Newswise Feature Channel: Alcohol and Alcoholism

Colorectal Cancer on the Rise in Younger Adults: One Woman's Journey during Pregnancy

Hackensack Meridian Health — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 10:50:55 EST

Colorectal cancer incidence rates continue to rise in those under age 50 -- a trend that underscores the need for increased awareness and early detection. During this Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, experts from Hackensack Meridian Health are available to discuss this trend, along with a patient diagnosed with CRC at age 37 while pregnant.

Critical Need for Regulation to Protect People with Substance Use Disorder From Exploitative Marketing Practices on Social Media

Research Society on Alcoholism — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:00:00 EST

People seeking online support for addiction recovery may encounter cynical marketing by the addiction treatment industry that sometimes prioritizes financial gain over clients' health and well-being, according to a study of public discourse around substance use recovery on Twitter.

Warning Labels about Breast Cancer Risk from Alcohol May Encourage Women to Reduce Drinking

Research Society on Alcoholism — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:00:00 EST

Messages warning about the association between alcohol use and breast cancer may be effective in alerting women to the risk and spurring them to reduce their drinking. A study of women in their twenties, published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, found that specifically designed warnings were effective in influencing women's reactions, attitudes and beliefs, and intentions to change behavior. The findings indicate that using effective health messaging on warning labels may help increase public awareness of the increased risk of developing breast cancer associated with alcohol.

Study Links Immune System Dysfunction in Adults to Childhood Trauma and Heavy Drinking

Research Society on Alcoholism — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:00:00 EST

Adverse experiences in childhood and heavy alcohol use may alter the body's immune system. A study of adults with alcohol use disorder published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research found that those who had experienced trauma as children and those who drank heavily had differences in the levels of certain antibodies responsible for warding off disease.

Even Modest Alcohol Use Contributes to Accelerated Brain Aging and Behavioral Inflexibility, With Deficits Evident Early in Adult Life, Study Suggests

Research Society on Alcoholism — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:00:00 EST

Alcohol use leads to earlier brain aging and impaired behavioral flexibility, with those effects detectable even among adults in their 20s and 30s, according to an innovative study. Hazardous drinking is known to be linked to cognitive-behavioral impairments, including difficulty adapting to changing circumstances. This helps explain, for example, why people with alcohol use disorder (AUD) continue to drink despite negative consequences. Evidence is growing that heavy alcohol use accelerates brain aging. It is not known, however, whether this aging effect explains the link between alcohol use and certain cognitive deficits typical of older brains. For the study in Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research, investigators explored whether hazardous drinking predicted brain aging as measured by a machine learning tool and whether brain aging explained the association between alcohol use and behavioral inflexibility.

'Deaths of Despair' More than Double in the U.S. Over Two Decades

Florida Atlantic University — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 08:30:31 EST

A study finds a troubling rise in 'deaths of despair' in the U.S. from 1999 to 2021, using the International Classification of Diseases. These deaths, defined by 19 underlying causes such as chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, suicide, drug overdoses, and alcohol-related conditions, increased two-and-a-half-fold over two decades. By 2021, deaths of despair would have become the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S., surpassing 176,000 fatalities, and ranking just behind heart disease, cancer, COVID-19 and accidents.

Study Suggests Drunk Witnesses Are Less Likely to Remember a Suspect's Face

University of Portsmouth — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 05:10:14 EST

New research has revealed that alcohol can impair the ability of eyewitnesses to accurately recall a suspect's facial features, particularly key details such as the eyes, nose, and mouth.

Authentic Communication Reduces Risky Teen Drinking

University of Adelaide — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 21:40:42 EST

While fear-based messaging around alcohol aimed towards teens is common practice, new research suggests a key to curbing adolescents' risky drinking behaviour is through authentic and open communication that acknowledges some of the positive aspects while warning of the negative consequences of drinking.

Semaglutide Shows Promise in Reducing Cravings for Alcohol, Heavy Drinking

University of North Carolina School of Medicine — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 19:35:54 EST

Randomized, placebo-controlled trial finds that low-dose semaglutide reduces amount of alcohol consumption, alcohol cravings, and heavy drinking days. Reductions in cigarettes per day were also seen.

Peers Influence Drinking Behavior in Mature Adults, Too, Study Says

Research Society on Alcoholism — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 04:15:21 EST

How much alcohol a person drinks is strongly linked to how much their peers drink--and not just among teens and young adults. A new study of mature adults, published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, has found that adults' social connections influence a person's drinking, both contemporaneously and over time. And, an individual's social network is more influential in changing their drinking behavior over time than other factors, such as their occupation or smoking. The study highlights the importance of understanding social connections in order to design interventions for mature adults who drink heavily.

Why Some Heavy Drinkers Develop Advanced Liver Disease, While Others Do Not

Keck Medicine of USC — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:00:11 EST

A new study from Keck Medicine of USC finds that heavy drinkers with either diabetes, high blood pressure or a high waist circumference are as much as twice as likely to develop advanced liver disease

Research in Fruit Flies Pinpoints Brain Pathways Involved in Alcohol-Induced Insomnia

University of Utah Health — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:00:00 EST

The study identified specific neurotransmitters and brain cells that are involved in alcohol-induced insomnia. This work could ultimately lead to targeted treatments for alcohol-related sleep loss, helping people recover from alcohol use disorder.

Using Sugars From Peas Speeds Up Sour Beer Brewing

American Chemical Society (ACS) — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 08:00:00 EST

Sour beers are enjoyed for their tart, complex flavors, but some can require long and complicated brewing processes. Researchers reporting in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry brewed new sours in less time using a seemingly strange ingredient: field peas.

Does drinking alcohol really take away the blues? It's not what you think

University of Chicago Medical Center — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 19:35:23 EST

New study finds that heavy drinkers with depression experience the same buzz as those without depression, countering long-held belief that the pleasure people get from drinking decreases with addiction.

Scientists Discover How Genetic Risk for Alcoholism Changes Brain Cell Behavior

Rutgers University-New Brunswick — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 09:15:07 EST

A Rutgers Health study may help explain why some people are more susceptible to developing drinking problems.

CBD May Reduce Craving for Alcohol, Study Finds

Research Society on Alcoholism — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 10:00:00 EST

CBD may hold promise as a tool to help people reduce problem drinking, according to a new study published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research. Cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD, modifies the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system and reduces physical signs of anxiety and self-reported craving for alcohol in people with alcohol use disorder.

Older People with Alcohol Use Disorder May Underestimate Their Impairment In Visual Processing When Drinking, Raising Their Risk of Accidents

Research Society on Alcoholism — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 10:00:00 EST

Older adults' visual functions-- eye movement reaction time, speed, and accuracy--are acutely impaired by alcohol, and those with chronic alcohol use disorder (AUD) are not immune to these impairments when imbibing. The study in Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research is the first to examine alcohol's acute effects on eye movements, pupil size, and self-perception of impairment in middle-aged to older adults with AUD versus a control group of those with lifetime light drinking. Alcohol disrupts eye movement and pupil dilation, resulting in delayed visual reactions and reduced accuracy. Many believe that those with longer-term excessive drinking have built up tolerance and are protected against eye movement impairment. While this study showed that older drinkers with chronic AUD (vs. light drinkers) had less impairment in visually tracking an object that moves predictably, they were equally impaired in eye movements that require quick adjustments to randomly appearing objects. The perso

Social Network, Social Functioning Associated with Longer Stays in Alcohol Treatment

Research Society on Alcoholism — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 10:00:00 EST

When seeking treatment for alcohol use disorder, how a person is functioning in society strongly influences how long they will stay in inpatient treatment. According to a study published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, people who are dissatisfied in their primary social role--at work or school, for example--and people with a strong social network stay in treatment longer, giving them more opportunities for therapeutic intervention.

Virginia Tech Researchers Ask How Many Attempts It Takes to Quit Substance Abuse

Virginia Tech — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 17:15:28 EST

Relapse is common when someone is trying to quit, regardless of whether they're giving up opioids or alcohol or cigarettes. To better inform treatment, researchers with the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC's Addiction Recovery Research Center wanted to better understand how the experience of quitting differed across substances.

Among Veterans with Alcohol Use Disorder, Women Drink As Much as Men and Have More Severe Mental Health Symptoms

Research Society on Alcoholism — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 10:00:00 EST

Women veterans with alcohol use disorder (AUD) are drinking in similar quantities to their male peers and have more severe symptoms of co-occurring depression, anxiety, and PTSD, a new study suggests. Among veterans, the rates of AUD and related impairments in physical and mental functioning are higher than in the general population.