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Archive for the ‘alcohol’ Category

Study: Brain scans can warn of alcoholic relapse

Wednesday, May 1, 2013 by:Amanda Cuda
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Even the most experienced counselors have difficultly spotting a recovering alcoholic in danger of relapse, but a new study from Yale University researchers shows that brain scans might be able to spot a backslide before it happens.

According to a press a release from Yale, the research showed that alcoholics with abnormal activity in areas of the brain that control emotions and desires are eight times more likely to relapse and drink heavily than alcoholics with more normal patterns of activity or healthy individuals. The study was published May 1 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

“These areas in the prefrontal cortex are involved in regulating emotion and in controlling responses to reward,” said Rajita Sinha, the Foundations Fund Professor of Psychiatry and professor in the Child Study Center and of Department of Neurobiology in the release. “They are damaged by high levels of alcohol and stress and just do not function well.”

Ironically, the damage shows up on scans when alcoholics imagine being in their own most relaxing scenarios, like sitting at the beach listening to the waves, or taking a bubble bath. In non-alcoholics, these brain regions regulating emotion show markedly reduced activity during relaxing imagery, as anticipated. However, in alcoholics most likely to relapse, those brain regions remain hyperactive. On the other hand, when recovering alcoholics imagine their own recent stressful events, these control regions of the brain show little change, while in non-alcoholics, they show marked activation in response to stress. Such disrupted responses in areas of the brain governing emotions and reward lead to high cravings in the recovering alcoholic and an increased likelihood of subsequent relapse.

These brain scans in the future might serve as a diagnostic test to help professionals identify those most at risk of relapsing and suggest specific interventions to normalize brain function and prevent high rates of alcohol relapse, Sinha said.

“The findings show the prefrontal region is important for maintaining recovery for alcoholism,” Sinha said. “The brain physiology and function has changed due to chronic alcohol use and such changes jeopardize recovery even after initiating standard treatment.”

The research is funded by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at the National Institutes of Health.

 

It’s National Public Health Week … and a bunch of other stuff

Monday, April 1, 2013 by:Amanda Cuda
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This morning, the Connecticut Department of Public Health sent out a press release announcing that this is National Public Health Week a “time designated across the country to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues that are important to improving our nation.”

To celebrate the week, DPH is posting a new podcast each day, on a different topic, narrated by DPHY experts. Today, you can hear a cast on “Ensuring a Safe, Healthy Home for Your Family.” These and other Public Health Week information can be accessed by visiting www.ct.gov/dph/nphw2013.

But this isn’t JUST National Public Health Week. No, according to the helpful folks at HealthFinder.gov, there are no fewer than 23 health observances during April.

“Observances,” of course, are those various “awareness” days, weeks, or months that you regularly see touted by various health organizations. In addition to this being Public Health Week, for example, today also marks the start of Alcohol Awareness Month, Irritable Bowel Syndrome Awareness Month, National Autism Awareness Month, National Child Abuse Prevention Month, National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and National Donate Life Month among others.

In fact, it seems that this is the heart of Observance Season, which started last month. March has 21 such events — a tick less than April. And neither has as many as May’s whopping 36 observances. For many public health advocates and agencies, these events are occasions to refocus attention on major health topics, or to bring much-needed attention to a cause that people don’t often think about, such as sports eyes safety (oh, by the way, happy Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month).

So please do take a moment to check out how many issues are out there. Sure, public health is something we should be thinking about all the time. But the sheer volume of observances makes it clear that health is a vast, diverse issue, with many aspects that might escape our notice.

Are food addicts stigmatized?

Tuesday, February 5, 2013 by:Amanda Cuda
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Though obesity in general is the still the focus of a lot of negativity and stigma in society, researchers at Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity have found, oddly, that people might be more kindly inclined to those with food addictions than you might thinks.

The studies are published online in the journal Basic and Applied Social Psychology.

The notion of food addiction has gained increased attention from academics, health care professionals, and mainstream media as a contributing factor to obesity. However, little research has been done on public perceptions.

For the project, researchers conducted an online survey of 659 adults. Participants were provided with different labels describing individuals with various health conditions and addictions, including obesity, food addiction, physical disability, mental illness, cocaine addiction, and smoking. Participants were asked questions regarding their beliefs and feelings toward an individual with each of these different conditions. In a second study, researchers conducted an experiment where 570 adults were randomly assigned to view only one addiction — either smoking, alcohol, or food addiction — to specifically compare public perceptions of individuals described as being addicted to food to those with smoking or alcohol addictions.

Findings from both studies revealed that food addiction was viewed more favorably than other addictions, including alcohol and tobacco. The person with the “food addict” label was perceived to be more likeable and generated more empathy, less disgust, and less anger than those labeled with alcohol and tobacco addictions. The person with the “food addict” label also was blamed less than those addicted to other substances.

But the news isn’t all good. Survey findings also showed that labeling an individual as a “food addict” increased stigmatizing attitudes when this label was applied to an obese individual. Participants expressed more irritation, anger, and disgust toward an obese person described as a food addict. The authors suggest that the “food addict” label could increase blame toward obese individuals if the public views food addiction as a euphemism for out-of-control overeating.

For the full study, visit the Rudd Center web site.

Experts advise keeping your cool in the cold

Monday, January 21, 2013 by:Amanda Cuda
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Though Twitter is alive today with citizens reporting the arrival of snowflakes in towns and cities across the state, the real story is the cold that will be sweeping across Connecticut over the next few days. WTNH reports that temps could dip into the single digits over the next couple of days.

And with cold temperatures come some particular health hazards, said Dr. Kilbourn Gordon, III, director of Bridgeport Hospital’s Fairfield Urgent Care Center. “You have to worry about frostbite, number one,” he said.

Other chilly-weather concerns include hypothermia, in which the body’s core temperature drops, and blood — instead of circulating out to the extremities — pools in the central core of the body. This can cause of variety of problems, Gordon said, but it’s unlikely to affect most people in the state, unless they spend a lot of time outdoors (he added that elderly residents with poor heating in their homes might be susceptible to hypothermia indoors, so check on older friends and relatives).

But, since the cold sends a lot of people inside this time of year, Gordon said it can exacerbate other seasonal woes — particularly cold and flu. People tend to spend a lot of time indoors in close contact over the winter, he said, which can speed the spread of disease. This makes it all the more important to wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough and take other precautions to avoid getting and spreading illnesses.

Here are some more tips, from the CDC, for staying warm when the temps fall:
Eat and drink wisely. Eating well-balanced meals helps you stay warmer. Don’t drink alcoholic or caffeinated beverages, as they can cause your body to lose heat more rapidly. Instead, drink warm, sweet beverages or broth to help maintain your body temperature.

Dress warmly when outdoors. Wear a hat, scarf, sleeves that are snug at the wrist, mittens, a water-resistant coat and boots and several layers of loose-fitting clothes.

Avoid exertion. Cold weather puts an extra strain on the heart. If you have heart disease or high blood pressure, consult a doctor about shoveling snow or performing other hard work in the cold. If you are in good health, dress warmly and work slowly while doing chores outside.

Avoid ice. Walking on ice is very dangerous and many cold-weather injuries result from falls on ice-covered sidewalks, steps, driveways and porches. Keep your steps and walkways as free of ice as possible by using rock salt or other chemical de-icers.

Overindulging could lead to ‘holiday heart’

Wednesday, December 12, 2012 by:Amanda Cuda
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Lending new meaning to the phrase “party hearty,” doctors caution that overindulging at seasonal bashes could lead to a syndrome known as “holiday heart.”

The condition is basically an irregular heartbeat that occurs in people who are otherwise healthy. It’s common during the holidays for a variety of reasons, but the prime culprit is a spike an alcohol consumption during office parties and the like, said Dr. Steven Kunkes, Bridgeport Hospital medical director of cardiac rehabilitation and wellness. “Many people who are not used to drinking will go to a party and consume, in the course of a night, five or six drinks,” Kunkes said.

He said doctors tend to get a lot of traffic following long holiday weekends and holiday heart is a major reason. Alcohol isn’t the only things that can cause hearts to get out of sync this time of year. Stress, excessive caffeine ingestion and “anything that serves to stimulate the heart” can cause you some trouble, Kunkes said.

Fortunately, there are ways to keep your ticker under control. For one thing, if you’re a moderate drinker, don’t suddenly turn into Bluto from “Animal House” once your neighbor’s Christmas party rolls around. “Don’t drink a lot at one sitting,” Kunkes said.

Here are some more helpful hints, from the American College of Emergency Physicians:

  • Get exercise: Go to the gym, take regular walks or do something else to stay active. This can reduce your stress level.
    Watch your diet: People tend to eat larger quantities of rich foods during the holidays. If you’re going to indulge, do it in moderation.
    Get a checkup: If you haven’t had one recently, the holidays might be a good time to visit the doctor and have routine physical.
    Get enough sleep: You should underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep, as well as daily down time. Take a nap, take time for yourself, re-energize and relax.
    Don’t ignore symptoms: If an irregular heartbeat lasts for longer than a few hours, you should seek medical attention or go to the nearest emergency room. If you feel chest pain or think you’re having a heart attack, call 911 or seek emergency care right away.

    • Yale study: Behavioral test might be able to predict alcoholic tendencies

    Monday, August 27, 2012 by:Amanda Cuda
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    Yale University researchers claim a simple behavioral test was able to help them recognize possible alcoholic tendencies in mice. That’s according to a press release put out this weekend by Yale.

    According to the release,  Yale researchers, whose study appears in the Aug. 26 issue of Nature Neuroscience, were able to predict which mice would later exhibit alcoholism-related behaviors such as the inability to stop seeking alcohol and a tendency to relapse.

    The findings suggest that a similar test for people might be able to identify individuals who are at high risk of developing alcohol problems before they begin drinking.

    “We are trying to understand the neurobiology underlying familial risk for alcoholism,” said Jane Taylor, the Charles B.G. Murphy Professor of Psychiatry and professor of psychology at the Yale School of Medicine and senior author of the study was quoted as saying in the release. “What is encouraging about this study is that we have identified both a behavioral indicator and a molecule that explains that risk.”

    Many high school- and college-aged students abuse alcohol during their school years, but only a minority end up dependent upon alcohol later in life. While there is a clear genetic risk for alcoholism, not all children of alcoholics become dependent. Scientists have been busy trying to find ways to predict which adolescents are at greatest risk before drinking begins.

    In a classic Pavlovian experiment, the Yale team found mice that reacted the most to a food cue also exhibited greater alcoholism-related behaviors. Importantly, the mice did not differ in other food-seeking behaviors. The researchers also identified a role for neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) and its modified form, PSA-NCAM, known to be involved in brain plasticity. Mice with low levels of PSA-NCAM in an area of the prefrontal cortex seemed unable to control their alcohol-seeking behavior, while the reward-seeking behavior of mice with higher levels of the molecule was more flexible and less indicative of addiction.

    Jacqueline Barker, a graduate student in the Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, was the lead author and Mary Torregrossa was the other Yale-affiliated author. This study is affiliated with the Yale Center for the Translational Neuroscience of Alcoholism and funded by the National Institutes of Health.

    Yale study finds cigarettes, alcohol can be gateway to opioids

    Tuesday, August 21, 2012 by:Amanda Cuda
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    Adolescents who smoke cigarettes or use alcohol or marijuana may be at greater risk for subsequent abuse of prescription opioids as young adults, according to a new study by Yale School of Medicine, which appears online in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

    According to a release put out by Yale, the researchers set out to determine whether certain tenets of the so-called “gateway hypothesis” applied to subsequent abuse of prescription opioids — specifically, whether substance use in the adolescent years was associated with later abuse of harder drugs. They studied demographic and clinic data collected from 18- to 25-year-olds from the 2006-2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health to determine the likelihood, based on their prior usage.

    The researchers believe their findings are the first to demonstrate that early alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use are all associated, to varying degrees, with a two- to-three times greater likelihood of subsequent abuse of prescription opioids.

    The Yale researchers’ findings included:

    • 12 percent  of the survey population of 18- to 25-year-olds reported current abuse of prescription opioids.
    • For this population, prevalence of previous substance use was 57% for alcohol, 56 percent for cigarettes, and 34% for marijuana.

    In young men, previous abuse of all three substances was associated with an increased likelihood of subsequent opioid abuse during young adulthood, but only previous marijuana use carried this association among young women.

    The Yale study could lead to much more targeted efforts at prevention.

    Tips for staying safe on Super Bowl Sunday

    Thursday, February 2, 2012 by:Amanda Cuda
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    So, I’m hoping you all had a chance to read my story in Wednesday’s Health section about behaving yourself on Super Bowl Sunday.
    Well, in case you need more gameday health and safety tips, American Medical Response — America’s leading provider of medical transportation, provides services in 40 states and the District of Columbia — has come out with a list of its own advice on how Super Bowl party hosts can have a safe and healthy get-together.
    See below:

    • Limit your own alcohol intake so you can determine whether guests are fit to drive and take steps to stop impaired guests from driving.
    • As soon as a group of guests arrive, ask who is serving as the designated driver. Remember who the designated drivers are and don’t offer them alcohol. You might give designated drivers a reward such as a great spot for watching the game or first pass at the buffet table. Ask non-drivers to hand their keys to their designated driver.
    • If a guest comes alone and is known to drink alcohol, determine at the start of the party who will take him or her home.
    • Do not pressure guests to drink. There’s a big difference between asking, “Would you like something to drink?” compared to insisting, “Come on, have a drink!”
    • Provide a bartender so guests don’t over-serve themselves. Limit servings of alcohol by keeping glasses filled with ice. Don’t rush to refill guests’ glasses with alcohol.
    • Non-alcoholic beverages should be displayed in the same place as the alcohol and featured just as prominently.
    • Serve lots of food. Include soft drinks, water and juice plus tempting “mocktails.” Mocktails are mixed drinks without alcohol in them.
    • Serve all beverages in the same size and shape glass. That way, those who aren’t drinking alcohol won’t feel or look different.
    • Do not allow drinking contests. Ask your guests who are drinking to pace themselves, eat plenty of food and alternate alcohol with non-alcoholic drinks.
    • Never serve alcohol to anyone under 21 years of age.
    • If someone shows up drunk or gets drunk, tell the guest he or she has had too much to drink and alcohol is off limits. If necessary, take the guest aside and offer a place to sleep it off. If another guest is a close friend of the intoxicated person, ask that other guest to help.
    • Prevent falls by clearing walkways and stairs. Provide good lighting. Escort inebriated guests. Walking under the influence can lead to serious injury.
    • Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter and begin serving coffee and dessert. But remember, coffee does not restore sobriety.
    • Never let anyone drive who is remotely impaired by alcohol. Take their keys. Call a cab. Encourage the guest to stay overnight. Don’t let guests who have had too much to drink out of your sight.
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