Latest news from Research Society on Alcoholism on Newswise en-us Copyright 2025 Newswise 115 31 / /images/newswise-logo-rss.gif /articles/cbd-may-reduce-craving-for-alcohol-study-finds/?sc=rsin /articles/cbd-may-reduce-craving-for-alcohol-study-finds/?sc=rsin 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. Research Society on Alcoholism /articles/older-people-with-alcohol-use-disorder-may-underestimate-their-impairment-in-visual-processing-when-drinking-raising-their-risk-of-accidents/?sc=rsin /articles/older-people-with-alcohol-use-disorder-may-underestimate-their-impairment-in-visual-processing-when-drinking-raising-their-risk-of-accidents/?sc=rsin 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 Research Society on Alcoholism /articles/social-network-social-functioning-associated-with-longer-stays-in-alcohol-treatment/?sc=rsin /articles/social-network-social-functioning-associated-with-longer-stays-in-alcohol-treatment/?sc=rsin 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. Research Society on Alcoholism /articles/among-veterans-with-alcohol-use-disorder-women-drink-as-much-as-men-and-have-more-severe-mental-health-symptoms/?sc=rsin /articles/among-veterans-with-alcohol-use-disorder-women-drink-as-much-as-men-and-have-more-severe-mental-health-symptoms/?sc=rsin 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. Research Society on Alcoholism /articles/peers-influence-drinking-behavior-in-mature-adults-too-study-says/?sc=rsin /articles/peers-influence-drinking-behavior-in-mature-adults-too-study-says/?sc=rsin Wed, 01 Jan 2025 10:00:00 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. Research Society on Alcoholism /articles/self-consciousness-may-be-a-risk-factor-for-binge-drinking-in-young-adults-and-a-protective-factor-too/?sc=rsin /articles/self-consciousness-may-be-a-risk-factor-for-binge-drinking-in-young-adults-and-a-protective-factor-too/?sc=rsin Tue, 31 Dec 2024 10:00:00 EST Self-consciousness plays a role in a young adult's tendency to binge drink, but that role evolves over time. A new study published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research found that people who are self-conscious may be more likely to binge drink as young adults but less likely to binge drink as they mature. Research Society on Alcoholism /articles/new-tool-potentially-offers-additional-insight-into-sexual-violence-against-women-in-bars-and-clubs/?sc=rsin /articles/new-tool-potentially-offers-additional-insight-into-sexual-violence-against-women-in-bars-and-clubs/?sc=rsin Mon, 30 Dec 2024 10:00:00 EST Young men's commonly held beliefs and attitudes about drinking, gender role stereotypes, and peer pressure may be key drivers impacting women's sexual victimization in bars and clubs. That's according to a recent study testing a new measurement tool designed to assess beliefs and attitudes related to men's perpetration of sexual violence in drinking venues. Sexual violence, encompassing sexual harassment, unwanted touching, and persistence, as well as assault, is a pervasive problem with major emotional, health, and economic impacts. Most perpetrators are men, and most targets are women. While previous research has found that certain beliefs and attitudes are linked to sexual violence, existing research tools do not fully assess or account for beliefs and attitudes related to sexual violence occurring in drinking venues. In fact, many forms of sexual violence are so common in drinking venues that they are normalized and seen as socially acceptable among young men. Understanding men's b Research Society on Alcoholism /articles/prenatal-alcohol-exposure-and-postnatal-adversity-commonly-co-occur-but-evidence-based-supportive-interventions-are-critically-lacking/?sc=rsin /articles/prenatal-alcohol-exposure-and-postnatal-adversity-commonly-co-occur-but-evidence-based-supportive-interventions-are-critically-lacking/?sc=rsin Tue, 24 Dec 2024 10:00:00 EST People with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) are at raised risk of postnatal adversity (PA), according to an evaluation of current research. The review in Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research highlights substantial vulnerabilities for affected people and major gaps in mental health interventions and other supports. Research Society on Alcoholism /articles/perceived-social-acceptability-of-driving-while-under-the-influence-of-cannabis-and-alcohol-may-sway-young-adult-behavior/?sc=rsin /articles/perceived-social-acceptability-of-driving-while-under-the-influence-of-cannabis-and-alcohol-may-sway-young-adult-behavior/?sc=rsin Sun, 01 Dec 2024 10:00:00 EST Half of 18- to 25-year-olds believe that the average young adult drives or rides in a car at least once a month while the driver is under the influence of alcohol and cannabis. Research Society on Alcoholism /articles/common-diabetes-drug-shows-promise-for-reducing-harmful-alcohol-use/?sc=rsin /articles/common-diabetes-drug-shows-promise-for-reducing-harmful-alcohol-use/?sc=rsin Tue, 26 Nov 2024 10:00:00 EST An early-stage study has found that a drug commonly prescribed for diabetes may prove to help treat people with alcohol use disorder. The study, published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, found that the diabetes drug metformin reduced alcohol intake in mice. Research Society on Alcoholism /articles/large-study-of-diverse-us-veterans-adds-to-evidence-that-moderate-drinking-does-not-protect-against-heart-disease-or-diabetes/?sc=rsin /articles/large-study-of-diverse-us-veterans-adds-to-evidence-that-moderate-drinking-does-not-protect-against-heart-disease-or-diabetes/?sc=rsin Sun, 24 Nov 2024 10:00:00 EST Moderate alcohol use does not reduce cardiometabolic disease risk among veterans of European, African, or Hispanic ancestry, a new study suggests. The findings add to growing evidence that traditional research methods applied to drinking levels and certain disease outcomes have created illusory and misleading results. Heavy drinking is known to be linked to coronary heart disease (CHD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Traditional observational studies have, however, associated moderate drinking with the lowest risk and abstinence with a moderate risk (the U-curve or J-curve effect). In recent years, the U-curve has been increasingly attributed to confounding errors--when study results are distorted by other factors. In this case, the abstinence category is implicated since it establishes a false equivalence between study participants with widely differing risk factors (lifelong non-drinkers, those who stopped drinking for health or other alcohol-related problems, and those who falsely reporte Research Society on Alcoholism /articles/for-young-adults-who-use-both-alcohol-and-cannabis-alcohol-use-may-trigger-cannabis-cravings-among-men-but-not-women/?sc=rsin /articles/for-young-adults-who-use-both-alcohol-and-cannabis-alcohol-use-may-trigger-cannabis-cravings-among-men-but-not-women/?sc=rsin Sat, 23 Nov 2024 10:00:00 EST Among young adults who frequently use cannabis, drinking alcohol is linked to intensified cannabis cravings in men and reduced cannabis cravings in women, a novel study suggests. The findings potentially illuminate mechanisms driving the combined use of the two substances and could inform sex-specific approaches to preventing or addressing the resulting harms. Young adults commonly use alcohol and cannabis together (i.e., co-use), and people who use both substances experience more negative consequences--including worse outcomes for alcohol use disorder treatment--than those who use one or the other. Co-use may be partially driven "cross-substance-induced" craving, in which the repeated co-use of two substances prompts one to become a trigger for the other. Research on this effect involving alcohol and cannabis--previously limited to laboratory testing and remote monitoring--has hinted at sex differences in these effects. For the study in Alcohol: Clinical Experimental Research, investigato Research Society on Alcoholism /articles/people-exposed-to-alcohol-in-utero-have-increased-likelihood-of-physical-health-problems-in-midlife-implicating-a-complex-pattern-of-risk-factors/?sc=rsin /articles/people-exposed-to-alcohol-in-utero-have-increased-likelihood-of-physical-health-problems-in-midlife-implicating-a-complex-pattern-of-risk-factors/?sc=rsin Tue, 29 Oct 2024 10:00:00 EST People exposed to alcohol in utero report a greater range and frequency of physical health problems in midlife than those who were not exposed, according to a new study. Prenatal stressors and difficult early life experiences are known to increase the risk of the early onset of disease in adulthood. A theory on the developmental origins of health and disease implies that risky exposures occurring during pregnancy may increase the offspring's vulnerability to the effects of subsequent adverse influences. Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) may be one such exposure. Improved understanding of the long-term effects of PAE could lead to improved clinical care for affected people. Identifying areas of concern may also inform early interventions to reduce the long-term impact of PAE. In the study in Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research, investigators considered the possible implications of PAE for a wide range of health problems that typically occur as people grow older. Research Society on Alcoholism /articles/among-veterans-with-alcohol-use-disorder-improving-sleep-may-lead-to-more-positive-mood-and-less-frequent-heavy-drinking/?sc=rsin /articles/among-veterans-with-alcohol-use-disorder-improving-sleep-may-lead-to-more-positive-mood-and-less-frequent-heavy-drinking/?sc=rsin Mon, 28 Oct 2024 10:00:00 EST Negative emotions may help explain the link between insomnia and dangerous drinking, according to a small study involving veterans with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). The findings provide new insight into why insomnia might be linked AUD. Insomnia symptoms are highly prevalent in people with substance use disorders (SUDs). Among veterans with AUD, for example, almost 2 in 3 experience insomnia. Research Society on Alcoholism /articles/think-you-ve-outgrown-your-high-school-years-when-it-comes-to-drinking-a-new-study-suggests-maybe-not/?sc=rsin /articles/think-you-ve-outgrown-your-high-school-years-when-it-comes-to-drinking-a-new-study-suggests-maybe-not/?sc=rsin Sun, 27 Oct 2024 10:00:00 EST Adults aged 35 to 60 are drinking at unprecedented rates, with those who binge drank in high school reporting more past 30-day high-risk drinking in midlife. And this link may be especially strong for women, according to a study just published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research Health. These trends are particularly concerning as health conditions, and biological processes common with aging put adults in midlife at greater health risk from alcohol use. Research Society on Alcoholism /articles/young-adults-provide-insight-on-technology-to-reduce-negative-consequences-of-alcohol-use/?sc=rsin /articles/young-adults-provide-insight-on-technology-to-reduce-negative-consequences-of-alcohol-use/?sc=rsin Fri, 25 Oct 2024 10:00:00 EST Young adults think electronic interventions might help to reduce the negative consequences of alcohol use if tailored to their personal needs and goals. In a qualitative study, young adults reported that such real-time interventions should be customizable, easy to use, and provide digestible amounts of non-judgmental information. Research Society on Alcoholism /articles/food-images-trigger-abnormally-low-reward-responses-in-brains-of-people-with-alcohol-use-disorder-novel-mri-study-suggests/?sc=rsin /articles/food-images-trigger-abnormally-low-reward-responses-in-brains-of-people-with-alcohol-use-disorder-novel-mri-study-suggests/?sc=rsin Mon, 23 Sep 2024 10:00:00 EST People with alcohol use disorder (AUD) may not respond typically to images of food (i.e., cues), according to a novel study using brain imaging. Research Society on Alcoholism /articles/mobile-based-tool-to-address-heavy-drinking-in-young-adults-passes-pilot-phase/?sc=rsin /articles/mobile-based-tool-to-address-heavy-drinking-in-young-adults-passes-pilot-phase/?sc=rsin Sun, 22 Sep 2024 10:00:00 EST Young adults who drink heavily reported that a specific intervention that provides personalized feedback on daily drinking would be beneficial for people who want to reduce their drinking and would encourage self-reflection among those who are not yet ready to change their drinking habits. The young adults were participants in a pilot study of a first-of-its-kind technology aimed at reducing heavy drinking in young adults through self-selected goal setting and daily personalized feedback based on self-reported behaviors related to drinking. The study is described in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research. Research Society on Alcoholism /articles/patients-with-alcohol-use-disorder-at-risk-of-liver-disease-may-be-less-commonly-referred-for-liver-treatment-if-they-are-primarily-seen-for-mental-health-disorders/?sc=rsin /articles/patients-with-alcohol-use-disorder-at-risk-of-liver-disease-may-be-less-commonly-referred-for-liver-treatment-if-they-are-primarily-seen-for-mental-health-disorders/?sc=rsin Sat, 21 Sep 2024 10:00:00 EST People with alcohol use disorder (AUD) who are at risk of advanced liver disease are less likely to be referred for liver evaluation and care if they present primarily with alcohol-related mental health issues or a mental health diagnosis, according to a study of referral practices in Virginia's largest health system. The findings point to the possibility of widespread missed opportunities for treating three conditions that commonly co-occur: AUD, mental health disorders, and liver disease. Recent years have seen notable increases in the USA in alcohol-related deaths, mental health disorders, and hospital admissions relating to alcohol use and concurrent mental health conditions. AUD is a significant cause of liver disease, and both addiction and co-occurring mental illness can be barriers to successful liver treatment. Integrating AUD treatment, mental health care, and hepatology (liver care) is necessary to improve outcomes, but data suggests this approach is not the norm. For the st Research Society on Alcoholism /articles/alcohol-use-may-co-occur-with-victimization-in-young-adult-relationships/?sc=rsin /articles/alcohol-use-may-co-occur-with-victimization-in-young-adult-relationships/?sc=rsin Thu, 19 Sep 2024 10:00:00 EST Drinking alcohol may predict experiencing physical, psychological, or sexual victimization during or shortly after alcohol use, according to a study published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research. Research Society on Alcoholism