alcohol intake

There is a link between alcohol consumption and increased risk of perennial allergic rhinitis, according to a recent Danish study of 5,870 young adult women.

The study found that the risk increased 3 percent for every additional alcoholic drink per week. In contrast, the authors did not observe any increase in risk of seasonal allergic rhinitis according to alcohol intake.

(Society for Neuroscience) A study released today reveals a cellular mechanism involved in alcohol dependence.

The study, in the May 28 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, shows that gabapentin, a drug used to treat chronic pain and epilepsy, reduces alcohol intake in alcohol-dependent rats by normalizing chemical communication between neurons, which is altered by chronic alcohol abuse.

Increasing the brain level of receptors for dopamine, a pleasure-related chemical, can reduce use of cocaine by 75 percent in rats trained to self-administer it.

Earlier research had similar findings for alcohol intake. Treatments that increase levels of these chemicals -- dopamine D2 receptors -- may prove useful in treating addiction.

Researchers at the US Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have shown that increasing the brain level of receptors for dopamine, a pleasure-related chemical, can reduce use of cocaine by 75 percent in rats trained to self-administer it.

Earlier research by this team had similar findings for alcohol intake. Treatments that increase levels of these chemicals -- dopamine D2 receptors -- may prove useful in treating addiction.

Quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption -- and not simply average alcohol consumption over time -- independently influence mortality risk.

Previous studies linking moderate drinking with reduced risk for death have typically measured individuals' average alcohol intake.

Consumption averaging obscures potential differences between people who sometimes drink heavily and those who consistently drink small amounts of alcohol.

The findings reinforce the importance of moderate drinking and of looking at drinking patterns when investigating alcohol-related health outcomes.

The relationship between heavy drinking and hypertension is more significant than previously thought according to a new analysis of recent studies.

Individuals who drink on a regular basis have a systolic blood pressure around 7 mmHg higher than that of people who do not drink.