Alcohol Research : Current Reviews

List of Papers (Total 212)

Alcohol's Burden on Immunity Following Burn, Hemorrhagic Shock, or Traumatic Brain Injury.

Alcohol consumption contributes to increased incidence and severity of traumatic injury. Compared with patients who do not consume alcohol, alcohol-consuming patients have higher rates of long-term morbidity and mortality during recovery from injury. ...

Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and the Developing Immune System.

Evidence from research in humans and animals suggest that ingesting alcohol during pregnancy can disrupt the fetal immune system and result in an increased risk of infections and disease in newborns that may persist throughout life. Alcohol may have indirect ...

Alcohol and HIV Effects on the Immune System.

HIV disease and alcohol independently influence the human immune system, so it stands to reason that, together, their influence may be additive. Here, we review the evidence that alcohol can exacerbate HIV’s influence on the immune system, thereby ...

Alcohol and Viral Hepatitis: Role of Lipid Rafts.

Both alcohol abuse and infection with hepatitis viruses can lead to liver disease, including chronic hepatitis. Alcohol and hepatitis viruses have synergistic effects in the development of liver disease. Some of these involve the cellular membranes and ...

Effects of Alcohol on Tumor Growth, Metastasis, Immune Response, and Host Survival.

Most research involving alcohol and cancer concerns the relationship between alcohol consumption and cancer risk and the mechanisms of carcinogenesis. This review relates the amount and duration of alcohol intake in humans and in animal models of cancer ...

Neuroimmune Function and the Consequences of Alcohol Exposure.

Induction of neuroimmune genes by binge drinking increases neuronal excitability and oxidative stress, contributing to the neurobiology of alcohol dependence and causing neurodegeneration. Ethanol exposure activates signaling pathways featuring high-mobility ...

Alcohol's Effect on Host Defense.

Alcohol affects many organs, including the immune system, with even moderate amounts of alcohol influencing immune responses. Although alcohol can alter the actions of all cell populations involved in the innate and adaptive immune responses, the effect ...

Macrophages and Alcohol-Related Liver Inflammation.

Recent studies have suggested that macrophages have a critical role in the development of alcohol-induced inflammation in the liver. To define the precise pathogenic function of these cells during alcoholic liver disease (ALD), it is extremely important ...

Alcohol Consumption in Demographic Subpopulations: An Epidemiologic Overview.

Alcohol consumption is common across subpopulations in the United States. However, the health burden associated with alcohol consumption varies across groups, including those defined by demographic characteristics such as age, race/ethnicity, and gender. ...

Recent Developments in Alcohol Services Research on Access to Care.

In the United States, only about 10 percent of people with an alcohol or drug use disorder receive care for the condition, pointing to a large treatment gap. Several personal characteristics influence whether a person will receive treatment; additionally, ...

Social and Cultural Contexts of Alcohol Use: Influences in a Social-Ecological Framework.

Alcohol use and misuse account for 3.3 million deaths every year, or 6 percent of all deaths worldwide. The harmful effects of alcohol misuse are far reaching and range from individual health risks, morbidity, and mortality to consequences for family, ...

Advances in Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Interventions Among Racial, Ethnic, and Sexual Minority Populations.

Substance abuse research among racial, ethnic, and sexual minority populations historically has lagged behind that conducted with majority samples. However, interesting and potentially important advances in prevention, brief interventions, and treatment ...

Low to Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes: A Narrative Review and Methodological Considerations.

Although abstinence is recommended in pregnancy, many pregnancies are exposed to alcohol. Observational studies of the effects of low to moderate prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and neurodevelopmental outcomes have yielded inconsistent results, with some ...

Alcohol Use Patterns Among Urban and Rural Residents: Demographic and Social Influences.

Rates of alcohol use and alcohol use disorder (AUD) vary with geographic location. Research on risks for AUD associated with living in a rural versus urban setting is complicated by the varied systems used to classify geographic location. Studies comparing ...

Associations Between Socioeconomic Factors and Alcohol Outcomes.

Socioeconomic status (SES) is one of the many factors influencing a person’s alcohol use and related outcomes. Findings have indicated that people with higher SES may consume similar or greater amounts of alcohol compared with people with lower ...

Drinking Over the Lifespan: Focus on Early Adolescents and Youth.

Historical trends in alcohol use among U.S. adolescents, as well as data regarding alcohol-related traffic fatalities among youth, indicate decreases in alcohol use. Nevertheless, alcohol use patterns still indicate high rates of binge drinking and drunkenness ...

Drinking Over the Lifespan: Focus on College Ages.

Many college students drink heavily and experience myriad associated negative consequences. This review suggests that a developmental perspective can facilitate a better understanding of college drinking. Specifically, using an emerging adulthood framework ...

Drinking Over the Lifespan: Focus on Older Adults.

A substantial and growing number of older adults misuse alcohol. The emerging literature on the “Baby Boom” cohort, which is now reaching older adulthood, indicates that they are continuing to use alcohol at a higher rate than previous ...

The Influence of Gender and Sexual Orientation on Alcohol Use and Alcohol-Related Problems: Toward a Global Perspective.

Although there are wide differences in alcohol use patterns among countries, men are consistently more likely than women to be drinkers and to drink heavily. Studies of alcohol use among sexual minorities (SMs), however, reflect a more complex picture. ...

Nature and Treatment of Comorbid Alcohol Problems and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Among American Military Personnel and Veterans.

Many service members and veterans seeking treatment for alcohol problems also have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This article considers the effectiveness of treating alcohol problems and PTSD simultaneously. The authors begin by summarizing the ...

Biology, Genetics, and Environment: Underlying Factors Influencing Alcohol Metabolism.

Gene variants encoding several of the alcohol-metabolizing enzymes, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), are among the largest genetic associations with risk for alcohol dependence. Certain genetic variants (i.e., alleles)—particularly ...