan Martin
Lifespan
вторник, 30 августа 2011 г.
Greater Risk Of Perennial Allergic Rhinitis Linked To Alcohol
There is a link between alcohol consumption and increased risk of perennial allergic rhinitis, according to a recent Danish study of 5,870 young adult women. The study, published in the July issue of Clinical and Experimental Allergy, found that the risk increased 3% for every additional alcoholic drink per week. In contrast, the authors did not observe any increase in risk of seasonal allergic rhinitis according to alcohol intake.
Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an upper respiratory disorder affecting between 10% and 40% of the population worldwide, and over the last decades, the prevalence of AR has increased in westernised countries. Alcohol consumption is part of the western lifestyle and it has been proposed that alcohol consumption may be one of the factors contributing to the rise in AR, especially because alcohol is a well-known trigger of hypersensitivity reactions and there is evidence that it influences the immune system.
The 5,870 women studied were aged 20-29 years and free of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis at the start of the study. They were asked about different lifestyle habits including their general alcohol intake, measured in drinks per week (i.e. glasses of wine, bottles of beer). After a time period of seven to nine years, the women were contacted again and 831 women had developed seasonal AR and 523 had women developed perennial AR, 14% and 9% respectively.
The authors observed a general tendency that the more alcohol the women reported they drank, the higher their risk of developing perennial allergic rhinitis. For instance, women who reported drinking more than 14 drinks a week were 78% more likely to develop perennial allergic rhinitis than women who had reported drinking less than one drink a week.
"Our study was carried out on female participants only, and it should be recognised that there is evidence to suggest that women may be more susceptible to some of the genetically harmful effects of alcohol than men, perhaps due to differences in fat to water ratio or liver mass to body weight ratio," said lead author Dr. Janne Tolstrup, National Institute of Public Health, Denmark. "Because of this it would be interesting to examine gender differences in the possible effects of alcohol on the development of rhinitis."
"Another interesting finding of this study was that smokers were found to have a decreased risk of seasonal AR, with no change to the risk of perennial AR," said Tolstrup. "We also found that if one or both parents had asthma, the participant was more likely to have perennial AR and this was exacerbated in women who drank over 14 drinks a week."
Source: Jennifer Beal
Wiley-Blackwell
Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an upper respiratory disorder affecting between 10% and 40% of the population worldwide, and over the last decades, the prevalence of AR has increased in westernised countries. Alcohol consumption is part of the western lifestyle and it has been proposed that alcohol consumption may be one of the factors contributing to the rise in AR, especially because alcohol is a well-known trigger of hypersensitivity reactions and there is evidence that it influences the immune system.
The 5,870 women studied were aged 20-29 years and free of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis at the start of the study. They were asked about different lifestyle habits including their general alcohol intake, measured in drinks per week (i.e. glasses of wine, bottles of beer). After a time period of seven to nine years, the women were contacted again and 831 women had developed seasonal AR and 523 had women developed perennial AR, 14% and 9% respectively.
The authors observed a general tendency that the more alcohol the women reported they drank, the higher their risk of developing perennial allergic rhinitis. For instance, women who reported drinking more than 14 drinks a week were 78% more likely to develop perennial allergic rhinitis than women who had reported drinking less than one drink a week.
"Our study was carried out on female participants only, and it should be recognised that there is evidence to suggest that women may be more susceptible to some of the genetically harmful effects of alcohol than men, perhaps due to differences in fat to water ratio or liver mass to body weight ratio," said lead author Dr. Janne Tolstrup, National Institute of Public Health, Denmark. "Because of this it would be interesting to examine gender differences in the possible effects of alcohol on the development of rhinitis."
"Another interesting finding of this study was that smokers were found to have a decreased risk of seasonal AR, with no change to the risk of perennial AR," said Tolstrup. "We also found that if one or both parents had asthma, the participant was more likely to have perennial AR and this was exacerbated in women who drank over 14 drinks a week."
Source: Jennifer Beal
Wiley-Blackwell
суббота, 27 августа 2011 г.
Adverse Effects Of Ecstasy To Be Studied By UA Pharmacy Researcher
The National Institute on Drug Abuse has awarded a researcher at The University of Arizona College of Pharmacy $1.7 million for a nearly five-year study of the long-term adverse effects of the street drug ecstasy, also known as the "hug drug."
Terrence J. Monks, PhD, head of the college's Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, is a specialist in the study of drug toxicology, or the "bad" effects of drugs. He will be the principal investigator on the ecstasy project.
"Most research on ecstasy focuses on the pharmacological, or nontoxic effects of the drug," says Monks. "My interest lies in learning how the drug negatively affects the brain."
Classified as a Schedule I substance, ecstasy has been controlled in the United States since 1985. Ecstasy (also known as MDMA, or methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is a synthetic, psychoactive drug that is chemically similar to the stimulant methamphetamine. It produces an energizing effect as well as feelings of euphoria, emotional warmth, and distortions in time perception and tactile experiences.
These effects of MDMA have contributed to its popularity as a "party drug" among adolescents and young adults who frequent weekend-long "raves" or "techo-parties." However, the drug has a serious down side.
"A number of adverse effects are associated with the use of MDMA," says Monks. "MDMA use and abuse therefore has the potential to give rise to a major public health problem."
According to the U.S. Department of State, the short-term negative effects of ecstasy can be nausea, dilated pupils, dry mouth and throat, and lower jaw tension. Use of the drug often leads to dramatic increases in body temperature exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which in turn can lead to muscle breakdown and kidney and cardiovascular system failure. This hyperthermic response can therefore result in fatal blood clotting, heart attacks and strokes.
Scientific studies have found that ecstasy use also produces long-term damage to the brain's ability to release serotonin, which regulates mood, body temperature and memory.
"Ecstasy may be the only amphetamine-based drug that attacks the serotonin system," says Monks. "There is little doubt that it has the potential to be toxic to the human nervous system. The question is how."
Monks' research will focus on the process by which ecstasy is metabolized by the body. When the drug enters the body orally in pill form (the manner in which it is usually taken), enzymes in the body convert it either to harmless metabolites or into toxic metabolites. Predicting which people process ecstasy into toxic metabolites more readily than other people is the challenge.
"Individuals metabolize ecstasy differently," says Monks. "If 100 people take ecstasy, perhaps five will metabolize the drug very efficiently, whereas five others will metabolize the drug poorly. Since metabolism of ecstasy is required for it to produce neurotoxicity, the individual who efficiently metabolizes the drug will likely be more susceptible to the long-term adverse effects."
The UA professor is believed to be the only researcher in the U.S. studying the role of metabolism in the neurotoxicity of the drug.
The results of Monks' research will help people understand which individuals are more likely to suffer long-term negative effects of ecstasy.
"The multitude of adverse effects resulting from the misuse of ecstasy necessitates a complete understanding of the neuropharmacology and neurotoxicology of this unusual amphetamine derivative," says Monks. "We hope to help define important factors that contribute to individual susceptibility to the long-term adverse effects of this drug."
Source: Karin Lorentzen
University of Arizona, College of Pharmacy
Terrence J. Monks, PhD, head of the college's Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, is a specialist in the study of drug toxicology, or the "bad" effects of drugs. He will be the principal investigator on the ecstasy project.
"Most research on ecstasy focuses on the pharmacological, or nontoxic effects of the drug," says Monks. "My interest lies in learning how the drug negatively affects the brain."
Classified as a Schedule I substance, ecstasy has been controlled in the United States since 1985. Ecstasy (also known as MDMA, or methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is a synthetic, psychoactive drug that is chemically similar to the stimulant methamphetamine. It produces an energizing effect as well as feelings of euphoria, emotional warmth, and distortions in time perception and tactile experiences.
These effects of MDMA have contributed to its popularity as a "party drug" among adolescents and young adults who frequent weekend-long "raves" or "techo-parties." However, the drug has a serious down side.
"A number of adverse effects are associated with the use of MDMA," says Monks. "MDMA use and abuse therefore has the potential to give rise to a major public health problem."
According to the U.S. Department of State, the short-term negative effects of ecstasy can be nausea, dilated pupils, dry mouth and throat, and lower jaw tension. Use of the drug often leads to dramatic increases in body temperature exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which in turn can lead to muscle breakdown and kidney and cardiovascular system failure. This hyperthermic response can therefore result in fatal blood clotting, heart attacks and strokes.
Scientific studies have found that ecstasy use also produces long-term damage to the brain's ability to release serotonin, which regulates mood, body temperature and memory.
"Ecstasy may be the only amphetamine-based drug that attacks the serotonin system," says Monks. "There is little doubt that it has the potential to be toxic to the human nervous system. The question is how."
Monks' research will focus on the process by which ecstasy is metabolized by the body. When the drug enters the body orally in pill form (the manner in which it is usually taken), enzymes in the body convert it either to harmless metabolites or into toxic metabolites. Predicting which people process ecstasy into toxic metabolites more readily than other people is the challenge.
"Individuals metabolize ecstasy differently," says Monks. "If 100 people take ecstasy, perhaps five will metabolize the drug very efficiently, whereas five others will metabolize the drug poorly. Since metabolism of ecstasy is required for it to produce neurotoxicity, the individual who efficiently metabolizes the drug will likely be more susceptible to the long-term adverse effects."
The UA professor is believed to be the only researcher in the U.S. studying the role of metabolism in the neurotoxicity of the drug.
The results of Monks' research will help people understand which individuals are more likely to suffer long-term negative effects of ecstasy.
"The multitude of adverse effects resulting from the misuse of ecstasy necessitates a complete understanding of the neuropharmacology and neurotoxicology of this unusual amphetamine derivative," says Monks. "We hope to help define important factors that contribute to individual susceptibility to the long-term adverse effects of this drug."
Source: Karin Lorentzen
University of Arizona, College of Pharmacy
среда, 24 августа 2011 г.
Tougher Measures Needed To Reduce Alcohol Related Harm, Say UK Doctors
Two top doctors have called on the UK government to employ tougher measures to reduce alcohol related harm.
Ian Gilmore, President, Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and Nick Sheron, a liver specialist at Southampton University Hospital say that current measures, such as education and public information have not done much to change people's drinking behavior or to reduce harm. Proven measures should be considered, such as price hikes, forbidding the advertising of alcohol, and reducing alcohol's availability.
The authors explain that alcohol is most definitely a significant health problem in the UK. Alcohol is causing more deaths than cervical cancer, breast cancer and MRSA combined.
They ask whether we have a duty to find a way of reducing alcohol's health burden to society - or would this be an example of creating a nanny state.
Alcohol is the cause of much more damage to third parties than smoking, they write. Half of all violent crimes and one third of domestic violence cases are caused by alcohol to some degree.
The authors point to evidence that raising the price of alcohol is the most successful and cost effective way to alter drinking behavior. While disposable income in the UK grew by 91% during the period 1980-2003 the price of alcohol just went up by 24%. This means that alcohol was 54% cheaper in real terms in 2003 than it was in 1980.
Retailers and producers say that raising alcohol prices would not reduce consumption. If this were true, say the authors, then all the fundamental principles of marketing are wrong (people buy less of something when it becomes more expensive, they buy more of something when it becomes cheaper).
The authors wonder how many more British lives will be damaged before the government does anything really concrete about it.
"Reducing the harms of alcohol in the UK"
Ian Gilmore, Nick Sheron
BMJ 2007;335:1271-1272 (22 December), doi:10.1136/bmj.39426.523715.80
Click here to read the full Editorial
Ian Gilmore, President, Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and Nick Sheron, a liver specialist at Southampton University Hospital say that current measures, such as education and public information have not done much to change people's drinking behavior or to reduce harm. Proven measures should be considered, such as price hikes, forbidding the advertising of alcohol, and reducing alcohol's availability.
The authors explain that alcohol is most definitely a significant health problem in the UK. Alcohol is causing more deaths than cervical cancer, breast cancer and MRSA combined.
They ask whether we have a duty to find a way of reducing alcohol's health burden to society - or would this be an example of creating a nanny state.
Alcohol is the cause of much more damage to third parties than smoking, they write. Half of all violent crimes and one third of domestic violence cases are caused by alcohol to some degree.
The authors point to evidence that raising the price of alcohol is the most successful and cost effective way to alter drinking behavior. While disposable income in the UK grew by 91% during the period 1980-2003 the price of alcohol just went up by 24%. This means that alcohol was 54% cheaper in real terms in 2003 than it was in 1980.
Retailers and producers say that raising alcohol prices would not reduce consumption. If this were true, say the authors, then all the fundamental principles of marketing are wrong (people buy less of something when it becomes more expensive, they buy more of something when it becomes cheaper).
The authors wonder how many more British lives will be damaged before the government does anything really concrete about it.
"Reducing the harms of alcohol in the UK"
Ian Gilmore, Nick Sheron
BMJ 2007;335:1271-1272 (22 December), doi:10.1136/bmj.39426.523715.80
Click here to read the full Editorial
воскресенье, 21 августа 2011 г.
Historic Appeals Case Against The Tobacco Industry Positions Court To Decide On Key Tobacco Control Issues
Statement of the American Lung Association:
Today, The U.S. Department of Justice and Public Health Intervenors, including the American Lung Association, presented oral arguments before the United States Court of Appeals in a landmark case against the tobacco industry.
The plaintiff-intervenors (Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights and National African-American Tobacco Prevention Network) argued today that the Court of Appeals should permit the District Court to impose a broad range of remedies against the tobacco industry.
The American Lung Association maintains that Judge Kessler was well within her authority to prohibit the companies from using "light," "low-tar" and other phrases designed intentionally to mislead the public - despite the tobacco industry's subsequent request to continue to use these deceitful phrases abroad.
Following Judge Gladys Kessler's August 2006 ruling that cigarette companies had violated civil racketeering laws (RICO) and had defrauded the American public by lying for decades about the health risks of smoking and their marketing to children, the judge stated she was limited in the remedies, i.e. corrective actions, she could impose. Judge Kessler cited that her limitations stemmed from an earlier appeals court ruling that restricts remedies under the civil RICO law, which is one of the issues under appeal.
A ruling favoring public health advocates could have a dramatic impact on public health and potentially prevent millions of lung disease deaths, while also preserving the original intent of the RICO statute.
About the American Lung Association: Beginning our second century, the American Lung Association is the leading organization working to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. Lung disease death rates are currently increasing while other major causes of death are declining. The American Lung Association funds vital research on the causes of and treatments for lung disease. With the generous support of the public, the American Lung Association is "Improving life, one breath at a time." For more information about the American Lung Association, a Charity Navigator Four Star Charity, or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or log on to lungusa.
Today, The U.S. Department of Justice and Public Health Intervenors, including the American Lung Association, presented oral arguments before the United States Court of Appeals in a landmark case against the tobacco industry.
The plaintiff-intervenors (Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights and National African-American Tobacco Prevention Network) argued today that the Court of Appeals should permit the District Court to impose a broad range of remedies against the tobacco industry.
The American Lung Association maintains that Judge Kessler was well within her authority to prohibit the companies from using "light," "low-tar" and other phrases designed intentionally to mislead the public - despite the tobacco industry's subsequent request to continue to use these deceitful phrases abroad.
Following Judge Gladys Kessler's August 2006 ruling that cigarette companies had violated civil racketeering laws (RICO) and had defrauded the American public by lying for decades about the health risks of smoking and their marketing to children, the judge stated she was limited in the remedies, i.e. corrective actions, she could impose. Judge Kessler cited that her limitations stemmed from an earlier appeals court ruling that restricts remedies under the civil RICO law, which is one of the issues under appeal.
A ruling favoring public health advocates could have a dramatic impact on public health and potentially prevent millions of lung disease deaths, while also preserving the original intent of the RICO statute.
About the American Lung Association: Beginning our second century, the American Lung Association is the leading organization working to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. Lung disease death rates are currently increasing while other major causes of death are declining. The American Lung Association funds vital research on the causes of and treatments for lung disease. With the generous support of the public, the American Lung Association is "Improving life, one breath at a time." For more information about the American Lung Association, a Charity Navigator Four Star Charity, or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or log on to lungusa.
четверг, 18 августа 2011 г.
Smoking, Drugs, Obesity Top Health Concerns For Kids
It's only natural to for adults to worry about children's health and well-being at school, on the roads and even online.
But adults' No. 1 health concern for children and adolescents in the United States? It's smoking, according to new results from the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health. Drug abuse ranked No. 2.
The poll, which asked adults to rate 17 different health problems for children living in their communities, also found that childhood obesity now ranks among the public's top three concerns for children's health, ahead of alcohol abuse and teen pregnancy.
Also making the public's overall list of top10 health concerns for kids: Driving accidents, Internet safety, school violence, sexually transmitted infections, and abuse and neglect. The child health issues that didn't make the top 10 list, but were still rated as "big problems" by 6 to 18 percent of adults: Psychological stress, depression, eating disorders, suicide, autism, childhood cancer and food contamination.
"We found that major race/ethnicity groups differ when it comes to the top three health concerns for children as well. While white adults list smoking, drug abuse and alcohol abuse at their top three concerns, black adults rate teen pregnancy, smoking and drug abuse, and Hispanic adults rank smoking, drug abuse and childhood obesity as the three major health problems for children," says Matthew M. Davis, M.D., M.A.P.P., director of the National Poll on Children's Health, part of the U-M Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases and the Child Health Evaluation and Research (CHEAR) Unit in the U-M Division of General Pediatrics.
To rank the public's top health concerns for children, the National Poll on Children's Health, in collaboration with Knowledge Networks, Inc., conducted a national online survey in March 2007. The survey, administered to a random sample of 2,076 adults who are a part of Knowledge Network's online KnowledgePanelSM, revealed the top 10 out of 17 health concerns for children in the U.S.
Top 10 overall health concerns for children in the U.S.
1. Smoking. Forty percent of adults rate smoking as their top health concern for children. Among black adults, smoking ranks No. 2. Forty-five percent of black adults, however, rate smoking as a big problem.
2. Drug abuse. Adults are more likely to rate drug abuse as a concern based on their children's emotional health. Those who report their child's emotional health as "good," "fair" or "poor" are more likely to view drug abuse as a major health problem for children compared with parents who rate their child's emotional health as "excellent" or "very good."
3. Childhood obesity. According to poll results, adults with higher education are more likely to rate childhood obesity as their No. 1 health issue for children than adults with high school education or less. In fact, 40 percent of adults with a college degree view obesity as a top concern, while those with less than a high school education rate it as their No. 10 concern, with 25 percent reporting it as a top concern. The National Poll on Children's Health also found Hispanic adults are more likely to report obesity as a problem, with 42 percent viewing it as a major problem, compared with only 31 percent of white adults and 36 percent of black adults. "These differences somewhat reflect the higher prevalence of obesity among black and Hispanic youth compared with white youth," notes Davis.
4. Alcohol abuse. "Households with lower incomes less than $30,000 per year are significantly more likely to rate alcohol abuse as a problem than families with higher annual incomes," says Davis. "We also found that alcohol abuse by teens was a bigger concern in households with a single or divorced parent, compared with households with married parents."
5. Motor vehicle accidents. Driving accidents involving teenagers are a universal concern across all socio-economic groups studied, says Davis.
6. Teen pregnancy. Black adults rate teen pregnancy as the No. 1 health problem for youth, with 51 percent reporting it's a major health concern compared with only 25 percent of white adults. "This difference echoes differences in rates of teen pregnancy by race/ethnicity, which have declined among all teens over the past decade, but remain two time higher among blacks than whites," says Davis.
7. Internet safety. "Internet safety is a relatively new health concern in relation to other health issues," says Davis. "Women and black adults are more likely to report it as a major concern." Thirty-two percent of women and 21 percent of men report they are concerned about Internet safety, while 37 percent of black adults and 25 percent of white adults say it is a big problem.
8. School violence. "School violence didn't rate as high as driving accidents and alcohol use. Yet it still is in the top 10, and that speaks to the current level of concern in the U.S. about this problem," says Davis. "We measured school violence concerns before the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech, so it is likely that it may rank higher today than it did just a few weeks ago." Davis also notes that black adults are more than twice as likely as white adults to report school violence as a big problem, ranking it their No. 4 health concern. It also was viewed as a bigger health problem among lower income households.
9. Sexually transmitted infections. Sexually transmitted infections among youth are considered to be a bigger problem by black adults and Hispanics, with 40 percent of black adults and 34 percent of Hispanics adults viewing it as a big problem, compared with only 20 percent of white adults. Households with lower incomes also rate sexually transmitted infections as a greater health concern for children.
10. Abuse and neglect. About 22 percent of survey respondents view abuse and neglect as a health concern for children. "Similar to other health issues in the poll, more black respondents feel abuse and neglect is a big health concern than among Hispanic and white respondents," says Davis.
Ratings for the top 10 list did not differ between adults who have children in their households, and those who do not. Overall, higher proportions of blacks and Hispanic adults rated all 17 concerns as "big problems" compared with white adults.
"This poll provides us with a detailed picture of what the public views as some of the biggest health concerns for children and adolescents today," says Davis, associate professor of general pediatrics and internal medicine at the U-M Medical School, and associate professor of public policy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. "It also suggests that the government may want to target more investment toward issues such as teen smoking, drug abuse and childhood obesity, in a way that reflects the fact that the public is currently prioritizing these problems as even bigger than other issues on the list."
About the National Poll on Children's Health
The C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health is funded by the Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases at the U-M Health System. As part of the U-M Division of General Pediatric Child Health Evaluation and Research (CHEAR) Unit, the National Poll on Children's Health is designed to measure major health care issues and trends for U.S. children. For a copy of the reports from National Poll on Children's Health, visit chear.umich. For regular podcasts of polling results, go to med.umich/podcast.
About Knowledge Networks
Knowledge Networks delivers quality and service to guide leaders in business, government and academia uniquely bringing scientifically valid research to the online space through its probability-based, online KnowledgePanelSM. The company delivers unique study design, science, analysis, and panel maintenance, along with a commitment to close collaboration at every stage of the research process. KN leverages its expertise in brands, media, advertising, and public policy issues to provide insights that speak directly to clients' most important concerns. For more information about Knowledge Networks, visit knowledgenetworks.
University of Michigan Health System
2901 Hubbard St., Ste. 2400
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2435
United States
med.umich
But adults' No. 1 health concern for children and adolescents in the United States? It's smoking, according to new results from the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health. Drug abuse ranked No. 2.
The poll, which asked adults to rate 17 different health problems for children living in their communities, also found that childhood obesity now ranks among the public's top three concerns for children's health, ahead of alcohol abuse and teen pregnancy.
Also making the public's overall list of top10 health concerns for kids: Driving accidents, Internet safety, school violence, sexually transmitted infections, and abuse and neglect. The child health issues that didn't make the top 10 list, but were still rated as "big problems" by 6 to 18 percent of adults: Psychological stress, depression, eating disorders, suicide, autism, childhood cancer and food contamination.
"We found that major race/ethnicity groups differ when it comes to the top three health concerns for children as well. While white adults list smoking, drug abuse and alcohol abuse at their top three concerns, black adults rate teen pregnancy, smoking and drug abuse, and Hispanic adults rank smoking, drug abuse and childhood obesity as the three major health problems for children," says Matthew M. Davis, M.D., M.A.P.P., director of the National Poll on Children's Health, part of the U-M Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases and the Child Health Evaluation and Research (CHEAR) Unit in the U-M Division of General Pediatrics.
To rank the public's top health concerns for children, the National Poll on Children's Health, in collaboration with Knowledge Networks, Inc., conducted a national online survey in March 2007. The survey, administered to a random sample of 2,076 adults who are a part of Knowledge Network's online KnowledgePanelSM, revealed the top 10 out of 17 health concerns for children in the U.S.
Top 10 overall health concerns for children in the U.S.
1. Smoking. Forty percent of adults rate smoking as their top health concern for children. Among black adults, smoking ranks No. 2. Forty-five percent of black adults, however, rate smoking as a big problem.
2. Drug abuse. Adults are more likely to rate drug abuse as a concern based on their children's emotional health. Those who report their child's emotional health as "good," "fair" or "poor" are more likely to view drug abuse as a major health problem for children compared with parents who rate their child's emotional health as "excellent" or "very good."
3. Childhood obesity. According to poll results, adults with higher education are more likely to rate childhood obesity as their No. 1 health issue for children than adults with high school education or less. In fact, 40 percent of adults with a college degree view obesity as a top concern, while those with less than a high school education rate it as their No. 10 concern, with 25 percent reporting it as a top concern. The National Poll on Children's Health also found Hispanic adults are more likely to report obesity as a problem, with 42 percent viewing it as a major problem, compared with only 31 percent of white adults and 36 percent of black adults. "These differences somewhat reflect the higher prevalence of obesity among black and Hispanic youth compared with white youth," notes Davis.
4. Alcohol abuse. "Households with lower incomes less than $30,000 per year are significantly more likely to rate alcohol abuse as a problem than families with higher annual incomes," says Davis. "We also found that alcohol abuse by teens was a bigger concern in households with a single or divorced parent, compared with households with married parents."
5. Motor vehicle accidents. Driving accidents involving teenagers are a universal concern across all socio-economic groups studied, says Davis.
6. Teen pregnancy. Black adults rate teen pregnancy as the No. 1 health problem for youth, with 51 percent reporting it's a major health concern compared with only 25 percent of white adults. "This difference echoes differences in rates of teen pregnancy by race/ethnicity, which have declined among all teens over the past decade, but remain two time higher among blacks than whites," says Davis.
7. Internet safety. "Internet safety is a relatively new health concern in relation to other health issues," says Davis. "Women and black adults are more likely to report it as a major concern." Thirty-two percent of women and 21 percent of men report they are concerned about Internet safety, while 37 percent of black adults and 25 percent of white adults say it is a big problem.
8. School violence. "School violence didn't rate as high as driving accidents and alcohol use. Yet it still is in the top 10, and that speaks to the current level of concern in the U.S. about this problem," says Davis. "We measured school violence concerns before the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech, so it is likely that it may rank higher today than it did just a few weeks ago." Davis also notes that black adults are more than twice as likely as white adults to report school violence as a big problem, ranking it their No. 4 health concern. It also was viewed as a bigger health problem among lower income households.
9. Sexually transmitted infections. Sexually transmitted infections among youth are considered to be a bigger problem by black adults and Hispanics, with 40 percent of black adults and 34 percent of Hispanics adults viewing it as a big problem, compared with only 20 percent of white adults. Households with lower incomes also rate sexually transmitted infections as a greater health concern for children.
10. Abuse and neglect. About 22 percent of survey respondents view abuse and neglect as a health concern for children. "Similar to other health issues in the poll, more black respondents feel abuse and neglect is a big health concern than among Hispanic and white respondents," says Davis.
Ratings for the top 10 list did not differ between adults who have children in their households, and those who do not. Overall, higher proportions of blacks and Hispanic adults rated all 17 concerns as "big problems" compared with white adults.
"This poll provides us with a detailed picture of what the public views as some of the biggest health concerns for children and adolescents today," says Davis, associate professor of general pediatrics and internal medicine at the U-M Medical School, and associate professor of public policy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. "It also suggests that the government may want to target more investment toward issues such as teen smoking, drug abuse and childhood obesity, in a way that reflects the fact that the public is currently prioritizing these problems as even bigger than other issues on the list."
About the National Poll on Children's Health
The C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health is funded by the Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases at the U-M Health System. As part of the U-M Division of General Pediatric Child Health Evaluation and Research (CHEAR) Unit, the National Poll on Children's Health is designed to measure major health care issues and trends for U.S. children. For a copy of the reports from National Poll on Children's Health, visit chear.umich. For regular podcasts of polling results, go to med.umich/podcast.
About Knowledge Networks
Knowledge Networks delivers quality and service to guide leaders in business, government and academia uniquely bringing scientifically valid research to the online space through its probability-based, online KnowledgePanelSM. The company delivers unique study design, science, analysis, and panel maintenance, along with a commitment to close collaboration at every stage of the research process. KN leverages its expertise in brands, media, advertising, and public policy issues to provide insights that speak directly to clients' most important concerns. For more information about Knowledge Networks, visit knowledgenetworks.
University of Michigan Health System
2901 Hubbard St., Ste. 2400
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2435
United States
med.umich
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