Alcohol Drinking Research Articles

Salivary Profile Analysis Based on Oral Cancer Risk Habits: An Observational Cross-Sectional Study.

In Indonesia, cultural practices such as betel quid chewing, smoking, and alcohol consumption are prevalent. These practices are known risk factors for oral cancer and may influence the salivary profile, which is essential for maintaining oral health. To compare the salivary profiles of individuals with and without risk factors for oral cancer. The study included 49 individuals identified as having risk factors for oral cancer. Unstimulated saliva samples were collected. Various parameters were measured, including salivary pH, flow rate (FR), thickness, color, turbidity, and the levels of IL-1β and IL-8. Data were analyzed using Chi-square and t-tests. A significant difference was found in salivary IL-1β levels between the two groups (p = 0.009), with higher levels observed in individuals with oral cancer risk factors. Notably, the salivary IL-1β concentrations showed significant differences between the smoking group (p = 0.021; OR = 2.94) and the alcohol-drinking group (p = 0.007; OR = 4.96) compared to the control group. However, no significant differences were observed between the groups in terms of salivary viscosity, color, turbidity, flow rate, acidity, or IL-8 levels (p > 0.05). Individuals with risk factors for oral cancer exhibit distinct salivary IL-1β profiles compared to those without such risk factors, particularly those who practice alcohol drinking.

Phase angle is a predictor of overall 5-year survival after head and neck cancer surgery

ObjectiveTo evaluate the ability of the variables Muscle Mass percentage (%MM), Body Fat percentage (%BF), Phase Angle (PhA), and Standardized Phase Angle (SPhA) to predict overall survival rates in individuals with surgically treated HNC. MethodsA prospective cohort study of surgically treated HNC patients was carried out between 2017 and 2022 at a cancer referral center in Feira de Santana, Bahia. All subjects were seen by an experienced dietitian the week before surgery. During this visit, patients had their sociodemographic and clinical data collected, as well as anthropometric measurements (weight and height) and BIA variables. In this study, postoperative overall 5-year survival was defined as the time in months between the date of surgery and the date of death, regardless of the cause of death. Patients were followed up after surgery until death. ResultsSeventy-eight older adult patients were consecutively included. Patients had a median age of 65.5-years, were mostly men (83.3%), and most had low education levels (62.3%) and low household income, ranging from zero (19.2%) to the minimum wage (60.2%). They were mostly alcohol drinkers (91%) and tobacco smokers (87.2%). Glottic cancer was diagnosed in 48.7% of patients, with 44.8% of cases with stage-IV disease. Forty (51.2%) deaths were recorded in the follow-up period, with a median survival time of 39 months. Variables %MM, %BF, and SPhA were not significantly different between groups (alive vs. dead patients). PhA was considered an independent predictor of overall survival, with an accuracy of 69% (95% CI 0.57‒0.80). When comparing survival curves, patients with a preoperative PhA < 6.8° were more than twice as likely to die during follow-up (HR = 2.38; p = 0.02; 95% CI 1.14‒4.97). ConclusionOut of the assessed BIA variables, preoperative PhA was considered a good predictor of overall survival after HNC surgery. Level of evidence3.

Potential impact of alcohol calorie labelling on the attitudes and drinking behaviour of hazardous and low-risk drinkers in England: a national survey

ObjectivesWe investigated the hypothetical impact of mandatory alcohol calorie labelling, comparing non-drinkers, low-risk and hazardous drinkers in terms of attitudes, knowledge about calorie content and hypothetical behaviour changes should labelling...

Political economy analysis of health taxes (tobacco, alcohol drink and sugar-sweetened beverage): qualitative study of three provinces in Indonesia

ObjectiveEfforts to implement health tax policies to control the consumption of harmful commodities and enhance public health outcomes have garnered substantial recognition globally. However, their successful adoption remains a complex...

Lifestyle, air pollution, and risk of multimorbidity in a prospective analysis of the UK Biobank cohort

BackgroundAlthough associations between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and lifestyle factors or air pollution factors (referred as LAFs below) are well-established, it is unclear the influences of LAFs on the trajectory of IHD and COPD multimorbidity (referred as ICM below). Therefore, this study investigated the influences of LAFs on the trajectory of ICM from healthy to IHD or COPD, to ICM, and to all-cause death. MethodsA cohort of 339,213 participants from the UK Biobank aged 37–73 who were free of IHD and COPD were included. A multi-state model was used to analyse the influences of high-risk factors including current smoking or quitting due to illness or physician's advice, current excessive alcohol drinking, physical inactivity, unhealthy body shape, and excessive air pollution with particulates matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) on ICM trajectory. ResultsDuring a median follow-up of 13.74 years, 46,398 participants developed IHD or COPD (referred as IOC below), 3949 developed ICM, and 35,691 died from any cause. All five high-risk factors played crucial but different roles in these transitions. The hazard ratios (95 % confidence intervals) per one-factor increase were 1.29 (1.27–1.3), 1.38 (1.33–1.44), and 1.69 (1.56–1.84) for transitions from baseline to IOC, from IOC to ICM, and from baseline to ICM and 1.19 (1.17–1.21), 1.18 (1.15–1.21), and 1.12 (1.05–1.19) for mortality risk from baseline to all-cause death, from IOC to all-cause death, and from ICM to all-cause death, respectively. ConclusionsOur study revealed that LAFs have a stronger impact on morbidity outcomes than on morbidity outcomes. These findings provide evidence to develop strategies for managing the trajectory of ICM.

Negative affect variability as a potential mechanism of behavior change in alcohol use disorder treatment.

Negative affect and affect variability figure prominently in models of addictive behaviors but are not without controversy. Negative affect variability may better capture a mechanism of behavior change in alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment because it contains information about affect regulation, a common clinical target. The aims of this study are to examine the change in: (a) trajectory of negative affect variability, (b) association of negative affect variability and abstinence, and (c) association of negative affect variability and heavy drinking during AUD treatment. This article is a secondary analysis of data drawn from a randomized clinical trial. N = 181 participants diagnosed with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition AUD (Mage = 50.8, SDage = 10.6; 51.4% female) received 12 sessions of Cognitive Behavioral Coping Skills Therapy for AUD. Participants completed one daily diary prompt per day for 84 consecutive days. Each day, participants reported on negative affect and number of alcoholic drinks consumed the previous day. Time-varying effect models examined changes in negative affect variability and its associations with abstinence and heavy drinking. Negative affect variability decreased throughout treatment. The positive association between negative affect variability and heavy drinking became nonsignificant (decoupled) midway through treatment. The inverse association between negative affect variability and daily abstinence became nonsignificant (decoupled) at approximately day 75 of 84. When mean levels of NA were added as a covariate, the effects were in the same direction but no longer statistically significant. Reductions in negative affect variability may capture an important change mechanism of behavioral treatments for AUD because it contains information about affect regulation as compared with mean levels of negative affect. Negative affect variability warrants further consideration as a mechanism of behavior change. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Criminal Fine In The Crime Of Alcoholic Drinks Smuggling

The aim of this research is to determine the criminal sanctions imposed by fines on perpetrators of the crime of smuggling alcoholic beverages. The method used in this research is a normative legal research method using a statute problem approach. The results of this research are that the forms of sanctions given to perpetrators of the crime of smuggling alcoholic beverages are categorized based on the smuggling carried out in the import and/or export sector. Smuggling carried out in the import sector is subject to sanctions with a minimum imprisonment of 1 (one) year and a maximum imprisonment of 10 (ten) years and a fine of at least IDR 50,000,000.00 (fifty million rupiah) and a maximum of IDR 5,000. 000,000.00 (five billion rupiah), and smuggling in the export sector with a minimum prison sentence of 1 (one) year and a maximum prison sentence of 10 (ten) years and a fine of at least Rp. 50,000,000.00 (fifty million rupiah ) and a maximum of IDR 5,000,000,000.00 (five billion rupiah).

Characteristics of blunt and penetrating trauma among victims of physical violence: A retrospective study

BackgroundA significant number of referrals to the emergency departments is due to violence and conflict leading to serious injuries and death. The increasing number of such cases highlights the urgent need for investigating victimization of physical violence.AimThe purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of demographic and clinical characteristics in victims of violence and classify them based on penetrating or blunt trauma.MethodsThe data of the patients who had been the victims of violence in 2020 were extracted from the Trauma Registry System(TRS) of the Guilan Road Trauma Research Center(GTRC). All analyses were performed using SPSS software version 24. The significance level was considered less than 0.05.ResultsThere was a significant difference in the type of violence-related trauma in different age groups (P < 0.001), based on sex (P = 0.002), and marital status (P = 0.012). A significant difference also existed between the trauma type and clinical variables including smoking (P = 0.032), history of alcohol drinking (P = 0.005), and other substance use (P = 0.002), the anatomical location of injury (P < 0.001) and therapeutic interventions (p < 0.001(.ConclusionMost of the clients of the violence suffered from blunt trauma, the severity of which was mild, and they were treated supportively without the need for surgery. Blunt trauma was seen more in women, divorcees, over 40 years and non-smokers. Penetrating trauma was observed more in lower limb injuries and alcohol and amphetamine users. Prevention programs and educational interventions should be programmed for the society long before men alcohol and amphetamine abusers reach their fourth decade of life. Accurately recording the type of physical violence, and the weapon used, and determining the injury severity score in TRS can lead to more reliable results in researching the field of violence issues.

How do maternal socioeconomic and behavioral patterns affect oral health in early childhood?

A prospective longitudinal observational cohort study. The data analyzed were derived from a comprehensive observational study on BRISA prenatal cohort conducted in São Luís City, Brazil, between 2010 and 2013. A convenience sample included pregnant women recruited from both public and private prenatal health services in the city. To participate in the study, women needed to have undergone an obstetric ultrasound before the 20th week of pregnancy to estimate gestational age. Multiple pregnancies were excluded. Initially, the pregnant women were interviewed and assessed for oral health indicators between the 22nd and 25th weeks of pregnancy. A follow-up interview was conducted within 48 h after delivery. In the child's second year, the mothers were re-interviewed, and the children were examined for the second follow-up. The study received approval from the local ethics committee, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. The research followed the STROBE guidelines for reporting observational studies. At baseline, a structured questionnaire was used to gather sociodemographic and lifestyle information like maternal age, family income, education level, occupation of the family head, pre-gestational BMI, alcohol and soft drink consumption, and smoking status during pregnancy. Dental examinations were conducted by 6 trained and calibrated dentists who assessed DMFT index and periodontal health indicators. In the second follow-up, children's oral health was evaluated using visible plaque index (VPI), gingival bleeding, and the modified dmft index. Children's weight and height were measured by a digital scale, and BMI z-scores were calculated based on WHO standards. Sugar-sweetened beverage intake was categorized by terciles based on the percentage of total daily energy from these beverages. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze multiple pathways among a set of latent and observed variables. Three latent variables were proposed and measured: Socioeconomic Status and Periodontal Maternal Status in the mothers, and Chronic Oral Disease Burden (CODB) in the children. CODB was inferred from 3 observed indicators: VPI, gingival bleeding, and tooth decay. Total, direct, and indirect effects were calculated for variables from the gestational period and the child's second year of life. In total, 1141 mother-child dyads were included. Periodontal Maternal Status correlated with more decayed teeth in pregnant women (standardized coefficient (SC) = 0.089; p = 0.008). Addictive risk behaviors were highly correlated, with SCs of 0.679 (p < 0.001) for alcohol and smoking, and 0.262 (p < 0.001) for soft drink and alcohol consumption. Obesity (SC = 0.081; p = 0.048) and added sugar consumption (SC = 0.142; p = 0.040) were interconnected across generations from pregnant women to their offspring. Children's consumption of sugar was strongly associated with CODB (SC = 0.357; p = 0.005). Caries and periodontitis were correlated in pregnant women. Obesity and sugar consumption have intergenerational impacts. Early sugar intake relates to CODB in early childhood. Intergenerational behavioral risks affect oral health in the first 1000 days of life, influencing long-term health outcomes.

Serum bile acids profiles are altered without change of the gut microbiota composition following a seven-day prednisolone therapy in severe alcoholic hepatitis

ABSTRACT Severe Alcoholic Hepatitis (sAH) is an acute form of liver injury caused by chronic and heavy alcohol drinking. A one-month corticosteroids course is the only sAH reference treatment, and its interactions with the Gut Microbiota (GM), which is a key contributor to liver injury, remain unknown. To evaluate the evolution of the GM in sAH patients, we retrospectively investigated the composition of the GM of 27 sAH patients at the Amiens University Hospital before (D0) and after (D7) a 7-day corticotherapy course using fecal metagenomics sequencing. We also quantified fecal Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA) and fecal and serum Bile Acids (BA), as well as serum Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein (LBP). Overall, the community and taxonomical analyses did not reveal any GM evolution between D0 and D7, nor did the SCFA profiles analysis. However, in serum but not fecal samples, the ratio of glyco-conjugated to tauro-conjugated BA was significantly reduced at D7, independently of the response to treatment, while two BA were enriched in non-responder patients. LBP concentration significantly diminished between D0 and D7, which may indicate an improvement of the gut barrier. The stability of the GM of sAH is interesting in the perspective of new treatments based on GM modulation.

Are social supports always protective? A seven-city study on heavy drinking among sexual and gender minority young adults experiencing homelessness

PurposeSexual and gender minority (SGM) young adults are disproportionately impacted by homelessness and heavy drinking (i.e., having five or more drinks of alcohol in a row within a couple of hours). Social support, in general, is protective in reducing individuals’ risk of heavy drinking. However, whether and how support from different sources may have different implications on heavy drinking among SGM young adults experiencing homelessness (SGM-YAEH) remains unclear. Informed by the risk amplification and abatement model (RAAM), this study examined the associations between support sources and heavy drinking among SGM-YAEH. MethodsA purposive sample of SGM-YAEH (N=425) recruited in homeless service agencies from seven major cities in the U.S. completed a self-administered computer-assisted anonymous survey. This survey covered heavy drinking behaviors and social network properties. Logistic regression models were conducted to identify social support sources associated with SGM-YAEH’s heavy drinking. ResultsOver 40 % of SGM-YAEH were involved in heavy drinking in the past 30 days. Receiving support from street-based peers (OR=1.9; 95 % CI=1.1, 3.2) and home-based peers (OR=1.7; 95 % CI=1.0, 2.8) were each positively associated with SGMYAEH heavy drinking risks. ConclusionThis study was not able to identify the protective role social supports may play in reducing SGM-YAEH’s heavy drinking. Furthermore, receiving support from network members was correlated with elevated heavy drinking risks among this population. As heavy drinking prevention programs develop interventions: they should use affirming and trauma approaches to promote protective social ties, as research points to its association in reducing alcohol use disparities among SGM-YAEH.

Consumption of alcohol-free and alcoholic beverages among Dutch university students: Substitution or addition?

Alcohol-free drinks are suggested as healthy alternatives for alcohol consumption. To achieve benefits, alcohol-free beverages must be consumed as a substitute for alcoholic beverages, not in addition. This study examined in a student sample (i) the frequency/quantity of alcohol(-free) consumption; (ii) the relationship between alcohol-free and alcohol consumption; (iii) alcohol-free drinks as substitution or in addition to alcoholic drinks; and (iv) possible gender differences. Survey data regarding alcohol(-free) consumption (May-June 2022) of Dutch university students (N = 4.318, females 70.2%; males 28.5%, average age 22.6 years [SD = 2.4]). (i) A total of 42.8% of the students indicated they had never consumed alcohol-free versus 10.1% who never consumed alcoholic beverages; (ii) the group who recently consumed alcohol-free also most often recently consumed alcoholic beverages (42.7%). The group that had never consumed alcohol-free drank on average more alcoholic beverages (M = 3.98 on a drinking day) compared to past and recent alcohol-free drinkers (respectively, M = 3.44 and M = 3.59). (iii) Most students (54.9%) reported drinking alcohol-free beverages in addition to alcohol, 17.4% indicated using it as a substitution. Students who consumed alcohol-free as 'substitution' were older, more often living alone or with a partner, less often living with parents and more often involved in a steady relationship compared to students who consumed in 'addition'. (iv) No prominent gender differences were found. The majority of students remained consuming the same number of alcoholic beverages since they started consuming alcohol-free beverages, pointing to an addition effect. A small group did use alcohol-free beverages as a substitute for their alcohol consumption.

May Measurement Month 2021: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from a suburban community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Hypertension remains the most powerful contributor to the global morbidity and mortality. May Measurement Month (MMM), a worldwide screening campaign initiated by the International Society of Hypertension (ISH), is organized annually to increase awareness of high blood pressure (BP). We screened 20 913 adult (≥18 years) residents of suburb hamlets of Mbujimayi (mean age 35.1 ± 15.1 years; Black ethnicity: 98.8%; women: 29.6%; diabetes: 1.6%; alcohol drinkers: 16.8% and smokers: 6.7%, previous myocardial infarction: 1.4%; stroke: 0.8%; taking aspirin: 3.2%; taking statins: 1.9%). Three sitting BP readings were taken, and hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg or being on antihypertensive medication. Half of the participants had never had their BP checked, whilst 4.2% of respondents had participated in the MMM19 campaign. 0.9% and 1.7% reported COVID-19 vaccination and positive test, respectively. After multiple imputation of missing BP readings, 14.0% of respondents had hypertension of which 35.8% were aware, 28.0% were on antihypertensive medication and 14.1% had controlled BP. Of those on antihypertensive medication, 40.4% were on monotherapy, 37.2% adhered to taking their medication regularly, and 50.4% had controlled BP (<140/90 mmHg). In regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, and antihypertensive treatment, smoking was associated with lower systolic BP, having more years of education was associated with higher systolic and diastolic BP, and physical activity was associated with lower systolic and diastolic BP. This campaign contributes somewhat to reducing the 'black hole' on the prevalence of hypertension in DRC pending systematic countrywide BP screening.

Alcohol use and its associated factors among Ethiopian military personnel

BackgroundStudies indicate that alcohol use is more prevalent in the military and that such use is related to coping mechanisms for stress. Alcohol use could result in health and social...

Prevalence and determinants of sleep problems in cancer survivors compared to a normative population: a PROFILES registry study.

To (1) identify the prevalence of sleep problems in cancer survivors across cancer types and survivorship durations compared to a normative population and (2) determine demographic, clinical, lifestyle, and psychosocial determinants. Cancer survivors diagnosed between 2008 and 2015 (N = 6736) and an age- and sex-matched normative cohort (n = 415) completed the single sleep item of the EORTC QLQ-C30: Have you had trouble sleeping? Participants who responded with "quite a bit"/ "very much" were categorized as poor sleepers. A hierarchical multinomial logistic regression was used to identify determinants of sleep problems. The prevalence of sleep problems was higher in cancer survivors (17%) compared to the normative population (11%) (p < 0.001), varied across cancer types (10-26%) and did not vary based on survivorship duration. The full model showed that survivors who were female (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.26), overweight (AOR 1.50), had one (AOR 1.25) and ≥ 2 comorbidities (AOR 2.15), were former (AOR 1.30) and current (AOR 1.53) smokers and former alcohol drinkers (AOR 1.73), had a higher level of fatigue (AOR 1.05), anxiety (AOR 1.14), depression (AOR 1.11), and cognitive illness perceptions (AOR 1.02), had a higher odds for sleep problems. Higher education compared to lower education (AOR 0.67), having a partner (AOR 0.69), and obesity compared to normal BMI (AOR 0.86) were protective to sleep problems as well as high physical activity before adjusting for psychological factors (AOR 0.91). Modifiable determinants of sleep problems include physical activity, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and illness perception. Sleep problems after cancer deserve clinical attention. They may be improved by addressing modifiable lifestyle factors: increasing physical activity, stop smoking, and reducing alcohol consumption. As fatigue, depression, and illness perception seem related to sleep problems, lifestyle improvements may also improve these outcomes.

Sex differences in circulating metabolites across glycemic status and risk of coronary heart disease.

Women with type 2 diabetes (T2D) have a 50% excess risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) than men with T2D. We compared circulating metabolites and their associations with CHD in men and women across glycemic status. We used metabolomic data (lipoproteins, fatty acids, amino acids, glycolysis, ketones, inflammation, and fluid balance) for 87,326 CHD-free UK Biobank participants. We used linear regressions to examine the association of sex and metabolites (log) in newly diagnosed T2D (diagnosis<2 yrs from baseline), prediabetes (A1c 5.7-6.5%), and euglycemia, accounting for age, race, Deprivation Index, income, smoking, alcohol drinking, obesity, physical activity, medications for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. We used Cox models to evaluate the association of metabolites and CHD risk by sex, adjusting the same covariates and menopausal status (women). All analyses were FDR-adjusted. We included 1250 individuals with new T2D, 12,706 with prediabetes, and 83,315 with euglycemia. In adjusted linear regressions, women showed a progressive increase in atherogenic lipid and lipoprotein markers and inflammatory marker, glycoprotein acetyls, compared to men as their glycemic status advanced. However, women had lower levels of albumin during this transition. Menopausal status did not alter these sex differences. In a 10-year follow-up, an SD higher total TG, TG in VLDL, LDL, and HDL, saturated fatty acids (SFA) were positively associated with a higher risk of CHD in women with T2D but not in men (p-interactions 0.03-0.15). With advancing glycemic status, women exhibited higher levels of atherogenic lipids and lipoproteins, as well as inflammatory markers, but lower circulating albumin. Women with T2D appear to be at a higher risk of CHD associated with TG, VLDL-TG, LDL-TG, and HDL-TG, and SFA than men with T2D.

Prevalence and associated factors of hypertension among people living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy in Benin’s National Teaching Hospital

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has extended the lifespan of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV), exposing them to a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Hypertension (HTN), the primary contributor to CVD burden, is increasingly concerning for PLHIV. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of hypertension in PLHIV on ART at the National Teaching Hospital Hubert Koutoukou Maga (HKM) of Benin using a prospective cross-sectional study conducted between October and December 2021. Patients who had a systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg or/and diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg or/and current use of antihypertensive medication from medical records were considered to have HTN. A total of 352 patients, including 260 women with a sex ratio of 0.3 were included. The mean age was 42.9 ± 11.9 years. Most patients were educated and did not use tobacco. 42.0% were current alcohol drinkers. The duration of ART treatment ranged from 0 to 22 years, with a median duration of 5.0 years. 14.2% were hypertensives with 3.1% newly diagnosed and 11.1% known with hypertension. Age above 40 years, living with a partner, alcohol consumption and body mass index greater than 25 were significantly associated with HTN. HTN in PLHIV is associated with numerous factors. Reducing the burden of the disease in target people in Benin requires a wide range of actions that need to be implemented.

Sex Differences in Mouse Models of Voluntary Alcohol Drinking and Abstinence-Induced Negative Emotion

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a growing problem worldwide, causing an incredible burden on health and the economy. Though AUD impacts people of all backgrounds and demographics, increasing evidence has suggested robust sex differences in alcohol drinking patterns and AUD-induced negative emotionality or hyperkatifeia. Rates of problematic drinking have significantly risen among women, and women face more severe negative emotional consequences in abstinence such as increased risk of comorbidity with an anxiety or mood disorder and more severe symptoms of depression. As such, a bevy of preclinical literature using contingent methods of alcohol (ethanol) consumption has amassed in recent years to better understand sex as a biological variable in alcohol drinking and abstinence-induced negative emotionality. Mice are widely used to model alcohol drinking, as they are conducive to genetic manipulation strategies, and many strains will voluntarily consume alcohol. Sex-specific results from these mouse studies, however, have been inconsistent. Therefore, this review aims to summarize the current knowledge on sex differences in AUD-related contingent ethanol drinking and abstinence-induced negative emotionality in mice. Various contingent mouse drinking models and negative emotional-based behavioral paradigms are introduced and subsequently discussed in the context of sex differences to show increasing indications of sex specificity in mouse preclinical studies of AUD. With this review, we hope to inform future research on potential sex differences in preclinical mouse models of AUD and provide mounting evidence supporting the need for more widespread inclusion of preclinical female subjects in future studies.

Sex differences in binge drinking-related higher morning cortisol levels and in prospective association with future alcohol intake.

Peripheral cortisol represents one biological measure of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a significant component of the stress system, which is altered by chronic alcohol consumption. However, whether heavy alcohol use affects the HPA axis differentially between the sexes and whether basal cortisol levels are a biomarker of prospective alcohol intake is unknown. We recruited light moderate (LM) and binge-heavy (BH) drinkers of alcohol (n = 118). Repeated fasting morning cortisol levels were studied over a 2-hour period to assess basal levels while participants underwent a neuroimaging scan. Significantly higher average cortisol levels in BH compared to LM groups across four timepoints were observed (P < .018). Overall sex differences were observed with women showing higher initial cortisol levels at the first timepoint with a blunted decrease over the morning relative to men (P<.003). Average morning cortisol differentially predicted prospective future 30-day daily reports of alcohol consumption by sex and group, such that LM males had a positive significant relationship and BH males had a negative non-significant relationship between cortisol and drinking. Findings indicate that morning plasma cortisol is upregulated in the BH vs. LM group. Although females had higher initial morning cortisol levels, BH males showed a dysregulated negative relationship between stress and binge drinking in contrast to the LM group. Future work should further investigate the role of cortisol and other stress hormones as biomarkers of problematic drinking behaviors in men and women.

Childhood sleep is prospectively associated with adolescent alcohol and marijuana use

IntroductionPrior studies have examined the cross-sectional relationship between adolescent sleep and substance use; however, fewer have explored the long-term connections between childhood sleep and adolescent substance use. MethodsThis study investigated both cross-sectional associations during adolescence and prospective associations between childhood weeknight sleep and later alcohol and marijuana use in the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a diverse national birth cohort of urban children from 20 cities with populations greater than 200,000. Parents reported their child’s bedtime at ages 3, 5, and 9 and their child’s sleep duration at ages 5 and 9. ResultsAt age 15, adolescents self-reported their bedtime, sleep duration, and alcohol and marijuana use (n = 1514). Logistic regression analyses for each substance use outcome at age 15 were adjusted for sex, age at time of assessment, race/ethnicity, income-relative-to-poverty threshold, family structure, and caregiver education level. At age 15, later bedtime (AOR=1.39; 95 % CI=1.22, 1.57) and shorter sleep duration (AOR=1.28; 95 % CI=1.14, 1.43) were associated with greater odds of consuming a full drink of alcohol more than once, and later bedtime was associated with greater odds of trying marijuana (AOR=1.35; 95 % CI=1.20, 1.51). Unexpectedly, later bedtimes at age 3 were associated with lower odds of drinking alcohol by age 15 (AOR=0.74; 95 % CI=0.59, 0.92). In contrast, later bedtimes at age 9 were associated with greater odds of drinking alcohol (AOR=1.45; 95 % CI=1.11, 1.90). Additionally, later bedtime at age 5 (AOR=1.26; 95 % CI=1.01, 1.58) and shorter sleep duration at age 9 (AOR=1.19; 95 % CI=1.04, 1.36) were associated with greater odds of trying marijuana. Conclusion: Taken together, these associations support the importance of protecting childhood sleep habits to reduce the likelihood of substance use starting as early as mid-adolescence. Implications and contributionIn this longitudinal cohort study, adolescents were more likely to have consumed alcohol or tried marijuana by age 15 if they had later bedtimes and shorter sleep duration during childhood and adolescence. Protecting sleep health throughout childhood may reduce the likelihood of substance use during early adolescence.