Moderate drinking linked to brain changes and cognitive decline
Consumption of seven or more units of alcohol per week is associated with higher iron levels in the brain, according to a study of almost 21,000 people publishing July 14 in the open access journal PLOS Medicine. Iron accumulation in the brain has been linked with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and is a potential mechanism […]
Binge drinking raises risk of developing alcohol problems, even for moderate drinkers
Moderate drinkers who binge alcohol are at a significantly higher risk of developing alcohol problems than those who drink the same amount overall but don’t binge, according to a new study from researchers at The University of Texas at Austin appearing in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier. After analyzing a national […]
Pregnant women’s drinking correlates with their partner’s drinking
Pregnant women’s use of alcohol correlates with that of their partner, a new study from the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital shows. Paying attention to both parents’ use of alcohol may help to prevent drinking during pregnancy, as well as fetal exposure to the adverse effects of alcohol. Exposure to alcohol is […]
Immune protein may drive alcoholism relapse
The anxiety that occurs during withdrawal from excessive alcohol use, and contributes to relapse, may be driven in part by the release of an immune protein in the brain, according to a new study from scientists at Scripps Research. The discovery, reported online June 6, 2022, in Molecular Psychiatry, illuminates the molecular details of the […]
Alcohol may be more risky to the heart than previously thought
Levels of alcohol consumption currently considered safe by some countries are linked with development of heart failure, according to research presented at Heart Failure 2022, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1 “This study adds to the body of evidence that a more cautious approach to alcohol consumption is needed,” said study […]
A ‘factory reset’ for the brain may cure anxiety, drinking behavior, study suggests: Gene editing reverses brain genetic reprogramming caused by adolescent binge drinking
Gene editing may be a potential treatment for anxiety and alcohol use disorder in adults who were exposed to binge drinking in their adolescence, according to the results of an animal study published in the journal Science Advances. The study is issued by researchers from the University of Illinois Chicago who have been studying the […]
How alcohol cravings get stronger after drinking during withdrawal
For some people with alcohol use disorder, it might be the sight of a familiar bar or a favorite bottle; for others, it might be the feeling of leaving the office after a stressful day at work or stepping into a crowded party. Most people who struggle with drug or alcohol addiction have particular cues […]
What Are 5 Dangers of Alcohol? 5 Negative Effects on Health
Even trace amounts of alcohol can have long-term negative effects on your physical and mental health. Alcohol consumption is a personal choice, and many find it to be a wonderful relaxant or enjoy the pleasure it produces. You must, however, remember that alcohol is a psychoactive drug that produces addiction. Like all substances, alcohol harms […]
Large study challenges the theory that light alcohol consumption benefits heart health: Any observed benefit likely results from other lifestyle factors common among light to moderate drinkers, say researchers
Observational research has suggested that light alcohol consumption may provide heart-related health benefits, but in a large study published in JAMA Network Open, alcohol intake at all levels was linked with higher risks of cardiovascular disease. The findings, which are published by a team led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the Broad […]
Brain Volumes Shrink With One Daily Drink
Light to moderate alcohol consumption — as few as one or two drinks a day — was linked with reductions in overall brain volume, a cross-sectional study showed. Among nearly 37,000 healthy adults in the U.K. Biobank, alcohol intake was negatively associated with global brain volume measures, regional gray matter volumes, and white matter microstructure, […]