Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) refers to a wide array of adverse developmental outcomes in children due to prenatal alcohol exposure. FASD is more widespread than Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, which is more severe, but FASD is harder to accurately diagnose because of fewer objective diagnostic tools. New research indicates than simple eye-movement or oculomotor tasks can be used to assess individuals with FASD.
Results are published in the March issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
"Whereas oculomotor tasks have been used to assess brain function in a number of different clinical populations, this is the first such study to be carried out in FASD children," said James N. Reynolds, professor of pharmacology & toxicology at Queen's University and corresponding author for the study. "We wanted to assess the feasibility of using this tool to probe different aspects of brain function and behavior in this specific clinical population."
The impetus for this research was a casual conversation on an airplane on the way back from a neuroscience conference, said Reynolds. "I had been wrestling with the problem of translating basic science research into relevant clinical studies of individuals affected by prenatal exposure to alcohol," he recounted. "There were few, if any, objective tools that could be used to assess brain function in FASD subjects." In the end, Reynolds collaborated with coauthor Doug Munoz, who had for years been using eye-movement tasks to study brain function and behavior in different clinical populations, including children.
Study authors compared the oculomotor performance of 10 children with FASD (4 males, 6 females) with 12 age-matched control subjects (6 males, 6 females). All were instructed to either look toward (prosaccade) or away from (antisaccade) a stimulus that appeared in their peripheral visual field. Researchers measured reaction times, direction errors, and short-latency express saccades (very short latency eye movements).
"We found that FASD children had much longer reaction times - defined as the time required to initiate eye movement - both towards and away from the peripheral visual target," said Reynolds. "FASD children also made a greater number of direction errors, even in the more simple prosaccade task, and exhibited a dramatic reduction in express saccades."
Reynolds is pleased that he and his colleagues have discovered what seems to be a powerful and yet easy tool for assessing executive-function deficits among individuals with FASD.
"In the absence of confirmed maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy," he said, "the diagnosis of FASD remains a significant clinical challenge. This is especially true when the characteristic facial features are absent, and subtle neurobehavioral problems are the primary feature. Furthermore, many of the children affected by prenatal alcohol exposure live in remote communities, lacking access to FASD diagnostic clinics and sophisticated neuroimaging technology. Moreover, comprehensive evaluation requires the ability to track changes in brain function longitudinally."
Largely due to the findings of this research, Reynolds and his research team have acquired a mobile eye-tracker unit that hooks up to a laptop computer, allowing them to move their research program out of the laboratory and into the communities.
"We have already visited several communities in Ontario, and are establishing collaborations with other research centers across Canada," he said. "At the same time, we have initiated a study of children and young adults performing these same eye-movement tasks while brain activity is recorded using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We also plan to apply our findings to other developmental disorders, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In this way, we will establish a large database that will enable us to make direct comparisons of task performance and brain function across multiple clinical populations."
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (ACER) is the official journal of the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism. Co-authors of the ACER paper, "Deficits in Eye Movement Control in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders," were: Courtney R. Green of the Centre for Neuroscience Studies at Queen's University; Douglas P. Munoz of the Centre for Neuroscience Studies, and the Departments of Physiology and Psychology, at Queen's University; and Sarah M. Nikkel of the Department of Genetics at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa. The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Botterell Foundation of Queen's University, and the Canada Research Chair Program.
Contact: James N. Reynolds, Ph.D.
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
вторник, 21 июня 2011 г.
понедельник, 20 июня 2011 г.
The American Academy Of Child And Adolescent Psychiatry Applauds Representative Kennedy
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) applauds Representative Patrick Kennedy for his courage in speaking openly about his recent struggles with substance use and bipolar illness.
For many years, Representative Kennedy has been a staunch advocate for children and adults living with mental illnesses. He has dedicated much of his time in public service to reducing stigma associated with mental illnesses and to fighting for better access to mental health treatment.
As a public figure, his openness has made a real difference in our ongoing efforts to destigmatize mental disorders and to remove the secrecy and shame that so often accompanies mental illnesses.
Substance abuse is a psychiatric disorder that affects more than 20 million Americans. Those struggling with substance use disorders need treatment that allows them to live full and productive lives. Treatment for substance use disorders is as effective as treatment for other chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and asthma.
Though treatment works, not enough people seek it. The 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that 23.48 million people needed treatment for an alcohol or illicit drug use problem. Of these, only 2.33 million received the type of help that they needed.
In addition, Representative Kennedy has shown leadership in recognizing the tremendous burden that the national shortage of child mental health providers places on our nation's children and families. He responded to this crisis by sponsoring the Child Heath Crisis Relief Act (H.R. 1106), that provides education incentives for more professionals to be trained in treating children with mental illnesses, including substance use disorders.
We greatly appreciate Representative Kennedy's commitment to improving access to quality treatment for children and adolescents living with mental illnesses and their families. We support him in his recovery and look forward to his return to public service.
aacap
For many years, Representative Kennedy has been a staunch advocate for children and adults living with mental illnesses. He has dedicated much of his time in public service to reducing stigma associated with mental illnesses and to fighting for better access to mental health treatment.
As a public figure, his openness has made a real difference in our ongoing efforts to destigmatize mental disorders and to remove the secrecy and shame that so often accompanies mental illnesses.
Substance abuse is a psychiatric disorder that affects more than 20 million Americans. Those struggling with substance use disorders need treatment that allows them to live full and productive lives. Treatment for substance use disorders is as effective as treatment for other chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and asthma.
Though treatment works, not enough people seek it. The 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that 23.48 million people needed treatment for an alcohol or illicit drug use problem. Of these, only 2.33 million received the type of help that they needed.
In addition, Representative Kennedy has shown leadership in recognizing the tremendous burden that the national shortage of child mental health providers places on our nation's children and families. He responded to this crisis by sponsoring the Child Heath Crisis Relief Act (H.R. 1106), that provides education incentives for more professionals to be trained in treating children with mental illnesses, including substance use disorders.
We greatly appreciate Representative Kennedy's commitment to improving access to quality treatment for children and adolescents living with mental illnesses and their families. We support him in his recovery and look forward to his return to public service.
aacap
воскресенье, 19 июня 2011 г.
Single Genetic Change Blocks Morphine Dependency
Morphine's serious side effect as a pain killer - its potential to create dependency - has been almost completely eliminated in research with mice by genetically modifying a single trait on the surface of neurons. The study scientists think a drug can be developed to similarly block dependency.
The research was published online by Current Biology and appears in the journal's print edition. The scientists were led by Jennifer Whistler, PhD, an investigator in the UCSF-affiliated Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center, and associate professor of neurology at UCSF.
Millions of people in the U.S. are given the opiate drug morphine for extreme pain caused by cancer, surgery, nerve damage and other conditions. It remains the pain killer of choice for many types of short-term pain, such as surgery, according to Whistler, but it is less useful for the treatment of chronic pain because its effectiveness decreases with continued use in a process called tolerance. As a consequence, an increasingly larger dose is required to treat the pain, thereby increasing the chance of addiction.
The body's natural pain killers, such as endorphins, ease pain by first binding to receptors on the surface of neurons. The receptors cycle on and off "like a light switch," Whistler says, regulating the intake of endorphin. This crucial control is absent when the neurons encounter morphine. The researchers' strategy in their study was to try to trick neurons into responding to morphine in the more regulated way.
Strong evidence suggests that the natural on-off cycling occurs because the endorphin receptor withdraws from the cell surface, toward the cell's interior, Whistler says. The migration from the cell surface is called endocytosis.
When the neuron receptors encounter morphine the light switch is broken, and the nervous system responds by becoming more tolerant of the drug, making the recipient more dependent on the drug.
To demonstrate their hunch that morphine's unwanted effects were caused by the failure of its receptor to withdraw from the cell surface, the researchers genetically engineered mice with a single difference from normal mice: Receptors that encounter morphine in these mice can undergo endocytosis, as they normally do in the presence of endorphins. The researchers showed that with this single change, morphine remained an excellent pain killer without inducing tolerance and dependence.
"As more pain medications are being removed from the market, new strategies to overcome chronic pain become crucial," Whistler says. "If new opiate drugs can be developed with morphine's pain killing properties but also with the ability to promote endocytosis, they could be less likely to cause the serious side effects of tolerance and dependence."
The research is the first direct demonstration that this single cellular change can block the body's tendency to become tolerant of the drug, she points out.
Several strategies are now being tested to counter morphine addiction, Whistler says. These include development of morphine derivatives such as oxycontin, that are delivered in a time released manner or only once they have been processed in the digestive system. Other approaches seek to develop morphine derivatives that target only certain opioid receptors but not others.
"The most promising aspect of these other approaches is that they have the potential to prevent or delay dependence and addiction to morphine, but few of them address the development of tolerance," Whistler said.
Coauthors on the paper are Joseph Kim, PhD; Selena Bartlett, PhD; Li He, MD; Carsten K. Nielsen, PhD; Amy Chang, BS; Viktor Kharazai, PhD, Maria Waldhoer, PhD, Chrissi Oul, BS, and Stacy Taylor, BS, all at the Gallo Center.
Also: Madeline Ferwerdal, BS, and Dragana Cado, PhD, both at the Caner Research Laboratory, UC Berkeley.
The research was supported by the National Institute of Drug Abuse and funds provided by the State of California for medical research on alcohol and substance abuse through UCSF.
The Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center (Gallo Center) is one of world's preeminent academic centers for the study of the biological basis of alcohol and substance abuse. Gallo Center discoveries of potential molecular targets for the development of therapeutic medications are extended through preclinical and proof-of-concept clinical studies.
UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.
Source: Wallace Ravven
University of California - San Francisco
View drug information on OxyContin.
The research was published online by Current Biology and appears in the journal's print edition. The scientists were led by Jennifer Whistler, PhD, an investigator in the UCSF-affiliated Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center, and associate professor of neurology at UCSF.
Millions of people in the U.S. are given the opiate drug morphine for extreme pain caused by cancer, surgery, nerve damage and other conditions. It remains the pain killer of choice for many types of short-term pain, such as surgery, according to Whistler, but it is less useful for the treatment of chronic pain because its effectiveness decreases with continued use in a process called tolerance. As a consequence, an increasingly larger dose is required to treat the pain, thereby increasing the chance of addiction.
The body's natural pain killers, such as endorphins, ease pain by first binding to receptors on the surface of neurons. The receptors cycle on and off "like a light switch," Whistler says, regulating the intake of endorphin. This crucial control is absent when the neurons encounter morphine. The researchers' strategy in their study was to try to trick neurons into responding to morphine in the more regulated way.
Strong evidence suggests that the natural on-off cycling occurs because the endorphin receptor withdraws from the cell surface, toward the cell's interior, Whistler says. The migration from the cell surface is called endocytosis.
When the neuron receptors encounter morphine the light switch is broken, and the nervous system responds by becoming more tolerant of the drug, making the recipient more dependent on the drug.
To demonstrate their hunch that morphine's unwanted effects were caused by the failure of its receptor to withdraw from the cell surface, the researchers genetically engineered mice with a single difference from normal mice: Receptors that encounter morphine in these mice can undergo endocytosis, as they normally do in the presence of endorphins. The researchers showed that with this single change, morphine remained an excellent pain killer without inducing tolerance and dependence.
"As more pain medications are being removed from the market, new strategies to overcome chronic pain become crucial," Whistler says. "If new opiate drugs can be developed with morphine's pain killing properties but also with the ability to promote endocytosis, they could be less likely to cause the serious side effects of tolerance and dependence."
The research is the first direct demonstration that this single cellular change can block the body's tendency to become tolerant of the drug, she points out.
Several strategies are now being tested to counter morphine addiction, Whistler says. These include development of morphine derivatives such as oxycontin, that are delivered in a time released manner or only once they have been processed in the digestive system. Other approaches seek to develop morphine derivatives that target only certain opioid receptors but not others.
"The most promising aspect of these other approaches is that they have the potential to prevent or delay dependence and addiction to morphine, but few of them address the development of tolerance," Whistler said.
Coauthors on the paper are Joseph Kim, PhD; Selena Bartlett, PhD; Li He, MD; Carsten K. Nielsen, PhD; Amy Chang, BS; Viktor Kharazai, PhD, Maria Waldhoer, PhD, Chrissi Oul, BS, and Stacy Taylor, BS, all at the Gallo Center.
Also: Madeline Ferwerdal, BS, and Dragana Cado, PhD, both at the Caner Research Laboratory, UC Berkeley.
The research was supported by the National Institute of Drug Abuse and funds provided by the State of California for medical research on alcohol and substance abuse through UCSF.
The Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center (Gallo Center) is one of world's preeminent academic centers for the study of the biological basis of alcohol and substance abuse. Gallo Center discoveries of potential molecular targets for the development of therapeutic medications are extended through preclinical and proof-of-concept clinical studies.
UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.
Source: Wallace Ravven
University of California - San Francisco
View drug information on OxyContin.
суббота, 18 июня 2011 г.
Royal College Of Physicians Responds To Alcohol Tax Speculation, UK
Professor Ian Gilmore, RCP President and a liver expert, responds to reports over the weekend that the Conservative Party social justice policy group is recommending an increase in tax on alcohol:
"Increased taxation on alcoholic drinks could be used to inject badly-needed resources into alcohol services across the NHS, which currently remain woefully inadequate.
"Research from across the world shows a direct link between affordability of alcohol and level of consumption. Raising the tax on alcohol would help reduce our consumption, and reduce the future burden of ill-health from alcohol misuse, while generating more funding for treatment services. This is a win-win for the nation's health.
rcplondon.ac
"Increased taxation on alcoholic drinks could be used to inject badly-needed resources into alcohol services across the NHS, which currently remain woefully inadequate.
"Research from across the world shows a direct link between affordability of alcohol and level of consumption. Raising the tax on alcohol would help reduce our consumption, and reduce the future burden of ill-health from alcohol misuse, while generating more funding for treatment services. This is a win-win for the nation's health.
rcplondon.ac
пятница, 17 июня 2011 г.
CT Best At Uncovering Drug Mule Payload
According to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), the best way to detect cocaine in the body of a human drug courier, known as a mule, is through computed tomography (CT).
"Cocaine from South America is making its way to Europe through Africa," said Patricia Flach, M.D., a radiologist at University Hospital of Berne and Institute of Forensic Medicine of Berne in Switzerland. "From Africa, drug mules most commonly try to enter the European Union and Switzerland."
When legal authorities suspect an individual of being a drug mule, they often turn to radiologists to help quickly detect the presence of cocaine concealed in the body. Cocaine containers, which may be swallowed or inserted in the vagina or rectum, can be as large as a banana or as small as a blueberry.
"In these cases it is important for us to know that we have identified all the drug containers in a body, both for legal purposes and for the health of the patient," Dr. Flach said. "However, there was no research telling us which imaging modality was best in detecting cocaine containers in the stomach, intestines or other body orifices."
Dr. Flach and colleagues analyzed images from 89 exams performed on 50 suspected drug mules over a three-year period at University Hospital. The study group included 45 men and five women between the ages of 16 and 45. Forty-three of the suspects were ultimately identified as drug mules.
Of the imaging exams conducted, 27 were CT, 50 were digital x-ray and 12 were low-dose linear slit digital radiography (LSDR), an extremely fast, high-resolution, full-body x-ray system primarily used for trauma patients. The radiologic findings were compared with a written record of the drug containers recovered from the feces of suspects.
"As we expected, CT imaging allowed us to see all the drug containers, especially when we knew what to look for," Dr. Flach said.
The results showed that the coating and manufacture of the containers changed their appearance, especially on CT images. Rubber coated condoms filled with cocaine appeared very hyper-dense, or white, on CT, while other containers of similar size with plastic foil wrapping appeared iso- to hypo-dense, or gray to black. This contradicts some previous reports that have suggested image density may correlate with the drug content.
The sensitivity of CT was 100 percent, meaning CT was able to find all cocaine containers that were present in the drug mules' bodies. LSDR had a sensitivity rate of 85 percent, and digital x-ray was able to identify the presence of cocaine containers only 70 percent of the time.
"There were positive findings on CT that were clearly not detectable on x-rays due to overlap of intestinal air, feces or other dense structures," Dr. Flach said.
While CT was clearly the most accurate imaging modality in detecting the drug containers, the increased ionizing radiation associated with the exam is a concern when imaging people who are presumably healthy.
"CT is the way to go," Dr. Flach said. "But low-dose protocols need to be implemented to ensure the safety of the people undergoing the procedure."
Coauthors are Steffen Ross, M.D., Gary Hatch, M.D., Ulrich Preiss, M.D., Thomas Ruder, M.D., Michael Thali, M.D., and Michael Patak, M.D.
Source:
Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)
"Cocaine from South America is making its way to Europe through Africa," said Patricia Flach, M.D., a radiologist at University Hospital of Berne and Institute of Forensic Medicine of Berne in Switzerland. "From Africa, drug mules most commonly try to enter the European Union and Switzerland."
When legal authorities suspect an individual of being a drug mule, they often turn to radiologists to help quickly detect the presence of cocaine concealed in the body. Cocaine containers, which may be swallowed or inserted in the vagina or rectum, can be as large as a banana or as small as a blueberry.
"In these cases it is important for us to know that we have identified all the drug containers in a body, both for legal purposes and for the health of the patient," Dr. Flach said. "However, there was no research telling us which imaging modality was best in detecting cocaine containers in the stomach, intestines or other body orifices."
Dr. Flach and colleagues analyzed images from 89 exams performed on 50 suspected drug mules over a three-year period at University Hospital. The study group included 45 men and five women between the ages of 16 and 45. Forty-three of the suspects were ultimately identified as drug mules.
Of the imaging exams conducted, 27 were CT, 50 were digital x-ray and 12 were low-dose linear slit digital radiography (LSDR), an extremely fast, high-resolution, full-body x-ray system primarily used for trauma patients. The radiologic findings were compared with a written record of the drug containers recovered from the feces of suspects.
"As we expected, CT imaging allowed us to see all the drug containers, especially when we knew what to look for," Dr. Flach said.
The results showed that the coating and manufacture of the containers changed their appearance, especially on CT images. Rubber coated condoms filled with cocaine appeared very hyper-dense, or white, on CT, while other containers of similar size with plastic foil wrapping appeared iso- to hypo-dense, or gray to black. This contradicts some previous reports that have suggested image density may correlate with the drug content.
The sensitivity of CT was 100 percent, meaning CT was able to find all cocaine containers that were present in the drug mules' bodies. LSDR had a sensitivity rate of 85 percent, and digital x-ray was able to identify the presence of cocaine containers only 70 percent of the time.
"There were positive findings on CT that were clearly not detectable on x-rays due to overlap of intestinal air, feces or other dense structures," Dr. Flach said.
While CT was clearly the most accurate imaging modality in detecting the drug containers, the increased ionizing radiation associated with the exam is a concern when imaging people who are presumably healthy.
"CT is the way to go," Dr. Flach said. "But low-dose protocols need to be implemented to ensure the safety of the people undergoing the procedure."
Coauthors are Steffen Ross, M.D., Gary Hatch, M.D., Ulrich Preiss, M.D., Thomas Ruder, M.D., Michael Thali, M.D., and Michael Patak, M.D.
Source:
Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)
четверг, 16 июня 2011 г.
Moms, Tell Your Kids If You Have Done Drugs
Moms who have used drugs may be doing their teens a favour by admitting to it, University of Alberta research shows.
A survey of 3,530 Alberta youth Grades 7 to 12 revealed that teens were more likely to use drugs if they knew that their mothers had used drugs but did not pressure their kids to avoid the practice.
"The findings suggest that adolescents might benefit from parental talks about the dangers of drug use, especially when their mothers have experience with drugs," said researcher Lori Harach, a professor of human ecology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada.
"That factor may give extra credibility to the messaging in the eyes of the teen," she suggested.
Harach presented her findings recently at a conference organized by the Society for Research in Child Development.
Source:
Bev Betkowski
University of Alberta
A survey of 3,530 Alberta youth Grades 7 to 12 revealed that teens were more likely to use drugs if they knew that their mothers had used drugs but did not pressure their kids to avoid the practice.
"The findings suggest that adolescents might benefit from parental talks about the dangers of drug use, especially when their mothers have experience with drugs," said researcher Lori Harach, a professor of human ecology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada.
"That factor may give extra credibility to the messaging in the eyes of the teen," she suggested.
Harach presented her findings recently at a conference organized by the Society for Research in Child Development.
Source:
Bev Betkowski
University of Alberta
среда, 15 июня 2011 г.
Methadone-associated Deaths Not Caused Primarily By Methadone Diverted From Methadone Treatment Programs
Methadone-associated deaths are not being caused primarily by methadone diverted from methadone treatment programs, according to a panel of experts convened by SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).
"While deaths involving methadone increased, experiences in several states show that addiction treatment programs are not the culprits," said SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) Director H. Westley Clark, M.D., J.D., M.P.H. He cited the expert panel consensus report at the Sixth International Conference on Pain and Chemical Dependency in New York City in early February.
Methadone-Associated Mortality, Report of a National Assessment concludes that "although the data remain incomplete, National Assessment meeting participants concurred that methadone tablets and/or diskettes distributed through channels other than opioid treatment programs most likely are the central factor in methadone-associated mortality."
Hospital emergency department visits involving methadone rose 176 percent from 1995 to 2002. The rise from 2000 to 2002 was 50 percent, according to SAMHSA's Drug Abuse Warning Network.
SAMHSA convened the panel in May 2003 to determine whether its methadone regulations were allowing diversion of methadone from clinics or whether the rise of methadone mentions in hospital emergency rooms and reports of deaths were due to methadone coming from other sources.
The panel - state and Federal experts, researchers, epidemiologists, pathologists, toxicologists, medical examiners, coroners, pain management specialists, addiction medicine specialists, and others - concluded that the methadone from reported deaths came from sources other than opioid treatment programs.
"The participants in the meeting reviewed data on methadone formulation, distribution, patterns of prescribing and dispensing, as well as relevant data on drug toxicology and drug-associated morbidity and mortality, before concluding that the cases of overdosing individuals were not generally linked to methadone derived from opioid treatment programs," said SAMHSA Administrator Charles G. Curie, M.A., A.C.S.W.
The panel based its conclusion that methadone is coming from other sources on data showing that the greatest growth in methadone distribution in recent years is associated with its use as a prescription analgesic prescribed for pain, primarily in solid tablet or diskette form, and not in the liquid formulations that are the mainstay of opioid treatment programs that treat patients with methadone for abuse of heroin or prescription painkillers.
The experts surmise that current reports of methadone deaths involve one of three scenarios: illicitly obtained methadone used in excessive or repetitive doses in an attempt to achieve euphoric effects; methadone, either licitly or illicitly obtained, used in combination with other prescription medications such as benzodiazepines (anti-anxiety medications), alcohol, or other opioids; or an accumulation of methadone to harmful serum levels in the first few days of treatment for addiction or pain, before tolerance is developed.
"SAMHSA will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that SAMHSA's supervision of opioid treatment programs is always in the public interest," Mr. Curie emphasized.
va
"While deaths involving methadone increased, experiences in several states show that addiction treatment programs are not the culprits," said SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) Director H. Westley Clark, M.D., J.D., M.P.H. He cited the expert panel consensus report at the Sixth International Conference on Pain and Chemical Dependency in New York City in early February.
Methadone-Associated Mortality, Report of a National Assessment concludes that "although the data remain incomplete, National Assessment meeting participants concurred that methadone tablets and/or diskettes distributed through channels other than opioid treatment programs most likely are the central factor in methadone-associated mortality."
Hospital emergency department visits involving methadone rose 176 percent from 1995 to 2002. The rise from 2000 to 2002 was 50 percent, according to SAMHSA's Drug Abuse Warning Network.
SAMHSA convened the panel in May 2003 to determine whether its methadone regulations were allowing diversion of methadone from clinics or whether the rise of methadone mentions in hospital emergency rooms and reports of deaths were due to methadone coming from other sources.
The panel - state and Federal experts, researchers, epidemiologists, pathologists, toxicologists, medical examiners, coroners, pain management specialists, addiction medicine specialists, and others - concluded that the methadone from reported deaths came from sources other than opioid treatment programs.
"The participants in the meeting reviewed data on methadone formulation, distribution, patterns of prescribing and dispensing, as well as relevant data on drug toxicology and drug-associated morbidity and mortality, before concluding that the cases of overdosing individuals were not generally linked to methadone derived from opioid treatment programs," said SAMHSA Administrator Charles G. Curie, M.A., A.C.S.W.
The panel based its conclusion that methadone is coming from other sources on data showing that the greatest growth in methadone distribution in recent years is associated with its use as a prescription analgesic prescribed for pain, primarily in solid tablet or diskette form, and not in the liquid formulations that are the mainstay of opioid treatment programs that treat patients with methadone for abuse of heroin or prescription painkillers.
The experts surmise that current reports of methadone deaths involve one of three scenarios: illicitly obtained methadone used in excessive or repetitive doses in an attempt to achieve euphoric effects; methadone, either licitly or illicitly obtained, used in combination with other prescription medications such as benzodiazepines (anti-anxiety medications), alcohol, or other opioids; or an accumulation of methadone to harmful serum levels in the first few days of treatment for addiction or pain, before tolerance is developed.
"SAMHSA will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that SAMHSA's supervision of opioid treatment programs is always in the public interest," Mr. Curie emphasized.
va
вторник, 14 июня 2011 г.
UGA And Emory Awarded $1.9 Million Grant To Study How Regular Aerobic Exercise May Prevent Drug Abuse Relapse
A team of researchers at the University of Georgia and Emory University will receive $1.9 million over the next five years from the National Institutes of Health to study the neurobiological mechanisms for how regular aerobic exercise may prevent drug abuse relapse.
"Drug abuse is closely linked to stress, and one of the most challenging aspects of treating addiction is preventing the relapse caused by stress," said Philip Holmes, professor of psychology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and a co-investigator on the project. "Despite many years of research, no universal treatment to prevent relapse exists."
Previous research in Holmes' lab has demonstrated that exercise exerts anti-stress effects. A chemical called galanin, which increases in the brain during exercise, appears to reduce cravings associated with stress.
"Stress turns on norepinephrine," said Holmes, "which turns on dopamine, which induces craving. Galanin decreases norepinephrine, so someone with high levels of galanin should experience reduced cravings."
For the project, Holmes will measure exercise-induced increases of the galanin gene activity in the rat brain. "These experiments will establish the relationship between exercise and galanin gene expression, and support the hypothesis that exercise-induced regulation of galanin protects against over-activation of the norepinephrine system, thereby preventing drug self-administration following stress."
"This research will provide new insight into how regular exercise may attenuate drug abuse in humans," said David Weinshenker, associate professor of human genetics in Emory University's School of Medicine, and a co-principal investigator on the project. "More importantly, it may reveal a neural mechanism through which exercise may prevent the relapse into drug-seeking behavior."
Dr. Gaylen Edwards, professor and head of the department of physiology and pharmacology, UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, and Mark Smith, associate professor of psychology, Davidson College, Davidson, N.C., also will assist in the investigation.
The research may also lead to the development of drugs that enhance galanin for the treatment of addiction.
"Of course, the better alternative would be to naturally increase one's galanin levels through exercise," said Holmes, "but either way may help recovering addicts in stressful environments."
Source:
Laurie Anderson
University of Georgia
"Drug abuse is closely linked to stress, and one of the most challenging aspects of treating addiction is preventing the relapse caused by stress," said Philip Holmes, professor of psychology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and a co-investigator on the project. "Despite many years of research, no universal treatment to prevent relapse exists."
Previous research in Holmes' lab has demonstrated that exercise exerts anti-stress effects. A chemical called galanin, which increases in the brain during exercise, appears to reduce cravings associated with stress.
"Stress turns on norepinephrine," said Holmes, "which turns on dopamine, which induces craving. Galanin decreases norepinephrine, so someone with high levels of galanin should experience reduced cravings."
For the project, Holmes will measure exercise-induced increases of the galanin gene activity in the rat brain. "These experiments will establish the relationship between exercise and galanin gene expression, and support the hypothesis that exercise-induced regulation of galanin protects against over-activation of the norepinephrine system, thereby preventing drug self-administration following stress."
"This research will provide new insight into how regular exercise may attenuate drug abuse in humans," said David Weinshenker, associate professor of human genetics in Emory University's School of Medicine, and a co-principal investigator on the project. "More importantly, it may reveal a neural mechanism through which exercise may prevent the relapse into drug-seeking behavior."
Dr. Gaylen Edwards, professor and head of the department of physiology and pharmacology, UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, and Mark Smith, associate professor of psychology, Davidson College, Davidson, N.C., also will assist in the investigation.
The research may also lead to the development of drugs that enhance galanin for the treatment of addiction.
"Of course, the better alternative would be to naturally increase one's galanin levels through exercise," said Holmes, "but either way may help recovering addicts in stressful environments."
Source:
Laurie Anderson
University of Georgia
понедельник, 13 июня 2011 г.
732 Lives Per Year Saved By Underage Drinking Laws
State laws that prohibit people under the age of 21 from purchasing or possessing alcohol, and from driving with any alcohol in their system save 732 lives a year in the United States, according to a study just released that has examined 23 years of research on the subject. The study further shows that if every state adopted 'use and lose' laws - suspending the license of anyone under 21 cited for possession, consumption or attempt to purchase alcohol - an additional 165 lives would be saved.
The study appears in the online version of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research (ACER). It was funded by the Substance Abuse Policy Research Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Researchers analyzed data from 1982 through to 2004, using the Alcohol Policy Information System (1998-2005); the Digests of State Alcohol-Highway Safety Related Legislation (1983-2006); the Westlaw database; and the Fatality Analysis Reporting System data set (1982-2004). They looked at six key underage drinking laws and four general impaired-driving and traffic safety laws, and found the most significant impact came from four underage laws.
Three of the four more general laws that target all drivers also were effective in reducing drinking driver crash deaths for all ages, the study found. These included laws that make it illegal to drive with over .08 blood alcohol content (BAC); suspend a license for exceeding the .08 BAC while driving; and enable a police officer to pull over a driver who was not wearing a seatbelt. While the direct effects of laws targeting drivers of all ages on adult drinking drivers aged 26 and older were similar, the results were of a smaller magnitude compared to the findings for those aged 20 and younger.
"These results provide substantial support for the effectiveness of under age 21 drinking laws and point to the importance of key underage drinking and traffic safety laws in efforts to reduce underage drinking-driver crashes," says James C. Fell, M.S., of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) in Calverton, Maryland.
Another important finding from the study was that beer consumption per capita across all ages in states has a direct relationship with underage drinking and driving. The authors discovered that the higher the beer consumption per capita, the higher the youth crash rate.
"This could be because adult alcohol consumption is correlated with youth consumption," Fell says. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that if the adult binge drinking rate is high, it is also high for youth."
Two underage drinking laws - registering kegs and graduated licensing - were found to have almost no impact on fatality rates, according to the study.
"We didn't find that laws mandating that beer kegs be registered to the purchaser made any difference in reducing underage drinking and driving fatal crashes. In fact with this particular law, we saw 12 percent more drinking-related traffic fatalities amongst those under 21," says Fell.
He said possible reasons may be that the law was not well enforced, or that in states that adopted keg registration laws, to circumvent the issue of registering beer kegs, young people choose instead to bring their own beer or liquor to underage parties, and as a result become more intoxicated from consuming their own booze than if a beer keg was the only source of alcohol.
Forty-four states have laws that restrict young drivers with an intermediate license from driving late at night, but Fell says this had no demonstrable effect on preventing underage drinking-related fatalities. The authors did not account for the start times of the night restrictions, instead focusing on whether a state had this law.
"So it could be that restrictions that start at 9:00 p.m. may have an effect, but the ones starting at 1:00 a.m. are very unlikely to make an impact because they begin too late," says Fell.
Last year, Fell and colleagues found that laws making it illegal to possess or purchase alcohol by anyone under the age of 21 had led to an 11 percent drop in alcohol-related traffic deaths among youth; secondly, they found that states with strong laws against fake IDs reported 7 percent fewer alcohol-related fatalities among drivers under the age of 21.
"People who want to lower the minimum drinking age say that the positive effects of raising it to 21 only took place in the 1980s and has since lost its impact," Fell says. "But we looked at these numbers over a 23-year period. This study shows the impact is still strong, and is keeping the numbers of underage drinking and driving deaths down - more so than if the drinking age is lowered."
Notes:
The Substance Abuse Policy Research Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funds research into policies related to alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 30 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. Helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need - the Foundation expects to make a difference in our lifetime.
Source:
Carol Lin Vieira
Burness Communications
Prabhu Ponkshe
Substance Abuse Policy Research Program
The study appears in the online version of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research (ACER). It was funded by the Substance Abuse Policy Research Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Researchers analyzed data from 1982 through to 2004, using the Alcohol Policy Information System (1998-2005); the Digests of State Alcohol-Highway Safety Related Legislation (1983-2006); the Westlaw database; and the Fatality Analysis Reporting System data set (1982-2004). They looked at six key underage drinking laws and four general impaired-driving and traffic safety laws, and found the most significant impact came from four underage laws.
Three of the four more general laws that target all drivers also were effective in reducing drinking driver crash deaths for all ages, the study found. These included laws that make it illegal to drive with over .08 blood alcohol content (BAC); suspend a license for exceeding the .08 BAC while driving; and enable a police officer to pull over a driver who was not wearing a seatbelt. While the direct effects of laws targeting drivers of all ages on adult drinking drivers aged 26 and older were similar, the results were of a smaller magnitude compared to the findings for those aged 20 and younger.
"These results provide substantial support for the effectiveness of under age 21 drinking laws and point to the importance of key underage drinking and traffic safety laws in efforts to reduce underage drinking-driver crashes," says James C. Fell, M.S., of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) in Calverton, Maryland.
Another important finding from the study was that beer consumption per capita across all ages in states has a direct relationship with underage drinking and driving. The authors discovered that the higher the beer consumption per capita, the higher the youth crash rate.
"This could be because adult alcohol consumption is correlated with youth consumption," Fell says. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that if the adult binge drinking rate is high, it is also high for youth."
Two underage drinking laws - registering kegs and graduated licensing - were found to have almost no impact on fatality rates, according to the study.
"We didn't find that laws mandating that beer kegs be registered to the purchaser made any difference in reducing underage drinking and driving fatal crashes. In fact with this particular law, we saw 12 percent more drinking-related traffic fatalities amongst those under 21," says Fell.
He said possible reasons may be that the law was not well enforced, or that in states that adopted keg registration laws, to circumvent the issue of registering beer kegs, young people choose instead to bring their own beer or liquor to underage parties, and as a result become more intoxicated from consuming their own booze than if a beer keg was the only source of alcohol.
Forty-four states have laws that restrict young drivers with an intermediate license from driving late at night, but Fell says this had no demonstrable effect on preventing underage drinking-related fatalities. The authors did not account for the start times of the night restrictions, instead focusing on whether a state had this law.
"So it could be that restrictions that start at 9:00 p.m. may have an effect, but the ones starting at 1:00 a.m. are very unlikely to make an impact because they begin too late," says Fell.
Last year, Fell and colleagues found that laws making it illegal to possess or purchase alcohol by anyone under the age of 21 had led to an 11 percent drop in alcohol-related traffic deaths among youth; secondly, they found that states with strong laws against fake IDs reported 7 percent fewer alcohol-related fatalities among drivers under the age of 21.
"People who want to lower the minimum drinking age say that the positive effects of raising it to 21 only took place in the 1980s and has since lost its impact," Fell says. "But we looked at these numbers over a 23-year period. This study shows the impact is still strong, and is keeping the numbers of underage drinking and driving deaths down - more so than if the drinking age is lowered."
Notes:
The Substance Abuse Policy Research Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funds research into policies related to alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 30 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. Helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need - the Foundation expects to make a difference in our lifetime.
Source:
Carol Lin Vieira
Burness Communications
Prabhu Ponkshe
Substance Abuse Policy Research Program
воскресенье, 12 июня 2011 г.
The Risk To Public Health From Injection Drug Use Among Prison Inmates
In this issue of CMAJ, two research groups report on the prevalence of HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in different inmate populations: people in provincial prisons in Quebec, and adult and young offenders admitted to remand facilities (jails, detention centres and youth centres) in Ontario. The Ontario study is highlighted below; the Quebec study appears in a separate release posted on EurekAlert today. In both studies, injection drug use was the most important risk factor, and the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was much higher than that of HIV infection. Given the high rates of recidivism and the short stays in remand facilities and provincial prisons, the results of these studies have important public health implications and point to the need for preventive measures.
In this Ontario study, Dr. Liviana Calzavara and colleagues assessed data from 1877 adult and young offenders admitted to 13 remand facilities between Feb. 1, 2003, and June 20, 2004. Among the adult offenders, the rate of HIV infection was 11 times higher and the rate of HCV infection 22 times higher than those in the general population. Rates were highest among inmates aged 30 or more and those who reported a history of injection drug use. A history of injection drug use was reported by 30.3% (477/1576) of the adults and 4.7% (14/299) of the young offenders. Two percent of the adults tested positive for HIV antibodies and 17.6% tested positive for HCV antibodies. None of the 299 young offenders tested positive for HIV antibodies, and 1 tested positive for HCV antibodies. Based on these results, the researcher estimated that 1079 HIV-positive adults and 9208 HCV-positive adults were admitted to Ontario remand facilities from Apr. 1, 2003, to Mar. 31, 2004. They recommend targeted education and prevention efforts.
In a related commentary, Richard Elliott, deputy director of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, comments on the continued refusal by federal and provincial governments to implement evidence-based harm reduction measures to prevent HIV and HCV infections in prisons. He postulates that it may be time to put the evidence of this ongoing denial of human rights before the courts.
Source: Dr. Liviana Calzavara
Canadian Medical Association Journal
In this Ontario study, Dr. Liviana Calzavara and colleagues assessed data from 1877 adult and young offenders admitted to 13 remand facilities between Feb. 1, 2003, and June 20, 2004. Among the adult offenders, the rate of HIV infection was 11 times higher and the rate of HCV infection 22 times higher than those in the general population. Rates were highest among inmates aged 30 or more and those who reported a history of injection drug use. A history of injection drug use was reported by 30.3% (477/1576) of the adults and 4.7% (14/299) of the young offenders. Two percent of the adults tested positive for HIV antibodies and 17.6% tested positive for HCV antibodies. None of the 299 young offenders tested positive for HIV antibodies, and 1 tested positive for HCV antibodies. Based on these results, the researcher estimated that 1079 HIV-positive adults and 9208 HCV-positive adults were admitted to Ontario remand facilities from Apr. 1, 2003, to Mar. 31, 2004. They recommend targeted education and prevention efforts.
In a related commentary, Richard Elliott, deputy director of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, comments on the continued refusal by federal and provincial governments to implement evidence-based harm reduction measures to prevent HIV and HCV infections in prisons. He postulates that it may be time to put the evidence of this ongoing denial of human rights before the courts.
Source: Dr. Liviana Calzavara
Canadian Medical Association Journal
суббота, 11 июня 2011 г.
Alcohol Related Hospital Admissions Doubled In Last 10 Years According To Latest Official Figures, UK
The latest compendium of figures issued recently by the independent provider of official health and social care statistics, the Information Centre (The IC) show how hospital admissions specifically related to alcohol consumption have more than doubled in the last 10 years. In 2005/06, there were 187,640 NHS hospital admissions among adults aged 16 and over with either a primary or secondary diagnosis specifically related to alcohol. This has increased from 89,280 in 1995/96.In its alcohol statistics bulletin, the most comprehensive and up to date compendium of facts and figures about alcohol consumption in England, the IC also found that:
-- Among children under 16 there were 5,280 NHS Hospital admissions in 2005/06 with either a primary or secondary diagnosis specifically related to alcohol. This represents an overall increase of just over a third from 3,870 in 1995/96.
-- In 2005, 6,570 people died from causes directly linked to alcohol consumption, of these just under two thirds (4,160) died from alcoholic liver disease. Two thirds (67 per cent) of those dying from alcoholic liver disease were men.
-- In England in 2005, 73 per cent of men and 58 per cent of women reported drinking an alcoholic drink on at least one day in the week prior to interview. Thirteen per cent of men and 8 per cent of women reported drinking on every day in the previous week.
-- Thirty-four per cent of men and 20 per cent of women had drunk more than the recommended number of units on at least one day in the week prior to interview. Eighteen per cent of men and 8 per cent of women had drunk more than twice the recommended daily intake.
-- Older people were more likely to drink regularly - 28 per cent of men and 18 per cent of women aged 45-64 drank on five or more days in the week prior to interview compared to 10 per cent of men and 5 per cent of women aged 16-24. Younger people were more likely to drink heavily, with 42 per cent of men and 36 per cent of women aged 16-24 drinking above the daily recommendations compared to 16 per cent of men and 4 per cent of women aged 65 and over.
-- Among men, 24 per cent reported drinking on average more than 21 units in a week. For women, 13 per cent reported drinking more than 14 units in an average week.
The bulletin also looked at awareness of the Government's alcohol warnings and found that whilst 69 per cent of people reported that they had heard of the government guidelines on alcohol consumption, of these people, more than a third said that they did not know what the recommendations were. Thirty two per cent of adults however had seen units of alcohol displayed on labels of alcoholic drinks, compared to 23 per cent in 2000.
In England in 2005, 45 per cent of pregnant women did not drink at all during pregnancy, while 39 per cent reported drinking on average less than 1 unit a week and only 8 per cent drank 1 to 2 units
Alcohol is more affordable than ever according to the figures. In 2006, alcohol was 65 per cent more affordable than it was in 1980. Household expenditure on alcohol has increased steadily since 1980 as has total household expenditure; however expenditure on alcohol as a proportion of total household expenditure has decreased steadily over the same period standing at 5.2 per cent in 2006 compared to 7.5 per cent in 1980.
In 2004, the Government estimated that alcohol misuse costs the health service between ??1.4 and ??1.7 billion per year.
Commenting on the figures, Professor Denise Lievesley, Chief Executive of The Information Centre, says: "These figures show some worrying trends about the effects on society of consuming excessive amounts of alcohol. The doubling of alcohol related hospital admissions and increases in serious illness and death caused by alcohol gives cause for concern. We hope Government and other policy makers will use these figures to inform the development and implementation of policies to help reduce the harm that excessive alcohol consumption can cause."
You can find the full report on our website here
1. The Information Centre (The IC) is England's authoritative, independent source of health and social care information. It works with more than 300 health and social care providers nationwide to provide the facts and figures that help the NHS and social services run effectively. Its role is to collect data, analyse it and convert it into useful information which helps providers improve their services and supports academics, researcher, regulators and policymakers in their work. The IC also produces more than 120 statistical publications each year across a number of areas including: primary care, health and lifestyles, screening, hospital care, population and geography, social care and workforce and pay statistics.
2. This statistical bulletin presents a range of information on alcohol use and misuse which are drawn together from a variety of sources. The bulletin aims to present a broad picture of health issues relating to alcohol in England and covers topics such as drinking habits and behaviours among adults and school children, drinking in pregnancy, European comparisons of alcohol use, drinking related ill health and mortality and alcohol related costs. Government plans and recommendations in this area are also summarised in the bulletin. For the first time the bulletin includes information on types of alcohol consumed, whether adults keep a check on the units they consume and trends in reported household consumption. For children, the bulletin now includes data on drinking and substance use and truancy and exclusion, as well as ethnicity and European comparisons.
ic.nhs
-- Among children under 16 there were 5,280 NHS Hospital admissions in 2005/06 with either a primary or secondary diagnosis specifically related to alcohol. This represents an overall increase of just over a third from 3,870 in 1995/96.
-- In 2005, 6,570 people died from causes directly linked to alcohol consumption, of these just under two thirds (4,160) died from alcoholic liver disease. Two thirds (67 per cent) of those dying from alcoholic liver disease were men.
-- In England in 2005, 73 per cent of men and 58 per cent of women reported drinking an alcoholic drink on at least one day in the week prior to interview. Thirteen per cent of men and 8 per cent of women reported drinking on every day in the previous week.
-- Thirty-four per cent of men and 20 per cent of women had drunk more than the recommended number of units on at least one day in the week prior to interview. Eighteen per cent of men and 8 per cent of women had drunk more than twice the recommended daily intake.
-- Older people were more likely to drink regularly - 28 per cent of men and 18 per cent of women aged 45-64 drank on five or more days in the week prior to interview compared to 10 per cent of men and 5 per cent of women aged 16-24. Younger people were more likely to drink heavily, with 42 per cent of men and 36 per cent of women aged 16-24 drinking above the daily recommendations compared to 16 per cent of men and 4 per cent of women aged 65 and over.
-- Among men, 24 per cent reported drinking on average more than 21 units in a week. For women, 13 per cent reported drinking more than 14 units in an average week.
The bulletin also looked at awareness of the Government's alcohol warnings and found that whilst 69 per cent of people reported that they had heard of the government guidelines on alcohol consumption, of these people, more than a third said that they did not know what the recommendations were. Thirty two per cent of adults however had seen units of alcohol displayed on labels of alcoholic drinks, compared to 23 per cent in 2000.
In England in 2005, 45 per cent of pregnant women did not drink at all during pregnancy, while 39 per cent reported drinking on average less than 1 unit a week and only 8 per cent drank 1 to 2 units
Alcohol is more affordable than ever according to the figures. In 2006, alcohol was 65 per cent more affordable than it was in 1980. Household expenditure on alcohol has increased steadily since 1980 as has total household expenditure; however expenditure on alcohol as a proportion of total household expenditure has decreased steadily over the same period standing at 5.2 per cent in 2006 compared to 7.5 per cent in 1980.
In 2004, the Government estimated that alcohol misuse costs the health service between ??1.4 and ??1.7 billion per year.
Commenting on the figures, Professor Denise Lievesley, Chief Executive of The Information Centre, says: "These figures show some worrying trends about the effects on society of consuming excessive amounts of alcohol. The doubling of alcohol related hospital admissions and increases in serious illness and death caused by alcohol gives cause for concern. We hope Government and other policy makers will use these figures to inform the development and implementation of policies to help reduce the harm that excessive alcohol consumption can cause."
You can find the full report on our website here
1. The Information Centre (The IC) is England's authoritative, independent source of health and social care information. It works with more than 300 health and social care providers nationwide to provide the facts and figures that help the NHS and social services run effectively. Its role is to collect data, analyse it and convert it into useful information which helps providers improve their services and supports academics, researcher, regulators and policymakers in their work. The IC also produces more than 120 statistical publications each year across a number of areas including: primary care, health and lifestyles, screening, hospital care, population and geography, social care and workforce and pay statistics.
2. This statistical bulletin presents a range of information on alcohol use and misuse which are drawn together from a variety of sources. The bulletin aims to present a broad picture of health issues relating to alcohol in England and covers topics such as drinking habits and behaviours among adults and school children, drinking in pregnancy, European comparisons of alcohol use, drinking related ill health and mortality and alcohol related costs. Government plans and recommendations in this area are also summarised in the bulletin. For the first time the bulletin includes information on types of alcohol consumed, whether adults keep a check on the units they consume and trends in reported household consumption. For children, the bulletin now includes data on drinking and substance use and truancy and exclusion, as well as ethnicity and European comparisons.
ic.nhs
пятница, 10 июня 2011 г.
Excessive Drinking, Not Alcoholism, May Lead To Most Alcohol-Related Problems
* Many people assume that most people who drink to excess are probably alcoholics.
* A recent survey of 4,761 New Mexico adults found that while 16.5 percent drank alcohol in excess of national guidelines, only 1.8 percent met criteria for alcohol dependence.
* This suggests that a majority of persons at risk for alcohol-related problems are not alcohol dependent.
Most people realize that too much alcohol can lead to multiple health problems, injuries and violence. Numerous statistics support the accuracy of this perception. Many people also assume that a substantial proportion of people who drink to excess are probably alcoholics. This may not be accurate. A recent study of the general population in New Mexico reveals that, in fact, most alcohol-related problems may be due to excessive drinking - especially binge drinking - among persons who are not alcoholics.
Results are published in the February issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
"In the period following prohibition, most researchers, policy makers, and the general public tended to define excessive drinking in terms of alcohol dependence or alcoholism," explained Jim Roeber, an alcohol epidemiologist with the New Mexico Department of Health and corresponding author for the study. "This was likely related to cultural norms that sanctioned all but the most obviously problematic drinking such as alcoholism. More recently, researchers and policy makers have - extended the definition of excessive drinking to encompass other behaviors such as binge drinking (consuming five or more drinks at one time) and impaired driving, and to address other problems such as alcohol-related injuries and social harm."
"The reality," added Tim Naimi, a physician with the Alcohol Team at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, "is that drinking to the point of intoxication or drinking above national guidelines with respect to average consumption also carries significant risks, and is unfortunately quite common. Although there are many effective policy and clinical interventions to address excessive drinking, many of them have not been implemented or are underutilized."
For this study, researchers examined data from the 2002 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in New Mexico, an annual telephone survey that provides state-level estimates of the prevalence of various health-related risk behaviors and outcomes. Study authors assessed the prevalence of "excessive drinking," defined to include: binge drinking, heavy drinking, alcohol-impaired driving, and alcohol dependence.
"We found that in New Mexico, most excessive drinkers are not alcohol dependent," said Roeber, "and that binge drinking is the most prevalent form of excessive drinking." More specifically, 16.5 percent of 4,761 New Mexico adults were considered "excessive drinkers," but only 1.8 percent of them met criteria for alcohol dependence.
"The downside of the assumption that alcohol dependence is the predominant form of excessive drinking is that prevention resources have tended to be directed toward treatment of alcohol dependence," said Roeber, "rather than prevention of more prevalent forms that are responsible for a large proportion of alcohol-related problems." He added that, at least in New Mexico, "alcohol-related prevention efforts should be broadened to focus on other forms of excessive drinking in addition to alcohol dependence, especially binge drinking."
Naimi wholeheartedly concurs. "In order to prevent most alcohol-related problems, including alcoholism itself, we need to focus on excessive drinking, not just alcoholism," he said. "Focusing exclusively on alcoholism will identify only a small percentage of those at risk of causing or incurring alcohol-related harms, precludes the possibility of prevention, and is very costly, at least on a per-person basis."
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (ACER) is the official journal of the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism. Co-authors of the ACER paper, "The Prevalence of Alcohol Dependence among Excessive Drinkers in New Mexico," were Sandra Woerle of the National Institute of Justice; and Michael G. Landen of the New Mexico Department of Health.
Contact: Jim Roeber, M.S.P.H.
New Mexico Department of Health
Timothy Naimi, M.D., M.P.H.
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
* A recent survey of 4,761 New Mexico adults found that while 16.5 percent drank alcohol in excess of national guidelines, only 1.8 percent met criteria for alcohol dependence.
* This suggests that a majority of persons at risk for alcohol-related problems are not alcohol dependent.
Most people realize that too much alcohol can lead to multiple health problems, injuries and violence. Numerous statistics support the accuracy of this perception. Many people also assume that a substantial proportion of people who drink to excess are probably alcoholics. This may not be accurate. A recent study of the general population in New Mexico reveals that, in fact, most alcohol-related problems may be due to excessive drinking - especially binge drinking - among persons who are not alcoholics.
Results are published in the February issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
"In the period following prohibition, most researchers, policy makers, and the general public tended to define excessive drinking in terms of alcohol dependence or alcoholism," explained Jim Roeber, an alcohol epidemiologist with the New Mexico Department of Health and corresponding author for the study. "This was likely related to cultural norms that sanctioned all but the most obviously problematic drinking such as alcoholism. More recently, researchers and policy makers have - extended the definition of excessive drinking to encompass other behaviors such as binge drinking (consuming five or more drinks at one time) and impaired driving, and to address other problems such as alcohol-related injuries and social harm."
"The reality," added Tim Naimi, a physician with the Alcohol Team at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, "is that drinking to the point of intoxication or drinking above national guidelines with respect to average consumption also carries significant risks, and is unfortunately quite common. Although there are many effective policy and clinical interventions to address excessive drinking, many of them have not been implemented or are underutilized."
For this study, researchers examined data from the 2002 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in New Mexico, an annual telephone survey that provides state-level estimates of the prevalence of various health-related risk behaviors and outcomes. Study authors assessed the prevalence of "excessive drinking," defined to include: binge drinking, heavy drinking, alcohol-impaired driving, and alcohol dependence.
"We found that in New Mexico, most excessive drinkers are not alcohol dependent," said Roeber, "and that binge drinking is the most prevalent form of excessive drinking." More specifically, 16.5 percent of 4,761 New Mexico adults were considered "excessive drinkers," but only 1.8 percent of them met criteria for alcohol dependence.
"The downside of the assumption that alcohol dependence is the predominant form of excessive drinking is that prevention resources have tended to be directed toward treatment of alcohol dependence," said Roeber, "rather than prevention of more prevalent forms that are responsible for a large proportion of alcohol-related problems." He added that, at least in New Mexico, "alcohol-related prevention efforts should be broadened to focus on other forms of excessive drinking in addition to alcohol dependence, especially binge drinking."
Naimi wholeheartedly concurs. "In order to prevent most alcohol-related problems, including alcoholism itself, we need to focus on excessive drinking, not just alcoholism," he said. "Focusing exclusively on alcoholism will identify only a small percentage of those at risk of causing or incurring alcohol-related harms, precludes the possibility of prevention, and is very costly, at least on a per-person basis."
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (ACER) is the official journal of the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism. Co-authors of the ACER paper, "The Prevalence of Alcohol Dependence among Excessive Drinkers in New Mexico," were Sandra Woerle of the National Institute of Justice; and Michael G. Landen of the New Mexico Department of Health.
Contact: Jim Roeber, M.S.P.H.
New Mexico Department of Health
Timothy Naimi, M.D., M.P.H.
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
четверг, 9 июня 2011 г.
Gene's Role In Severity Of Drinking Revealed: Findings Could Lead To More Personalized Alcohol Treatment Methods
New research from the University of Virginia Health System could help explain why some alcoholics are more severe drinkers than others. A UVA team has found strong evidence that the serotonin transporter gene, SLC6A4, plays a significant role in influencing drinking intensity among alcohol-dependent individuals.
The study, published in the February 2009 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, analyzed the associations between six different DNA sequence variations, or single nucleotide polymorphisms, of the serotonin transporter gene with the levels of drinking intensity among 275 alcohol-dependent individuals seeking treatment. Drinking intensity is measured by the amount a person consumes each day he or she drinks.
"Of the six variants examined in the study, we found that one variant at the 3' end of the gene showed a significant association with drinking intensity," says study co-author Ming D. Li, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences in the UVA School of Medicine. "Specifically, we found that individuals with the 'G' allele of this variant drink less than individuals with the 'T' allele."
Previous studies have shown that the neurochemical serotonin mediates the rewarding effects of alcohol and, therefore, may be a key contributor leading to alcohol abuse. Studies also show that the brain's serotonin system plays an important role in alcohol preference and consumption.
"Acute drinking increases serotonin release and signaling in brain regions involved in controlling consumption of alcohol," explains study co-author Professor Bankole Johnson, D.Sc., M.D., Ph.D., M.Phil., FRCPsych., chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences in the UVA School of Medicine. "But chronic drinking reduces serotonergic function, leading to a serotonin-deficient state. One hypothesis is that alcoholics drink to alleviate this serotonin-deficient state.
"But it's important to remember that alcoholics differ significantly in their drinking patterns, social backgrounds and disease etiology," says Johnson. "All of these factors may affect both treatment outcomes and medical complications resulting from heavy drinking."
One of the main goals of treatment, Johnson points out, is to reduce the intensity of drinking. "A known genetic marker could be used to sub-type alcoholics and better determine treatment methods that can target specific underlying molecular mechanisms. We hope to determine whether this particular genetic variant can be used as a marker to predict treatment outcomes for different serotonin agents," says Johnson.
Source: Sally H. Jones
University of Virginia Health System
The study, published in the February 2009 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, analyzed the associations between six different DNA sequence variations, or single nucleotide polymorphisms, of the serotonin transporter gene with the levels of drinking intensity among 275 alcohol-dependent individuals seeking treatment. Drinking intensity is measured by the amount a person consumes each day he or she drinks.
"Of the six variants examined in the study, we found that one variant at the 3' end of the gene showed a significant association with drinking intensity," says study co-author Ming D. Li, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences in the UVA School of Medicine. "Specifically, we found that individuals with the 'G' allele of this variant drink less than individuals with the 'T' allele."
Previous studies have shown that the neurochemical serotonin mediates the rewarding effects of alcohol and, therefore, may be a key contributor leading to alcohol abuse. Studies also show that the brain's serotonin system plays an important role in alcohol preference and consumption.
"Acute drinking increases serotonin release and signaling in brain regions involved in controlling consumption of alcohol," explains study co-author Professor Bankole Johnson, D.Sc., M.D., Ph.D., M.Phil., FRCPsych., chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences in the UVA School of Medicine. "But chronic drinking reduces serotonergic function, leading to a serotonin-deficient state. One hypothesis is that alcoholics drink to alleviate this serotonin-deficient state.
"But it's important to remember that alcoholics differ significantly in their drinking patterns, social backgrounds and disease etiology," says Johnson. "All of these factors may affect both treatment outcomes and medical complications resulting from heavy drinking."
One of the main goals of treatment, Johnson points out, is to reduce the intensity of drinking. "A known genetic marker could be used to sub-type alcoholics and better determine treatment methods that can target specific underlying molecular mechanisms. We hope to determine whether this particular genetic variant can be used as a marker to predict treatment outcomes for different serotonin agents," says Johnson.
Source: Sally H. Jones
University of Virginia Health System
среда, 8 июня 2011 г.
RCP Comments On BMA Report And Tesco, UK
Professor Ian Gilmore, President of the Royal College of Physicians and Chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance responds to reports in the media that Tesco are willing to discuss legislation that would limit its ability to sell cut-price alcohol, and the new BMA report on alcohol misuse:
"We welcome this change of stance from Tesco that they now accept the importance of price in alcohol consumption on health related harm. We have been calling for a rise in the price of alcohol, which we know from research is a key factor in reducing alcohol consumption.
We also welcome the report today from the BMA regarding alcohol misuse, the recommendations from which are in line with what the Alcohol Health Alliance has been campaigning for, and would welcome the BMA to join our 24 strong body".
Royal College of Physicians
"We welcome this change of stance from Tesco that they now accept the importance of price in alcohol consumption on health related harm. We have been calling for a rise in the price of alcohol, which we know from research is a key factor in reducing alcohol consumption.
We also welcome the report today from the BMA regarding alcohol misuse, the recommendations from which are in line with what the Alcohol Health Alliance has been campaigning for, and would welcome the BMA to join our 24 strong body".
Royal College of Physicians
вторник, 7 июня 2011 г.
Could Heroin Hold The Clues For A New Protective Agent For HIV?
To their surprise, researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) have discovered that morphine (a derivate of the opium poppy that is similar to heroin) protects rat neurons against HIV toxicity - a finding they say might help in the design of new neuroprotective therapies for patients with the infection.
The discovery, being presented at the annual meeting of the Society of NeuroImmune Pharmacology, also helps explain why a subset of people who are heroin abusers and become infected with HIV through needle sharing don't develop HIV brain dementia. This brain disorder includes cognitive and motor abnormalities, anxiety and depression.
"We believe that morphine may be neuroprotective in a subset of people infected with HIV," says the study's lead investigator, Italo Mocchetti, PhD, Professor of neuroscience at GUMC. "That is not to say that people should use heroin to protect themselves - that makes no medical sense at all - but our findings gives us ideas about designing drugs that could be of benefit.
"Needless to say we were very surprised at the findings," he added. "We started with the opposite hypothesis - that heroin was going to destroy neurons in the brain and lead to HIV dementia."
The researchers conducted the study because they knew that a number of HIV-positive people are also heroin abusers, and because of that, some are at high risk of developing neurological complications from the infection. Others, however, never develop these cognitive problems, Mocchetti says.
Because little is known about the molecular mechanisms linking opiates and HIV neurotoxicity, Mocchetti and his team conducted experiments in rats. They found that in the brain, morphine inhibited the toxic property of the HIV protein gp120 that mediates the infection of immune cells. With further investigation, they concluded that morphine induces production of the protein CCL5, which they discovered is released by astrocytes, a type of brain cell. CCL5 is known to activate factors that suppress HIV infection of human immune cells. "It is known to be important in blood, but we didn't know it is secreted in the brain," says Mocchetti. "Our hypothesis is that it is in the brain to prevent neurons from dying."
They say morphine blocked HIV from binding to CCR5 receptors it typically uses to enter and infect cells. The researchers believe CCL5 itself attached to those receptors, preventing the virus from using it. In this way, it prevented HIV-associated dementia. This effect, however, only worked in the M-trophic strain of HIV, the strain that most people are first infected with. It did not work with the second T-trophic strain that often infects patients later.
"Ideally we can use this information to develop a morphine-like compound that does not have the typical dependency and tolerance issues that morphine has," says Mocchetti.
The study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Source:
Karen Mallet
Georgetown University Medical Center
The discovery, being presented at the annual meeting of the Society of NeuroImmune Pharmacology, also helps explain why a subset of people who are heroin abusers and become infected with HIV through needle sharing don't develop HIV brain dementia. This brain disorder includes cognitive and motor abnormalities, anxiety and depression.
"We believe that morphine may be neuroprotective in a subset of people infected with HIV," says the study's lead investigator, Italo Mocchetti, PhD, Professor of neuroscience at GUMC. "That is not to say that people should use heroin to protect themselves - that makes no medical sense at all - but our findings gives us ideas about designing drugs that could be of benefit.
"Needless to say we were very surprised at the findings," he added. "We started with the opposite hypothesis - that heroin was going to destroy neurons in the brain and lead to HIV dementia."
The researchers conducted the study because they knew that a number of HIV-positive people are also heroin abusers, and because of that, some are at high risk of developing neurological complications from the infection. Others, however, never develop these cognitive problems, Mocchetti says.
Because little is known about the molecular mechanisms linking opiates and HIV neurotoxicity, Mocchetti and his team conducted experiments in rats. They found that in the brain, morphine inhibited the toxic property of the HIV protein gp120 that mediates the infection of immune cells. With further investigation, they concluded that morphine induces production of the protein CCL5, which they discovered is released by astrocytes, a type of brain cell. CCL5 is known to activate factors that suppress HIV infection of human immune cells. "It is known to be important in blood, but we didn't know it is secreted in the brain," says Mocchetti. "Our hypothesis is that it is in the brain to prevent neurons from dying."
They say morphine blocked HIV from binding to CCR5 receptors it typically uses to enter and infect cells. The researchers believe CCL5 itself attached to those receptors, preventing the virus from using it. In this way, it prevented HIV-associated dementia. This effect, however, only worked in the M-trophic strain of HIV, the strain that most people are first infected with. It did not work with the second T-trophic strain that often infects patients later.
"Ideally we can use this information to develop a morphine-like compound that does not have the typical dependency and tolerance issues that morphine has," says Mocchetti.
The study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Source:
Karen Mallet
Georgetown University Medical Center
понедельник, 6 июня 2011 г.
Low Doses Of Ecstasy Associated With Decline In Verbal Memory
Even low doses of Ecstasy may be associated with a decline in language-related memory, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Ecstasy is an illicit recreational drug popular among young people, according to background information in the article. Research in both humans and animals suggests that the drug can harm the brain. Ecstasy may damage nerve cells that respond to the hormone serotonin, which is involved in mood, thinking, learning and memory.
Thelma Schilt, M.Sc., of the Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and colleagues recruited 188 volunteers (average age 22) who had not used Ecstasy but reported that they were likely to try it soon. Within three years of the initial evaluations, which took place between April 2002 and April 2004, 58 individuals began using Ecstasy. They were compared with 60 individuals who had the same age, sex and intelligence score but who did not use Ecstasy during the follow-up period. All participants took tests that assessed various types of memory - including attention, verbal memory for words and language, and visual memory for images - at the beginning and end of the study. Verbal memory was tested by memorizing a series of 15 words and repeating them immediately and again 20 minutes later.
"At the initial examination, there were no statistically significant differences in any of the neuropsychological test scores between persistent Ecstasy-na??ve subjects and future Ecstasy users," the authors write. "However, at follow-up, change scores on immediate and delayed verbal recall and verbal recognition were significantly lower in the group of incident Ecstasy users compared with persistent Ecstasy-na??ve subjects. There were no significant differences on other test scores."
In contrast to other studies, which have suggested that Ecstasy affects women more than men, there was no difference in the drug's effect between the sexes. Overall, test scores remained within the normal range for the general population.
The fact that Ecstasy appeared to affect only verbal memory points to specific brain areas and chemicals that may be affected by the drug, the authors note. "The main underlying factor seems to be a depletion of serotonin in Ecstasy users, a depletion that might be reversible," they write. "Serotonin is involved in several cognitive functions but might be especially relevant to learning and memory."
"In conclusion, our data indicate that low doses of Ecstasy are associated with decreased verbal memory function, which is suggestive for Ecstasy-induced neurotoxicity," the authors conclude. "Further research on the long-term effects of Ecstasy as well as on the possibility of additive effects of Ecstasy use on aging of the brain is needed."
(Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2007;64:728-736.)
This study was supported by a grant from the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development as part of their Addiction Program. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
Contact: Thelma Schilt
JAMA and Archives Journals
Ecstasy is an illicit recreational drug popular among young people, according to background information in the article. Research in both humans and animals suggests that the drug can harm the brain. Ecstasy may damage nerve cells that respond to the hormone serotonin, which is involved in mood, thinking, learning and memory.
Thelma Schilt, M.Sc., of the Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and colleagues recruited 188 volunteers (average age 22) who had not used Ecstasy but reported that they were likely to try it soon. Within three years of the initial evaluations, which took place between April 2002 and April 2004, 58 individuals began using Ecstasy. They were compared with 60 individuals who had the same age, sex and intelligence score but who did not use Ecstasy during the follow-up period. All participants took tests that assessed various types of memory - including attention, verbal memory for words and language, and visual memory for images - at the beginning and end of the study. Verbal memory was tested by memorizing a series of 15 words and repeating them immediately and again 20 minutes later.
"At the initial examination, there were no statistically significant differences in any of the neuropsychological test scores between persistent Ecstasy-na??ve subjects and future Ecstasy users," the authors write. "However, at follow-up, change scores on immediate and delayed verbal recall and verbal recognition were significantly lower in the group of incident Ecstasy users compared with persistent Ecstasy-na??ve subjects. There were no significant differences on other test scores."
In contrast to other studies, which have suggested that Ecstasy affects women more than men, there was no difference in the drug's effect between the sexes. Overall, test scores remained within the normal range for the general population.
The fact that Ecstasy appeared to affect only verbal memory points to specific brain areas and chemicals that may be affected by the drug, the authors note. "The main underlying factor seems to be a depletion of serotonin in Ecstasy users, a depletion that might be reversible," they write. "Serotonin is involved in several cognitive functions but might be especially relevant to learning and memory."
"In conclusion, our data indicate that low doses of Ecstasy are associated with decreased verbal memory function, which is suggestive for Ecstasy-induced neurotoxicity," the authors conclude. "Further research on the long-term effects of Ecstasy as well as on the possibility of additive effects of Ecstasy use on aging of the brain is needed."
(Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2007;64:728-736.)
This study was supported by a grant from the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development as part of their Addiction Program. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
Contact: Thelma Schilt
JAMA and Archives Journals
воскресенье, 5 июня 2011 г.
U.N. Official Addresses Increasing Drug Addiction In Developing Countries
Most Popular Articles For Alcohol
These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Alcohol Is Most Harmful Drug, Followed By Heroin And Crack
01 Nov 2010
Alcohol is the most damaging drug to the drinker and others overall, heroin and crack are the second and third most harmful, Professor David Nutt and colleagues wrote in the medical journal The Lancet today...
Giving Up Smoking Linked To Greater Happiness And Elevated Mood
05 Dec 2010
Energy Drinks: Is It Time To Tighten Regulation?
02 Nov 2010
USA's Drunkest Cities Are Milwaukee, Fargo And San Francisco
31 Dec 2010
Lock Up The Liquor; Parents Giving Children Alcohol
19 Feb 2011
_uacct = "UA-849615-1";
urchinTracker();
These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Alcohol Is Most Harmful Drug, Followed By Heroin And Crack
01 Nov 2010
Alcohol is the most damaging drug to the drinker and others overall, heroin and crack are the second and third most harmful, Professor David Nutt and colleagues wrote in the medical journal The Lancet today...
Giving Up Smoking Linked To Greater Happiness And Elevated Mood
05 Dec 2010
Energy Drinks: Is It Time To Tighten Regulation?
02 Nov 2010
USA's Drunkest Cities Are Milwaukee, Fargo And San Francisco
31 Dec 2010
Lock Up The Liquor; Parents Giving Children Alcohol
19 Feb 2011
_uacct = "UA-849615-1";
urchinTracker();
суббота, 4 июня 2011 г.
European Commission Adopts Communications On Reducing Alcohol Related Harm In Europe
The European Commission adopted a Communication on alcohol and health, setting out an EU strategy to support Member States in reducing alcohol related harm. The Communication addresses the adverse health effects of harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption in Europe, which is estimated to cause the deaths of 195,000 people a year in the EU.
The priorities identified in the Communication are:
to protect young people and children;
reduce injuries and deaths from alcohol-related road accidents;
prevent harm among adults and reduce the negative impact on the economy;
raise awareness of the impact on health of harmful alcohol consumption;
and help gather reliable statistics.
The Commission has identified areas where the EU can support and coordinate the actions of Member States to reduce alcohol related harm, such as financing projects through the Public Health and Research Programmes, exchanging good practice on issues such as curbing under-age drinking, exploring cooperation on information campaigns or tackling drink-driving and other Community initiatives. The Communication also maps out actions which Member States are taking, with a view to promoting good practice, proposes an Alcohol and Health Forum of interested parties and sets out areas where industry can make a contribution, notably in the area of responsible advertising and marketing.
European Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said: "Binge drinking, under-age drinking and drink-driving are real public health issues in Europe, especially among young people. The Commission is not targeting moderate alcohol consumption, but seeks to actively support Member States measures to reduce the harm caused by alcohol abuse. This Communication aims to promote discussion and cooperation at European level more actively by creating fora to exchange good practices. I also believe that industry can do more to reduce alcohol harm, promote responsible drinking and improve consumer information. The Commission is committed to supporting this process by bringing the relevant actors together, promoting cooperation and funding projects in this area."
A major health and economic impact
Fifty-five million adults are estimated to drink to hazardous levels in the EU. Harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption is a net cause of 7.4 % of all ill-health and early death in the EU. Absenteeism due to hazardous alcohol use, drinking during working hours, or working with a "hangover" all have a negative impact on work performance, and thereby on competitiveness and productivity. In the age group of 15-29 years over 10% of female mortality and around 25% of male mortality are due to hazardous alcohol consumption. This is also the cause in 16% of cases of child abuse and neglect. Exposure to alcohol during pregnancy can impair brain development and is associated with intellectual deficits. Approximately one accident in four can be attributed to alcohol consumption, and about 10,000 people are killed in alcohol-related road accidents in the EU each year.
Commission action
In cooperation with Member States and stakeholders, the Commission will develop strategies aimed at curbing under-age drinking, by exchanging good practice on issues like selling and serving, marketing, and the image of alcohol use conveyed through the media. Through its Public Health Programme, the Commission will support projects that will contribute to reduce alcohol-related harm in the EU, and especially the harm suffered by children and young people, as well as gathering and disseminating data. It will support the monitoring of young people's drinking habits, with a focus on the increased drinking of alcohol among girls and binge-drinking.
The Commission will explore, in cooperation with Member States and stakeholders, the usefulness of developing efficient common approaches throughout the Community to provide adequate consumer information. Such reflections are particularly important as some Member States are planning to introduce warning labels (e.g. on alcohol and pregnancy). It will support Member States and stakeholders in their efforts to develop information and education programmes on the effect of harmful drinking. Through the EU Research Framework Programme, the Commission will launch research on young people's drinking in order to analyse current trends and motivations for drinking, as well as the wider determinants of youth drinking.
Mapping out national action with a view to promoting good practice
Member States have the main responsibility for national alcohol policy. The Commission's role is to encourage cooperation and coordination between Member States, and to complement their activities, for example through the funding of projects. The Communication maps out measures adopted by Member States to tackle alcohol related harm, which can facilitate the dissemination of good practice across the EU. Examples of national measures identified in the Communication include: action to improve consumer information at point of sale, on products or at the workplace; action to better enforce age limits for selling and serving alcohol; education of young people and parents; introducing a zero blood alcohol concentration limit for young or inexperienced drivers, and for professional drivers; and enforcing counter-measures against drink-driving.
Follow-up and consistency with other policies
The Commission will also set up:
-- an "Alcohol and Health Forum" by June 2007, to support, provide input and monitor the implementation of the strategy outlined in the Communication. The Forum will focus on topics such as research, information and data collection, and education. a working group to coordinate drink-driving and road safety actions including those supported by the Public Health Programme and the Action Plan on Road Safety, to help reduce alcohol-related road accidents, and with a particular view to combating drink-driving. The group will in particular address the issue of novice and young drivers.
-- a group of stakeholders for co-operation on responsible commercial communication and sales. The group will inter alia support EU and national/local Government actions to reduce irresponsible marketing of alcoholic beverages, and examine data about trends in advertising. It will develop codes of conduct for commercial communications.
The Commission considers that its main contribution to the strategy should be based on the existing approach of complementing national strategies in this area and therefore does not intend to implement the strategy through legislative proposals. The Commission invites Member States to report back regularly on the implementation of measures to tackle harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption as well as on the impact of the EU strategy set out in this Communication.
ec.europa.eu
The priorities identified in the Communication are:
to protect young people and children;
reduce injuries and deaths from alcohol-related road accidents;
prevent harm among adults and reduce the negative impact on the economy;
raise awareness of the impact on health of harmful alcohol consumption;
and help gather reliable statistics.
The Commission has identified areas where the EU can support and coordinate the actions of Member States to reduce alcohol related harm, such as financing projects through the Public Health and Research Programmes, exchanging good practice on issues such as curbing under-age drinking, exploring cooperation on information campaigns or tackling drink-driving and other Community initiatives. The Communication also maps out actions which Member States are taking, with a view to promoting good practice, proposes an Alcohol and Health Forum of interested parties and sets out areas where industry can make a contribution, notably in the area of responsible advertising and marketing.
European Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said: "Binge drinking, under-age drinking and drink-driving are real public health issues in Europe, especially among young people. The Commission is not targeting moderate alcohol consumption, but seeks to actively support Member States measures to reduce the harm caused by alcohol abuse. This Communication aims to promote discussion and cooperation at European level more actively by creating fora to exchange good practices. I also believe that industry can do more to reduce alcohol harm, promote responsible drinking and improve consumer information. The Commission is committed to supporting this process by bringing the relevant actors together, promoting cooperation and funding projects in this area."
A major health and economic impact
Fifty-five million adults are estimated to drink to hazardous levels in the EU. Harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption is a net cause of 7.4 % of all ill-health and early death in the EU. Absenteeism due to hazardous alcohol use, drinking during working hours, or working with a "hangover" all have a negative impact on work performance, and thereby on competitiveness and productivity. In the age group of 15-29 years over 10% of female mortality and around 25% of male mortality are due to hazardous alcohol consumption. This is also the cause in 16% of cases of child abuse and neglect. Exposure to alcohol during pregnancy can impair brain development and is associated with intellectual deficits. Approximately one accident in four can be attributed to alcohol consumption, and about 10,000 people are killed in alcohol-related road accidents in the EU each year.
Commission action
In cooperation with Member States and stakeholders, the Commission will develop strategies aimed at curbing under-age drinking, by exchanging good practice on issues like selling and serving, marketing, and the image of alcohol use conveyed through the media. Through its Public Health Programme, the Commission will support projects that will contribute to reduce alcohol-related harm in the EU, and especially the harm suffered by children and young people, as well as gathering and disseminating data. It will support the monitoring of young people's drinking habits, with a focus on the increased drinking of alcohol among girls and binge-drinking.
The Commission will explore, in cooperation with Member States and stakeholders, the usefulness of developing efficient common approaches throughout the Community to provide adequate consumer information. Such reflections are particularly important as some Member States are planning to introduce warning labels (e.g. on alcohol and pregnancy). It will support Member States and stakeholders in their efforts to develop information and education programmes on the effect of harmful drinking. Through the EU Research Framework Programme, the Commission will launch research on young people's drinking in order to analyse current trends and motivations for drinking, as well as the wider determinants of youth drinking.
Mapping out national action with a view to promoting good practice
Member States have the main responsibility for national alcohol policy. The Commission's role is to encourage cooperation and coordination between Member States, and to complement their activities, for example through the funding of projects. The Communication maps out measures adopted by Member States to tackle alcohol related harm, which can facilitate the dissemination of good practice across the EU. Examples of national measures identified in the Communication include: action to improve consumer information at point of sale, on products or at the workplace; action to better enforce age limits for selling and serving alcohol; education of young people and parents; introducing a zero blood alcohol concentration limit for young or inexperienced drivers, and for professional drivers; and enforcing counter-measures against drink-driving.
Follow-up and consistency with other policies
The Commission will also set up:
-- an "Alcohol and Health Forum" by June 2007, to support, provide input and monitor the implementation of the strategy outlined in the Communication. The Forum will focus on topics such as research, information and data collection, and education. a working group to coordinate drink-driving and road safety actions including those supported by the Public Health Programme and the Action Plan on Road Safety, to help reduce alcohol-related road accidents, and with a particular view to combating drink-driving. The group will in particular address the issue of novice and young drivers.
-- a group of stakeholders for co-operation on responsible commercial communication and sales. The group will inter alia support EU and national/local Government actions to reduce irresponsible marketing of alcoholic beverages, and examine data about trends in advertising. It will develop codes of conduct for commercial communications.
The Commission considers that its main contribution to the strategy should be based on the existing approach of complementing national strategies in this area and therefore does not intend to implement the strategy through legislative proposals. The Commission invites Member States to report back regularly on the implementation of measures to tackle harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption as well as on the impact of the EU strategy set out in this Communication.
ec.europa.eu
пятница, 3 июня 2011 г.
Large Family Study Pinpoints Genetic Linkage In Drug Addiction
Based on data obtained from one of the largest family sets of its kind, Yale School of Medicine researchers have identified a genetic linkage for dependence on drugs such as heroin, morphine and oxycontin.
The lead author, Joel Gelernter, M.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry, said the researchers recruited a sample of 393 small families, most with at least two individuals with opioid dependence. They then searched genetic signposts throughout the entire genome in an effort to identify markers that, within the same family, would show that individuals who share the illness also share marker alleles, or gene variants.
This information allowed the team to identify where genes influencing opioid dependence are located. Gelernter said the researchers found evidence of gene linkage for opioid dependence. They also found strong evidence of linkage in the family groups for the symptom cluster traits characterized by dependence on substances other than opioids, specifically, alcohol, cocaine and tobacco.
"These results provide a first basis to identify genes for opioid dependence from a genome-wide investigation," Gelernter said. "Research in the laboratory now is focused on finding specific genes that modify risk for opioid dependence."
He said that although environment plays a significant role, it is well established that substance dependence risk is also genetically influenced. Understanding the genetic factors that influence opioid dependence risk would represent major progress toward understanding the basic biology of the disorder.
"Once specific genes that increase or decrease risk are known, we will be in a better position to figure out exactly what the environmental factors might be and, perhaps, how they can be modified to protect people who are genetically at risk," Gelernter said.
The study was a collaborative effort involving investigators at Yale, the University of Connecticut Health Center, McLean Hospital in Boston, the Medical University of South Carolina, and Boston University. The National Institute on Drug Abuse supported the study.
The American Journal of Human Genetics: (Published online March 16, 2006. DOI 10.1086/503631)
Yale News Releases are available via the World Wide Web at:
yale/opa
View drug information on OxyContin.
The lead author, Joel Gelernter, M.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry, said the researchers recruited a sample of 393 small families, most with at least two individuals with opioid dependence. They then searched genetic signposts throughout the entire genome in an effort to identify markers that, within the same family, would show that individuals who share the illness also share marker alleles, or gene variants.
This information allowed the team to identify where genes influencing opioid dependence are located. Gelernter said the researchers found evidence of gene linkage for opioid dependence. They also found strong evidence of linkage in the family groups for the symptom cluster traits characterized by dependence on substances other than opioids, specifically, alcohol, cocaine and tobacco.
"These results provide a first basis to identify genes for opioid dependence from a genome-wide investigation," Gelernter said. "Research in the laboratory now is focused on finding specific genes that modify risk for opioid dependence."
He said that although environment plays a significant role, it is well established that substance dependence risk is also genetically influenced. Understanding the genetic factors that influence opioid dependence risk would represent major progress toward understanding the basic biology of the disorder.
"Once specific genes that increase or decrease risk are known, we will be in a better position to figure out exactly what the environmental factors might be and, perhaps, how they can be modified to protect people who are genetically at risk," Gelernter said.
The study was a collaborative effort involving investigators at Yale, the University of Connecticut Health Center, McLean Hospital in Boston, the Medical University of South Carolina, and Boston University. The National Institute on Drug Abuse supported the study.
The American Journal of Human Genetics: (Published online March 16, 2006. DOI 10.1086/503631)
Yale News Releases are available via the World Wide Web at:
yale/opa
View drug information on OxyContin.
четверг, 2 июня 2011 г.
High Resolution 'snapshots' Detail Dynamics Of A Cocaine Antibody
Cocaine-binding antibodies have shown some promise in their ability to neutralize cocaine toxicity, but their binding ability is severely impaired by high concentrations of the drug. A catalytic monoclonal antibody such as 7A1, on the other hand, has the ability to regenerate after each new dose of the drug, making it far more effective than others in metabolizing cocaine.
The study, which will be published in the February issue (Volume 14 Issue 2) of the journal Structure, was led by Ian A. Wilson, D.Phil., of Scripps Research Department of Molecular Biology and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, and Kim D. Janda, Ph.D., of Scripps Research Departments of Chemistry and Immunology and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology.
Despite intensive research, cocaine abuse continues to be a major public health problem, so far eluding efforts at developing an effective therapeutic agent to counter the craving, addiction, and overdose of the drug. To date, no treatment has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Commenting on the new findings, Xueyong Zhu, Ph.D., the primary author of the study and a staff scientist in the Wilson laboratory said, "Development of effective therapies for cocaine abuse has been a long-standing goal, and a number of medications under study do show some promise. Immunopharmacotherapy has been proposed as a way to neutralize the drug outside the central nervous system- basically soaking up the drug before it has a chance to cross the blood brain barrier-as a potentially effective new approach to treat cocaine abuse."
Using a monoclonal antibody endowed not only with high binding ability, but also with sufficient catalytic activity to metabolize cocaine, would have potentially enhanced therapeutic effects, Zhu said. This antibody could intercept cocaine in the blood stream before it reaches the central nervous system-stopping the drug cold. Because cocaine has a half life of approximately 30 minutes inside the human body, a cocaine catalytic antibody would basically have to out-run the body's natural metabolism process to have any serious impact on the psychoactive effects of the drug.
Generated by x-ray crystallography, pictures of the conformational changes that occur during the antibody's complete catalytic cycle show the molecular basis for catalysis and reveal possible mutations that could increase catalytic proficiency. This, Zhu pointed out, provides a foundation for the humanization and mutagenesis of the antibody to enhance its cocaine-hydrolyzing activity and make future human clinical trials feasible. "Given the fact that catalytic antibodies have been produced with the same levels of efficiency as natural enzymes, it seems well within the realm of possibility," he added.
To reach this ambitious goal, however, it may be necessary to explore new incremental approaches for optimizing the efficiency of such catalytic activity. Novel functional groups could be introduced into first generation antibody catalysts by multiple rounds of mutagenesis and selection to produce improvements. In essence, this would allow scientists to dramatically accelerate the evolutionary process, producing improvements in the immune system in weeks or months that previously took billions of years.
"The structural insights into antibody catalysis that we have shown with 7A1 Fab' are critical for any future improvement of effective biocatalysts," Zhu said. "One of the main goals of our lab has been to focus on catalytic antibodies that will have a direct impact on public health issues. With the snapshots of the complete cycle of the cocaine antibody catalytic reaction, we have shed new light on the sequence of events in an antibody-mediated reaction and provided a rare glimpse of the structural dynamics involved. With this information, it's possible to move onto the next step in the development of a treatment for cocaine abuse and addiction."
Other authors of the study include Tobin J. Dickerson, Claude J. Rogers, Gunnar F. Kaufmann, Jenny M. Mee, and Kathleen M. McKenzie.
Support for the study was provided by grants from the National Institutes of Health, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and Scripps Research.
About The Scripps Research Institute
The Scripps Research Institute, headquartered in La Jolla, California, in 18 buildings on 40 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean, is one of the world's largest independent, non-profit biomedical research organizations. It stands at the forefront of basic biomedical science that seeks to comprehend the most fundamental processes of life. Scripps Research is internationally recognized for its research into immunology, molecular and cellular biology, chemistry, neurosciences, autoimmune, cardiovascular, and infectious diseases, and synthetic vaccine development. Established in its current configuration in 1961, it employs approximately 3,000 scientists, postdoctoral fellows, scientific and other technicians, doctoral degree graduate students, and administrative and technical support personnel.
Scripps Florida, a 364,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art biomedical research facility, will be built in Palm Beach County. The facility will focus on basic biomedical science, drug discovery, and technology development. Palm Beach County and the State of Florida have provided start-up economic packages for development, building, staffing, and equipping the campus. Scripps Florida now operates with approximately 160 scientists, technicians, and administrative staff at 40,000 square-foot lab facilities on the Florida Atlantic University campus in Jupiter.
Contact: Keith McKeown
kmckeownscripps
Scripps Research Institute
The study, which will be published in the February issue (Volume 14 Issue 2) of the journal Structure, was led by Ian A. Wilson, D.Phil., of Scripps Research Department of Molecular Biology and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, and Kim D. Janda, Ph.D., of Scripps Research Departments of Chemistry and Immunology and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology.
Despite intensive research, cocaine abuse continues to be a major public health problem, so far eluding efforts at developing an effective therapeutic agent to counter the craving, addiction, and overdose of the drug. To date, no treatment has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Commenting on the new findings, Xueyong Zhu, Ph.D., the primary author of the study and a staff scientist in the Wilson laboratory said, "Development of effective therapies for cocaine abuse has been a long-standing goal, and a number of medications under study do show some promise. Immunopharmacotherapy has been proposed as a way to neutralize the drug outside the central nervous system- basically soaking up the drug before it has a chance to cross the blood brain barrier-as a potentially effective new approach to treat cocaine abuse."
Using a monoclonal antibody endowed not only with high binding ability, but also with sufficient catalytic activity to metabolize cocaine, would have potentially enhanced therapeutic effects, Zhu said. This antibody could intercept cocaine in the blood stream before it reaches the central nervous system-stopping the drug cold. Because cocaine has a half life of approximately 30 minutes inside the human body, a cocaine catalytic antibody would basically have to out-run the body's natural metabolism process to have any serious impact on the psychoactive effects of the drug.
Generated by x-ray crystallography, pictures of the conformational changes that occur during the antibody's complete catalytic cycle show the molecular basis for catalysis and reveal possible mutations that could increase catalytic proficiency. This, Zhu pointed out, provides a foundation for the humanization and mutagenesis of the antibody to enhance its cocaine-hydrolyzing activity and make future human clinical trials feasible. "Given the fact that catalytic antibodies have been produced with the same levels of efficiency as natural enzymes, it seems well within the realm of possibility," he added.
To reach this ambitious goal, however, it may be necessary to explore new incremental approaches for optimizing the efficiency of such catalytic activity. Novel functional groups could be introduced into first generation antibody catalysts by multiple rounds of mutagenesis and selection to produce improvements. In essence, this would allow scientists to dramatically accelerate the evolutionary process, producing improvements in the immune system in weeks or months that previously took billions of years.
"The structural insights into antibody catalysis that we have shown with 7A1 Fab' are critical for any future improvement of effective biocatalysts," Zhu said. "One of the main goals of our lab has been to focus on catalytic antibodies that will have a direct impact on public health issues. With the snapshots of the complete cycle of the cocaine antibody catalytic reaction, we have shed new light on the sequence of events in an antibody-mediated reaction and provided a rare glimpse of the structural dynamics involved. With this information, it's possible to move onto the next step in the development of a treatment for cocaine abuse and addiction."
Other authors of the study include Tobin J. Dickerson, Claude J. Rogers, Gunnar F. Kaufmann, Jenny M. Mee, and Kathleen M. McKenzie.
Support for the study was provided by grants from the National Institutes of Health, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and Scripps Research.
About The Scripps Research Institute
The Scripps Research Institute, headquartered in La Jolla, California, in 18 buildings on 40 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean, is one of the world's largest independent, non-profit biomedical research organizations. It stands at the forefront of basic biomedical science that seeks to comprehend the most fundamental processes of life. Scripps Research is internationally recognized for its research into immunology, molecular and cellular biology, chemistry, neurosciences, autoimmune, cardiovascular, and infectious diseases, and synthetic vaccine development. Established in its current configuration in 1961, it employs approximately 3,000 scientists, postdoctoral fellows, scientific and other technicians, doctoral degree graduate students, and administrative and technical support personnel.
Scripps Florida, a 364,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art biomedical research facility, will be built in Palm Beach County. The facility will focus on basic biomedical science, drug discovery, and technology development. Palm Beach County and the State of Florida have provided start-up economic packages for development, building, staffing, and equipping the campus. Scripps Florida now operates with approximately 160 scientists, technicians, and administrative staff at 40,000 square-foot lab facilities on the Florida Atlantic University campus in Jupiter.
Contact: Keith McKeown
kmckeownscripps
Scripps Research Institute
среда, 1 июня 2011 г.
Finding may explain link between alcohol and certain cancers
Drinking alcoholic beverages has been linked to an increased risk of upper gastrointestinal cancer and other types of cancer. Researchers looking for the potential biochemical basis for this link have focused on acetaldehyde, a suspected carcinogen formed as the body metabolizes alcohol. In the journal Nucleic Acids Research, scientists from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) report that polyamines - natural compounds essential for cell growth - react with acetaldehyde to trigger a series of reactions that damage DNA, an event that can lead to the formation of cancer.
"We've long suspected acetaldehyde's role in the carcinogenicity of alcohol beverage consumption, but this study gives us important new clues about its involvement," says Ting-Kai Li, M.D., director of the NIAAA, part of the National Institutes of Health. "This work provides an important framework for understanding the underlying chemical pathway that could explain the association between drinking and certain types of cancer."
The research team, led by P.J. Brooks, Ph.D., of NIAAA and Miral Dizdaroglu, Ph.D., of NIST, examined acetaldehyde's reaction with polyamines, small molecules found in all cells. "Polyamines are usually considered 'good guys,' because they have been shown to protect DNA from oxidative damage," says Dr. Brooks. Yet the researchers found the polyamines facilitated the conversion of acetaldehyde into crotonaldehyde (CrA), an environmental pollutant that has been shown to cause cancer in animals. This chemical in turn altered DNA, generating an abnormal, mutagenic DNA base called a Cr-PdG adduct. Dr. Brooks says, "We concluded that polyamines stimulated the formation of Cr-PdG adducts from acetaldehyde, and this may provide a mechanism to explain how alcohol consumption increases the risk of some types of cancer."
Previous studies had shown acetaldehyde could be converted to mutagenic Cr-PdG, but those studies used very high acetaldehyde concentrations. "We were able to demonstrate that these reactions can take place with acetaldehyde concentrations that have been measured in human saliva during alcohol consumption," says Dr. Brooks.
An important part of this research was a new chemical analysis method developed at NIST. According to Dr. Dizdaroglu, "This novel chemical assay is a powerful method that accurately measures the Cr-PdG adduct."
George Kunos, M.D., Ph.D., director of NIAAA's Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, says, "These findings also have significant implications for researchers seeking to understand how genes affect the risk for cancer." Many studies have shown that certain genetic variants that affect alcohol and acetaldehyde metabolism can also affect individual susceptibility to alcohol-related gastrointestinal cancer. Dr. Kunos adds, "This work could serve as a roadmap for future studies to investigate other genetic factors, particularly those that influence DNA repair pathways, in relation to alcohol consumption and cancer."
To arrange an interview with Dr. Brooks, contact the NIAAA press office at 301-443-3860.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, conducts and supports approximately 90 percent of U.S. research on the causes, consequences, prevention, and treatment of alcohol abuse, alcoholism, and alcohol problems and disseminates research findings to science, practitioner, policy making and general audiences. Additional alcohol research information and publications are available at niaaa.nih.
Gregory Roa
greg.roanih
301-443-3860
NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
niaaa.nih
"We've long suspected acetaldehyde's role in the carcinogenicity of alcohol beverage consumption, but this study gives us important new clues about its involvement," says Ting-Kai Li, M.D., director of the NIAAA, part of the National Institutes of Health. "This work provides an important framework for understanding the underlying chemical pathway that could explain the association between drinking and certain types of cancer."
The research team, led by P.J. Brooks, Ph.D., of NIAAA and Miral Dizdaroglu, Ph.D., of NIST, examined acetaldehyde's reaction with polyamines, small molecules found in all cells. "Polyamines are usually considered 'good guys,' because they have been shown to protect DNA from oxidative damage," says Dr. Brooks. Yet the researchers found the polyamines facilitated the conversion of acetaldehyde into crotonaldehyde (CrA), an environmental pollutant that has been shown to cause cancer in animals. This chemical in turn altered DNA, generating an abnormal, mutagenic DNA base called a Cr-PdG adduct. Dr. Brooks says, "We concluded that polyamines stimulated the formation of Cr-PdG adducts from acetaldehyde, and this may provide a mechanism to explain how alcohol consumption increases the risk of some types of cancer."
Previous studies had shown acetaldehyde could be converted to mutagenic Cr-PdG, but those studies used very high acetaldehyde concentrations. "We were able to demonstrate that these reactions can take place with acetaldehyde concentrations that have been measured in human saliva during alcohol consumption," says Dr. Brooks.
An important part of this research was a new chemical analysis method developed at NIST. According to Dr. Dizdaroglu, "This novel chemical assay is a powerful method that accurately measures the Cr-PdG adduct."
George Kunos, M.D., Ph.D., director of NIAAA's Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, says, "These findings also have significant implications for researchers seeking to understand how genes affect the risk for cancer." Many studies have shown that certain genetic variants that affect alcohol and acetaldehyde metabolism can also affect individual susceptibility to alcohol-related gastrointestinal cancer. Dr. Kunos adds, "This work could serve as a roadmap for future studies to investigate other genetic factors, particularly those that influence DNA repair pathways, in relation to alcohol consumption and cancer."
To arrange an interview with Dr. Brooks, contact the NIAAA press office at 301-443-3860.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, conducts and supports approximately 90 percent of U.S. research on the causes, consequences, prevention, and treatment of alcohol abuse, alcoholism, and alcohol problems and disseminates research findings to science, practitioner, policy making and general audiences. Additional alcohol research information and publications are available at niaaa.nih.
Gregory Roa
greg.roanih
301-443-3860
NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
niaaa.nih
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