Alcohol use: If you drink, keep it moderate

 

Alcohol use can be a slippery slope. Moderate drinking can offer some health benefits. But heavy drinking can have serious consequences. By Mayo Clinic Staff It sounds like a mixed message: Drinking alcohol may offer some health benefits, especially for your heart. On the other hand, alcohol may increase your risk of health problems and damage your heart. So which is it? When it comes to drinking alcohol, the key is doing so only in moderation. Certainly, you don't have to drink any alcohol, and if you currently don't drink, don't start drinking for the possible health benefits. In some cases, it's safest to avoid alcohol entirely — the possible benefits don't outweigh the risks. Here's a closer look at the connection between alcohol and your health. Health benefits of moderate alcohol use Moderate alcohol consumption may provide some health benefits. It may: Reduce your risk of developing and dying from heart disease Possibly reduce your risk of ischemic stroke (when the arteries to your brain become narrowed or blocked, causing severely reduced blood flow) Possibly reduce your risk of diabetes Even so, the evidence about the possible health benefits of alcohol isn't certain, and alcohol may not benefit everyone who drinks. Guidelines for moderate alcohol use If you choose to drink alcohol, do so only in moderation. For healthy adults, that means up to one drink a day for women of all ages and men older than age 65, and up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger. Examples of one drink include: Beer: 12 fluid ounces (355 milliliters) Wine: 5 fluid ounces (148 milliliters) Distilled spirits (80 proof): 1.5 fluid ounces (44 milliliters) Moderate alcohol use may be of most benefit if you're an older adult or if you have existing risk factors for heart disease. If you're a middle-aged or younger adult, some evidence shows that even moderate alcohol use may cause more harm than good. You can take other steps to benefit your cardiovascular health besides drinking — eating a healthy diet and exercising, for example. When to avoid alcohol use In certain situations, the risks of alcohol use may outweigh the possible health benefits. For example, use alcohol only with great care and after consulting your doctor if: You're pregnant or trying to become pregnant You've been diagnosed with alcoholism or alcohol abuse, or you have a strong family history of alcoholism You have liver or pancreatic disease You have heart failure or you've been told you have a weak heart You take prescription or over-the-counter medications that can interact with alcohol You've had a hemorrhagic stroke (when a blood vessel in your brain leaks or ruptures) Keep in mind that even moderate use isn't risk-free. For example, drinking and driving is never a good idea. The risks of heavy alcohol use Heavy drinking is defined as more than three drinks on any day or more than seven drinks a week for women and for men older than age 65, and more than four drinks on any day or more than 14 drinks a week for men age 65 and younger. Binge drinking is defined as four or more drinks within two hours for women and five or more drinks within two hours for men. While moderate alcohol use may offer some health benefits, heavy drinking — including binge drinking — has no health benefits. Excessive drinking can increase your risk of serious health problems, including: Certain cancers, including breast cancer and cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx and esophagus Pancreatitis Sudden death if you already have cardiovascular disease Heart muscle damage (alcoholic cardiomyopathy) leading to heart failure Stroke High blood pressure Liver disease Suicide Accidental serious injury or death Brain damage and other problems in an unborn child Alcohol withdrawal syndrome Drink alcohol only in moderation — or not at all The latest dietary guidelines make it clear that no one should begin drinking or drink more frequently on the basis of potential health benefits. So don't feel pressured to drink alcohol. But if you do drink alcohol and you're healthy, there's probably no need to stop as long as you drink responsibly and in moderation.

We drink more alcohol on gym days

 

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A new Northwestern Medicine® study finds that on days when people exercise more -- typically Thursdays to Sundays -- they drink more alcohol, too.

This is the only study to use smartphone technology and a daily diary approach for self-reporting physical activity and alcohol use.

"Monday through Wednesday people batten down the hatches and they cut back on alcohol consumption," said David E. Conroy, lead author of the study. "But once that 'social weekend' kicks off on Thursdays, physical activity increases and so does alcohol consumption."

Conroy is a professor of preventive medicine and deputy director of the Center for Behavior and Health at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He also is a faculty affiliate of the Methodology Center at The Pennsylvania State University, where the research was conducted.

The study was published online in Health Psychology, an American Psychological Association journal.

"Insufficient physical activity and alcohol use are both linked to many health problems, and excessive alcohol use has many indirect costs as well," Conroy said. "We need to figure out how to use physical activity effectively and safely without having the adverse effects of drinking more alcohol."

One hundred and fifty study participants, ages 18 to 89, recorded their physical activity and alcohol use in smartphones at the end of the day. They did so for 21 days at a time, at three different times throughout one year.

Other studies on physical activity and alcohol relied on people self-reporting their behavior over the past 30 days.

"In this study, people only have to remember one day of activity or consumption at time, so they are less vulnerable to memory problems or other biases that come in to play when asked to report the past 30 days of behavior," Conroy said. "We think this is a really good method for getting around some of those self-report measurement problems."

The previous studies, which relied on 30-day self-reporting, concluded that physically active people tend to drink more alcohol -- something this study did not find.

"We zoomed in the microscope and got a very up-close and personal look at these behaviors on a day-to-day basis and see it's not people who exercise more drink more -- it's that on days when people are more active they tend to drink more than on days they are less active," Conroy said. "This finding was uniform across study participants of all levels of physical activity and ages."

Through future studies at the Center for Behavior and Health at Feinberg, Conroy hopes to discover what drives people to drink more on days they exercise more.

"Perhaps people reward themselves for working out by having more to drink or maybe being physically active leads them to encountering more social situations where alcohol is consumed -- we don't know," Conroy said. "Once we understand the connection between the two variables we can design novel interventions that promote physical activity while curbing alcohol use."

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Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Northwestern University. The original article was written by Erin White. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. David E. Conroy, Nilam Ram, Aaron L. Pincus, Donna L. Coffman, Amy E. Lorek, Amanda L. Rebar, Michael J. Roche. Daily Physical Activity and Alcohol Use Across the Adult Lifespan.. Health Psychology, 2014; DOI: 10.1037/hea0000157

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One in 10 deaths among working-age adults in U.S. due to excessive drinking, report finds

 

June 27, 2014

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Excessive alcohol use accounts for one in 10 deaths among working-age adults ages 20-64 years in the United States, according to a new report. Excessive alcohol use led to approximately 88,000 deaths per year from 2006 to 2010, and shortened the lives of those who died by about 30 years. These deaths were due to health effects from drinking too much over time, such as breast cancer, liver disease, and heart disease; and health effects from drinking too much in a short period of time, such as violence, alcohol poisoning, and motor vehicle crashes.

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A new report finds that excessive alcohol use accounts for one in 10 deaths among working-age adults ages 20-64 years in the United States.

Excessive alcohol use accounts for one in 10 deaths among working-age adults ages 20-64 years in the United States, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published June 26 in Preventing Chronic Disease.

Excessive alcohol use led to approximately 88,000 deaths per year from 2006 to 2010, and shortened the lives of those who died by about 30 years. These deaths were due to health effects from drinking too much over time, such as breast cancer, liver disease, and heart disease; and health effects from drinking too much in a short period of time, such as violence, alcohol poisoning, and motor vehicle crashes. In total, there were 2.5 million years of potential life lost each year due to excessive alcohol use.

Nearly 70 percent of deaths due to excessive drinking involved working-age adults, and about 70 percent of the deaths involved males. About 5 percent of the deaths involved people under age 21. The highest death rate due to excessive drinking was in New Mexico (51 deaths per 100,000 population), and the lowest was in New Jersey (19.1 per 100,000).

"Excessive alcohol use is a leading cause of preventable death that kills many Americans in the prime of their lives," said Ursula E. Bauer, Ph.D., M.P.H., director of CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. "We need to redouble our efforts to implement scientifically proven public health approaches to reduce this tragic loss of life and the huge economic costs that result."

Excessive drinking includes binge drinking (4 or more drinks on an occasion for women, 5 or more drinks on an occasion for men), heavy drinking (8 or more drinks a week for women, 15 or more drinks a week for men), and any alcohol use by pregnant women or those under the minimum legal drinking age of 21. Excessive drinking cost the United States about $224 billion, or $1.90 per drink, in 2006. Most of these costs were due to lost productivity, including reduced earnings among excessive drinkers as well as deaths due to excessive drinking among working age adults.

To estimate deaths due to excessive drinking, CDC scientists analyzed data from the Alcohol-Related Disease Impact (ARDI) application for 2006-2010. ARDI provides national and state-specific estimates of alcohol-attributable deaths and years of potential life lost. ARDI currently includes 54 causes of death for which estimates of alcohol involvement were either directly available or could be calculated based on existing scientific information.

"It's shocking to see the public health impact of excessive drinking on working-age adults," said Robert Brewer, M.D., M.S.P.H., head of CDC's Alcohol Program and one of the report's authors. "CDC is working with partners to support the implementation of strategies for preventing excessive alcohol use that are recommended by the Community Preventive Services Task Force, which can help reduce the health and social cost of this dangerous risk behavior."

The independent HHS Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends several evidence-based strategies to reduce excessive drinking. These include increasing alcohol taxes, regulating alcohol outlet density, and avoiding further privatization of alcohol retail sales.

For more information about excessive drinking, including binge drinking, and how to prevent this dangerous behavior, visit the CDC's Alcohol and Public Health website at http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/index.htm. Members of the public who are concerned about their own or someone else's drinking can call 1-800-662-HELP to receive assistance from the national Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Routing Service.

For state-specific estimates of deaths and years of potential life lost due to excessive drinking by condition, visit the ARDI online application at https://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/ardi/HomePage.aspx.

Alcohol abuse damage in neurons at a molecular scale identified for first time

 

June 12, 2014

University of the Basque Country

New research has identified, for the first time, the structural damage caused at a molecular level to the brain by the chronic excessive abuse of alcohol. In concrete, the research team has determined the alterations produced in the neurons of the prefrontal zone of the brain (the most advanced zone in terms of evolution and that which controls executive functions such as planning, designing strategies, working memory, selective attention or control of behavior. This research opens up pathways for generating new pharmaceutical drugs and therapies that enhance the life of alcoholic persons and reduce the morbimortality due to alcoholism.

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The samples of alcoholic individuals show a significant reduction in proteins. C: samples of non-alcoholic individuals. A: samples of alcoholic individuals.

Joint research between the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and the University of Nottingham has identified, for the first time, the structural damage caused at a molecular level to the brain by the chronic excessive abuse of alcohol. In concrete, the research team has determined the alterations produced in the neurons of the prefrontal zone of the brain (the most advanced zone in terms of evolution and that which controls executive functions such as planning, designing strategies, working memory, selective attention or control of behaviour. This research opens up pathways for generating new pharmaceutical drugs and therapies that enhance the life of alcoholic persons and reduce the morbimortality due to alcoholism.

The research was published in the digital journal specialised in biomedical sciences, PLoS One.

In the research, doctors Luis F. Callado, Benito Morentin and Amaia Erdozain, from the UPV/EHU, together with doctor Wayne G. Carter's team from the University of Nottingham, analysed the postmorten brains of 20 persons diagnosed with alcohol abuse/dependence, alongside another 20 non-alcoholic brains. Studying the prefrontal cortex, researchers detected alterations in the neuronal cytoskeleton in the brains of alcoholic patients; in concrete, in the α- and β-tubulin and the β II spectrin proteins. These changes in the neuronal structure, induced by ethanol ingestion, can affect the organisation, the capacity for making connections and the functioning of the neuronal network, and could largely explain alterations in cognitive behavior and in learning, attributed to persons suffering from alcoholism.

The description of damage and alterations, now detected for the first time at a molecular level in the prefrontal zone of the brain, is the first step for investigation in other fields. Highlighted amongst the new targets put forward is to elucidate the concrete mechanism by which alcohol produces these alterations -- to determine what the possible changes that the enzymes responsible for regulating the functioning of these proteins undergo, and to see if these processes also occur in other parts of the brain, for example, those controlling motor function. The final objective is to identify these molecular changes in order to be able to, on the one hand, link them with the processes of alcohol abuse and dependence and, on the other, generate new pharmaceutical drugs and therapeutic options that reverse the alterations produced by alcohol, enhancing the quality of life of alcoholic persons and reducing the mortality rate due to alcoholism.

The research process

The brain samples employed came from the collection of samples of the Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group at the Department of Pharmacology (UPV/EHU). These samples are a result of an agreement between the UPV/EHU and the Basque Institute of Legal Medicine. The diagnoses of the individuals were undertaken by the doctors responsible for the patients prior to their death, complying with the directives of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM of the American Psychiatric Association).

In order to undertake the research, the researchers used techniques of optical microscopy, proteomics, Western blot and mass spectrometry. Optical microscopy demonstrated that the neurons in the prefrontal zone of the brains of the alcoholic patients had undergone alterations compared to those of non-alcoholic patients. In the following step, the research team used proteomic techniques, in order to identify which proteins were modified in these neurons. Thus, they determined that the altered elements belong to the families of proteins known as tubulins and spectrins. Tubulins make up the cytoskeleton of the neurons -- their architecture. The spectrins are responsible for maintaining the cell shape. In this way, both facilitate the relation between and the activity of the components of the brain's neuron network.

With the objective of quantifying the quantity of protein in each sample, they used the Western blot technique, checking that the levels of proteins were reduced as a consequence of the damage produced by the ethanol. The next stage was using mass spectrometry, which enabled confirming the exact identification of the proteins affected; i.e. within the tubulin family they observed the reduction in the α and β proteins; while amongst the spectrins, they located a decrease in the β II protein.

The research team

Doctors Koldo Callado and Amaia Erdozain are members of the Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, ascribed to the Department of Pharmacology at the UPV/EHU and currently led by J. Javier Meana. Their lines of research are focused on undertaking cooperative research with a clear translational vision, i.e. forming closer links between clinical and basic research. One of these lines of research is based on the study of neurochemical disorders directly observed in the post-mortem brain. Benito Morentin is Head of the Forensic Pathology Service at the Basque Institute of Legal Medicine and Associate Professor of the Department of Medical-Surgical Specialities of the UPV/EHU.

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Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of the Basque Country. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. Amaia M. Erdozain, Benito Morentin, Lynn Bedford, Emma King, David Tooth, Charlotte Brewer, Declan Wayne, Laura Johnson, Henry K. Gerdes, Peter Wigmore, Luis F. Callado, Wayne G. Carter. Alcohol-Related Brain Damage in Humans. PLoS ONE, 2014; 9 (4): e93586 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093586