Lifetime Drinking Research Articles

Life‐time drinking course of driving‐while‐impaired offenders

This retrospective study compared drinking histories of 283 men and 413 women convicted of driving while impaired (DWI) in New Mexico and interviewed 15 years following a first conviction and screening referral. We characterized drinking course and plotted drinking status (stable abstainers, abstainers, moderate or risky drinkers) from age 15 to 60 years. Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Community sample of previously convicted DWI offenders. Psychiatric disorders from the Comprehensive International Diagnostic Interview; drinking histories from the Cognitive Lifetime Drinking History. Risky drinking was prevalent at all ages for both genders. Almost half the population reported either a life-time drinking course of risky drinking (19%) or resumed risky drinking after at least one interval of abstinence or moderate drinking (25%), while about one-fifth followed a never risky or risky to moderate drinking course. Offenders with a life-time diagnosis of substance dependence more often transitioned to risky drinking, and those with life-time alcohol dependence were more prone to transition to abstinence. Across time, those who began risky drinking at age 15 years or later quit at double the rate of those who began before age 15 years. Women's and men's drinking courses were similar, but women began risky drinking at a later age and moved to abstinence more often. Among people convicted of driving while impaired in the United States, younger age of initiation of drinking and co-occurrence of psychiatric and substance use appear to be associated with a poorer trajectory of subsequent risky drinking behaviour. Women who are convicted of driving while impaired appear to start drinking later in life and be more likely to subsequently become abstainers.

The Epidemiology of Alcohol Consumption and Misuse among Chinese College Students

To understand alcohol-related risk behaviours among Chinese college students. As part of the first China National Youth Risk Behaviour Survey, undertaken in 2009, 52,150 students at 119 colleges were randomly sampled. Information was obtained from self-administered questionnaires. Prevalences were: lifetime drinkers 80.8%, current drinkers 49.3% (drank alcohol in past 30 days) and binge drinkers 23.5% ('binge drinkers' reporting at least five alcoholic drinks on a single occasion at least six times during the past 30 days). Multinomial logistic analysis revealed the contribution of sociodemographic factors to three high-risk drinking behaviours: odds ratio (95% confidence interval) = 3.64 (2.69-4.60) with frequent drinking; 3.27 (1.82-4.72) with binge drinking; and 5.48 (3.20-7.77) with heavy binge drinking. These three rates were greater among males than females, in the Western more than the Eastern region, among students living off-campus and among those whose mothers had higher education. Heavy drinking was linked to lower academic self-rating. There is a trend towards risky drinking among Chinese college students. Measures such as a minimum drinking age, advertisement restrictions, taxation, drunk-driving penalties and campaigns to heighten public awareness of alcohol-related health risks should be instituted in order to improve the situation on college campuses where alcohol abuse is particularly prevalent.

Lifetime victimization and past year alcohol use in a U.S. population sample of men and women drinkers

BackgroundResearch on alcohol use among victims of physical and sexual violence has focused mostly on women and alcohol use disorders. It is also limited by the relative lack of consideration of victimization over the lifetime and of population data on both men and women. We critically examined associations between lifetime victimization and diverse past year alcohol use patterns and problems and whether these associations differ for men and women. MethodsPopulation data from the 2005 U.S. National Alcohol Survey (NAS11, n=6919) are reported for 4256 adult men and women drinkers. Logistic regressions assessed associations between physical only or any sexual victimization experienced over the lifetime and past year heavy episodic drinking, drinking to intoxication, alcohol-related consequences and any alcohol use disorder. Models controlled for demographics and parental history of alcohol abuse and examined interactions of gender with victimization. ResultsAssociations between victimization experienced over the lifetime and all past year alcohol measures were significant for both men and women. These associations did not differ by type of lifetime victimization (physical only vs any sexual). The association of physical only victimization with drinking to intoxication was stronger for victimized vs non-victimized women compared to victimized vs non-victimized men. This gender difference ceased to be significant when specific victimization characteristics were controlled for. ConclusionsLifetime victimization is associated with increased risk for diverse alcohol use problems for both men and women. All prevention and treatment programs should screen men and women for lifetime victimization and diverse alcohol use problems.

Childhood religious affiliation and alcohol use and abuse across the lifespan in alcohol-dependent men.

The current study examined the relationship between childhood religious affiliation and alcohol use across the life span. A sample of 931 men (average age of 51) from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry, which includes an overrepresentation of alcohol-dependent men, completed the Lifetime Drinking History interview, which assessed drinking across the life span. Childhood religious affiliation was obtained from the men's spouse/partner. Affiliations were subdivided into four categories: nonreligious, accommodating (religions that are relatively more accepting of the larger culture), differentiating (religions that set themselves apart from the larger culture), and Catholic. Differences in a variety of alcohol use variables by religious affiliation were examined, as well as the protective effect of childhood religious affiliation on three alcohol use variables at 5-year intervals from age 20 to age 50. Significant differences were found for abstinence, regular drinking, and current quantity-frequency (QFI) scores, with individuals in differentiating religions having the highest rates of abstinence/nonregular drinking and the lowest consumption levels. When examining QFI and alcohol dependence symptoms and diagnoses over time, the nonreligious group had more alcohol use than the religious groups, with the differentiating affiliations showing the least alcohol use. The differences between affiliations were not always significant, but the consistent pattern suggests that childhood religious affiliation may continue to affect alcohol use even into adulthood.

Measures of Current Alcohol Consumption and Problems: Two Independent Twin Studies Suggest a Complex Genetic Architecture

Twin studies demonstrate that measures of alcohol consumption (AC) show evidence of genetic influence, suggesting they may be useful in gene identification efforts. The extent to which these phenotypes will be informative in identifying susceptibility genes involved in alcohol dependence depends on the extent to which genetic influences are shared across measures of AC and alcohol problems. Previous studies have demonstrated that AC reported for the period of heaviest lifetime drinking shows a large degree of genetic overlap with alcohol dependence; however, many studies with genetic material assess current AC. Further, there are many different aspects of AC that can be assessed (e.g., frequency of use, quantity of use, and frequency of intoxication). Here, we use data from 2 large, independent, population-based twin samples, FinnTwin 16 and The Virginia Adult Twin Study of Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders, to examine the extent to which genetic influences are shared across many different measures of AC and alcohol problems. Genetic correlations across current AC measures and alcohol problems were high across both samples. However, both samples suggest a complex genetic architecture with many different genetic factors influencing various aspects of current AC and problems. These results suggest that careful attention must be paid to the phenotype in efforts to "replicate" genetic effects across samples or combine samples for meta-analyses of genetic effects influencing susceptibility to alcohol-related outcomes.

Item Response Theory Analysis of Binge Drinking and Its Relationship to Lifetime Alcohol Use Disorder Symptom Severity in an American Indian Community Sample

Item response theory (IRT) has been used to examine alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms and their psychometric properties but has not been previously applied to AUD symptoms from an American Indian sample. Lifetime DSM-IV AUD symptoms and binge drinking (5+ drinks men/4+ drinks women) at ≥1, ≥4, ≥8, and ≥15 days per month during the period of heaviest lifetime drinking criteria were assessed in 530 American Indian participants. Exploratory factor analysis was used to examine the factor structure of the 10 AUD symptoms and each alcohol consumption criterion. Two-parameter IRT models generated marginal maximum likelihood estimates for discrimination (a) and threshold (b) parameters for 10 DSM-IV AUD symptoms and each consumption criterion. Differential item functioning (DIF) analysis was used to assess AUD symptom severity in groups defined by gender and age at interview. The AUD symptoms of "Withdrawal" and "Activities Given Up" were the most severe symptoms. "Tolerance" and "Social/Interpersonal Problems" were the least severe. All AUD symptoms fell on the moderate portion of the severity continuum, except "Withdrawal," which fell at the lower end of the severe portion. The consumption criterion of 5+/4+ (male/female) at ≥8 times per month demarcated the portion of the severity continuum where AUD symptoms began to occur at a probability of 50%. DIF analysis showed significant gender and age at interview differences for "Hazardous Use,""Tolerance," and "Activities Given Up," but not for the other AUD symptoms. In this American Indian community sample, alcohol abuse and dependence did not represent distinct disorders. Only one AUD symptom was found outside the moderate portion of the underlying AUD severity continuum. Drinking 5+/4+ (male/female) drinks at a frequency of ≥8 times per month during the period of heaviest lifetime drinking was found to function well as both a risk and a diagnostic criterion for lifetime DSM-IV AUD. DSM-IV AUD symptom criteria, as currently assessed, may be limited in their ability to capture the full range of symptom severity of AUDs, at least in this high-risk population.

Alcohol Use Among Arab Americans: What is the Prevalence?

Information is limited on alcohol use among Arab Americans. The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the alcohol use pattern among Arab Americans by reviewing existing surveys using an acculturation model. Secondary data analysis. Nationally, English-speaking immigrant Arab Americans reported lower rates of lifetime alcohol use (50.8%), past month use (26.4%) and binge drinking (10%) than the White majority group. In a state survey, self-identified English-speaking Arab Americans were less likely to report past month use (45.6%) than the White majority group but reported similar rate of binge drinking (17.0%). Locally, lifetime drinking was reported by 46.2% of the immigrants but only 13.4% of refugees fleeing war. Few databases are available to estimate alcohol use pattern among Arab Americans; the limited data suggest a drinking pattern consistent with acculturation. However, the potential influence of other factors is unknown and needs to be investigated.

Adolescent computer use and alcohol use: What are the role of quantity and content of computer use?

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between computer use and alcohol use among adolescents. In particular, the goal of the research was to determine the role of lifetime drinking and past month drinking on quantity as measured by amount of time on the computer (for school work and excluding school work) and on content as measured by the frequency of a variety of activities on the internet (e.g., e-mail, searching for information, social networking, listen to/download music). Participants (aged 13–17 years and residing in the United States) were recruited via the internet to complete an anonymous survey online using a popular survey tool ( N = 270). Their average age was 16 and the sample was predominantly female (63% girls). A series of analyses was conducted with the computer use measures as dependent variables (hours on the computer per week for school work and excluding school work; various internet activities including e-mail, searching for information, social networking, listen to/download music) controlling for gender, age, academic performance and age of first computer use. Based on the results, past month drinkers used the computer more hours per week excluding school work than those who did not. As expected, there were no differences in hours based on alcohol use for computer use for school work. Drinking also had relationships with more frequent social networking and listening to/downloading music. These findings suggest that both quantity and content of computer use were related to adolescent drinking.

Drinking Behavior and Sources of Alcohol: Differences Between Native American and White Youths

We investigated drinking behavior and sources of alcohol among Native American and White youths, as well as how underage drinking behavior and sources of alcohol may be related to environmental factors. Survey data from a sample of 18,916 youths (8th, 10th, and 12th grades) from Montana were analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling. Survey data were supplemented with county-level economic and census data. Native American youths were more likely than White youths to report drinking and heavy episodic drinking and initiate drinking at a younger age. Native Americans were less likely than Whites to get alcohol from home or from someone younger than age 21 but were more likely to get it from other social sources or through theft from a store. Living in a county with more Native Americans was inversely related to access to alcohol for both White and Native American youths, as well as reduced lifetime, 30-day, and heavy episodic drinking. Living in a county with more single-parent households was positively related to lifetime drinking, 30- day drinking, heavy episodic drinking, and increased access to alcohol through someone younger than age 21 or a stranger. Median income was negatively related to lifetime drinking and ease of access to alcohol and was positively related to accessing alcohol from home without permission, theft, or purchase with a fake ID. Because Native American and White youths have different drinking patterns and obtain alcohol from different sources, strategies to prevent alcohol problems in these groups should take these differences into consideration.

Temporal sequence of incident cigarette, coffee, and alcohol use among AA participants

Background: Cigarettes and coffee are widely used psychoactive substances among alcoholics. Due to the devastating public health impact of alcohol use disorders, it is important to determine if using cigarettes or coffee may influence alcoholism. Previous studies indicate that cigarette smoking is associated with progression of alcohol dependence, but the effects of coffee drinking have yet to be investigated. Objectives: To retrospectively determine the temporal sequence of incident cigarette, coffee, and alcohol use and attributed subjective effects in AA participants. Methods: Volunteers at all Nashville open-AA meetings (n = 289 [126 women], completion rate = 94.1%) were administered a Lifetime Drinking History modified to also include lifetime cigarette and coffee consumption, as well as coffee consumption and effects questions, the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence, and the Smoking Effects Questionnaire. Results: Average ages (years) at first regular use of alcohol, cigarettes, and coffee were 15.4 (IQR: 13.0–18.0), 16.7 (IQR: 13.0–18.5), and 18.5 (IQR: 14.0–23.5), respectively. In a subset who used all three substances (n = 236;102 women) alcohol consumption preceded cigarette smoking (p < .001) and coffee drinking (p < .001), and cigarette smoking preceded coffee drinking (p < .001); these relationships did not differ by gender. Conclusions: Recovering alcoholics started regular alcohol consumption prior to cigarette smoking and coffee drinking. Scientific Significance: In AA participants, coffee does not precede initiation of regular smoking or alcohol drinking as might be anticipated for a gateway drug.

Hippocampal Volume Differences in Gulf War Veterans with Current Versus Lifetime Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

Decreased hippocampal volume is described in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. However, it is not known whether it is a risk factor for the development of PTSD or a consequence of PTSD. We sought to determine the effects of PTSD and depressive symptoms on hippocampal volume. Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging data were collected in a cross sectional study of 244 Gulf War veterans. Measures included lifetime and current Clinician Administered PTSD Scale, Hamilton Depression Scale, Life Stressor Checklist, and Lifetime Drinking History. Magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired with a 1.5-T scanner and analyzed with automated and semiautomated image processing techniques. Eighty-two veterans had lifetime PTSD, 44 had current PTSD, and 38 had current depression. In the linear regression analysis, current PTSD symptoms (standardized coefficient β = -.25, p = .03) but neither lifetime PTSD symptoms nor current depression were associated with smaller hippocampal volume. Gender, age, history of early life trauma, education, lifetime and current alcohol use, current marijuana use, and treatment with antidepressants did not have independent effects. Participants with chronic PTSD had, on average, a smaller hippocampus compared with those with remitted PTSD. The finding that current but not lifetime PTSD symptom severity explains hippocampal size raises two possibilities: either a small hippocampus is a risk factor for lack of recovery from PTSD (trait) or PTSD effects on hippocampal volume are reversible once PTSD symptoms remit and the patient recovers (state).

Influencing Adolescent Social Perceptions of Alcohol Use to Facilitate Change through a School-Based Intervention

The current study examines the effectiveness of a voluntary high school-based alcohol intervention by investigating one proposed mechanism of change in adolescent alcohol involvement: perception of peer use. High school students reporting lifetime drinking (N = 2055) completed fall and spring surveys that assessed demographic information, substance use, risk factors, and intervention attendance (N = 327). The motivational enhancement-based intervention used school and grade-specific normative data to facilitate change in adolescent perceptions regarding the frequency and quantity of peer alcohol use. Results indicate that intervention participants were more likely to increase the accuracy of their peer frequency estimates over the course of the year in comparison to the general student body. Furthermore, students demonstrating decreases in peer perceptions of alcohol use exhibited a greater reduction in number of binge episodes, lower maximum number of drinks consumed per episode, and average number of drinks consumed per drinking occasion (ps < .05); teens with the greatest alcohol use history demonstrated the largest reductions. Although we found no significant main effect for intervention attendance, findings support the role of reduced peer drinking estimates in decreasing alcohol involvement among teen drinkers.

Cultural and social network predictors of drinking among Korean American women

This study estimated the association of cultural and social mechanisms with Korean American women’s drinking behaviors. Data were drawn from telephone interviews with 591 Korean women selected from a random sample of households in California with Korean surnames during 2007. About 62% of eligible respondents completed the interview. Respondents reported any lifetime drinking (yes/no), drinking volume (typical number of drinks consumed on drinking days), level of acculturation, and described their social network by assessing who encouraged or discouraged drinking (drinking support) or drank (drinking models). Multivariable regressions were used for analyses. About 70% (95% confidence interval [95%CI]:, 67, 74) of Korean American women reported any lifetime drinking and current drinkers drank 1.18 (95%CI: 1.07, 1.28) drinks on drinking days. Acculturation was not significantly associated with any lifetime drinking or drinking volume, whereas models and support for drinking were statistically significantly associated with a higher probability of any lifetime drinking and drinking more on drinking days. Each additional encourager, or one or fewer discourager, for drinking in women’s social networks was associated with a 2% (95%CI: 1, 3) higher probability of any lifetime drinking and drinking 0.25 (95%CI: −0.53, 1.18) more drinks on drinking days. Each additional drinker in women’s networks was associated with a 4% (95%CI: 1, 8) higher probability of any lifetime drinking and drinking 0.26 (95%CI: −0.05, 0.60) more drinks on drinking days. Korean American women’s drinking appears to be strongly related to their social networks, although how women take on traits of their new environment was not.

Deliberate induction of alcohol tolerance: empirical introduction to a novel health risk

Alcohol tolerance is a hallmark indicator of alcohol dependence. Even so, the allure of peers' admiration for having the ability to drink heavily may lead some adolescents and young adults to practice, or 'train', to increase their tolerance (particularly at US colleges, where heavy drinking is highly prevalent and central to the social culture). This is a potential health hazard that has not been documented empirically. Thus, we initiated a study of tolerance 'training' and its association to risky and heavy drinking. A cross-sectional online survey of 990 college student life-time drinkers at a large Midwestern US university. Of the sample, 9.9% (n = 97) reported deliberately 'training' to increase tolerance. On average, they reported increasing from approximately seven to 10 US standard drinks in a night prior to 'training' to 12-15 drinks at the end of 'training,' over approximately 2-3 weeks' duration. Although the proportion of frequent binge drinking among 'non-trainers' (34.4%) was similar to national rates, 'trainers' were much more likely to be frequent bingers (76.3%; OR = 6.15). A number of students report deliberately inducing alcohol tolerance, probably directly increasing the risk for alcohol poisoning and other acute harms and/or dependence. This phenomenon might additionally be applicable to other populations, and deserves further study and attention as a potential personal and public health risk. Prevention efforts might aim to reduce the perceived importance of heavy-drinking abilities.

Reports of alcohol‐related problems and alcohol dependence for demographic subgroups using interactive voice response versus telephone surveys: The 2005 US National Alcohol Survey

Interactive voice response (IVR), a computer-based interviewing technique, can be used within a computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) survey to increase privacy and the accuracy of reports of sensitive attitudes and behaviours. Previous research using the 2005 National Alcohol Survey indicated no overall significant differences between IVR and CATI responses to alcohol-related problems and alcohol dependence. To determine if this result holds for demographic subgroups that could respond differently to modes of data collection, this study compares the prevalence rates of lifetime and last-year alcohol-related problems by gender, ethnicity, age and income subgroups obtained by IVR versus continuous CATI interviewing. As part of the 2005 National Alcohol Survey, subsamples of English-speaking respondents were randomly assigned to an IVR group that received an embedded IVR module on alcohol-related problems (n = 450 lifetime drinkers) and a control group that were asked identical alcohol-related problem items using continuous CATI (n = 432 lifetime drinkers). Overall, there were few significant associations. Among lifetime drinkers, higher rates of legal problems were found for white and higher income respondents in the IVR group. For last-year drinkers, a higher percentage of indicators of alcohol dependence was found for Hispanic respondents and women respondents in the CATI group. Data on alcohol problems collected by CATI provide largely comparable results to those from an embedded IVR module. Thus, incorporation of IVR technology in a CATI interview does not appear strongly indicated even for several key subgroups.

Alcohol and other Substance Use among Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth

Little research has focused on alcohol and illicit drug use among deaf and hard of hearing youth. Findings are reported from survey data collected among high school students at two phases of a program of research primarily focusing on tobacco use [Phase 1: (1999/2000) n = 226, Phase 2: (2004) n = 618). Evidence of considerable ever (lifetime) drinking (59.1%, 42.6%) and other substance use (21.1%, 18.9%) was found. Gender, age, race/ethnic, grade, school type (mainstream vs. school for the deaf), age when deafened, and aspects of self-perception were examined for their possible association with substance use. Current use rates are reported, and study findings are discussed in relation to national data. Understanding these use patterns is critical to developing interventions for this culturally and linguistically unique population.

Exploring Religious Mechanisms for Healthy Alcohol Use: Religious Messages and Drinking Among Korean Women in California

This research identifies social reinforcers within religious institutions associated with alcohol consumption among Korean women in California. Data were drawn from telephone interviews with female adults (N = 591) selected from a random sampling of persons in California with Korean surnames during 2007. Approximately 70% of attempted interviews were completed, with 92% conducted in Korean. Respondents were asked about any lifetime drinking (yes/no), drinking rate (typical number of drinks consumed on drinking days among current drinkers), and messages discouraging "excessive drinking" from religious leaders or congregants. Bivariable and multivariable regressions were used for analysis. Approximately 70.4% of women reported any lifetime drinking, and drinkers drank a mean (SD) of 1.10 (1.22) drinks on drinking days. About 30.8% reported any exposure to religious leaders' messages discouraging excessive drinking, and 28.2% reported any exposure to similar messages from congregants. Each congregant's message was statistically significantly associated with a 5.1% lower probability (odds ratio = 0.775, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.626, 0.959) of any lifetime drinking. also, each congregant's message was associated with a 13.8% (B = -0.138; 95% CI: -0.306, 0.029) lower drinking rate, which was statistically significant after adjusting for covariates using a one-tailed test. Exposure to leaders' messages was not statistically significantly associated with any lifetime drinking or drinking rate. Social reinforcement in the form of religious messages may be one mechanism by which religious institutions influence drinking behaviors. For Korean women, messages from congregants had a unique impact beyond the traditional religiosity indicators. These social mechanisms provide public health interventionists with religious pathways to improve drinking behaviors.

Drinking trajectories from adolescence to the fifties among alcohol-dependent men.

Although it has been recognized that the course of alcoholism may differ across individuals, little work has characterized drinking trajectories from drinking onset to midlife. The current study examined trajectories of alcohol dependence from adolescence to the mid-50s in a sample of 420 men with a lifetime diagnosis of alcohol dependence. Men from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry were given the Lifetime Drinking History, which assesses the patterns of alcohol consumption and diagnostic symptoms for self-defined drinking phases. Phase data were converted into person-year data, with alcohol-dependence diagnosis coded as present or absent for each of 13 age groupings, starting with up to age 20 and ending with ages 54-56. Latent growth mixture modeling was used to define four drinking trajectories: young-adult, late-onset, severe-nonchronic, and severe-chronic alcoholics. Further analyses with other diagnostic variables, other drinking variables, alcohol expectancies, personality scales, and religiousness scores were completed to differentiate men best categorized by each trajectory. Extension of Latent Growth Mixture Modeling (LGMM) into the mid-50s revealed that, although some individuals remain chronic alcohol users, others decline in alcohol problem use. Differences seen among these groups may help in the treatment of alcohol dependence, such that more energy can be spent treating those likely to be in the more severe trajectories.

Alcohol Consumption and Genetic Variation inMethylenetetrahydrofolate Reductaseand5-Methyltetrahydrofolate-Homocysteine Methyltransferasein Relation to Breast Cancer Risk

It has been hypothesized that effects of alcohol consumption on one-carbon metabolism may explain, in part, the association of alcohol consumption with breast cancer risk. The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate-homocysteine methyltransferase (MTR) genes express key enzymes in this pathway. We investigated the association of polymorphisms in MTHFR (rs1801133 and rs1801131) and MTR (rs1805087) with breast cancer risk and their interaction with alcohol consumption in a case-control study--the Western New York Exposures and Breast Cancer study. Cases (n = 1,063) were women with primary, incident breast cancer and controls (n = 1,890) were frequency matched to cases on age and race. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated by unconditional logistic regression. We found no association of MTHFR or MTR genotype with risk of breast cancer. In the original case-control study, there was a nonsignificant increased odds of breast cancer among women with higher lifetime drinking. In the current study, there was no evidence of an interaction of genotype and alcohol in premenopausal women. However, among postmenopausal women, there was an increase in breast cancer risk for women who were homozygote TT for MTHFR C677T and had high lifetime alcohol intake (>or=1,161.84 oz; OR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.13-3.28) and for those who had a high number of drinks per drinking day (>1.91 drinks/day; OR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.03-3.28) compared with nondrinkers who were homozygote CC. Our findings indicate that among postmenopausal women, increased breast cancer risk with alcohol consumption may be as a result of effects on one-carbon metabolism.

N-methyl-d-aspartate 2b receptor subtype (NR2B) promoter methylation in patients during alcohol withdrawal

NMDA receptors and especially the NR2B receptor subtype play a crucial role during chronic ethanol consumption and alcohol withdrawal. Therefore, the NR2B receptor subtype expression in peripheral blood cells of 32 male patients suffering from alcohol dependency were assessed through quantitative RT-PCR and to explore regulating epigenetic mechanisms, a methylation analysis was conducted using bisulfite sequencing of a fragment of the NR2B promoter region. The expression of the NR2B receptor increased significantly during the first 24 h of withdrawal treatment (day 1; t = 4.1, P = 0.001), and also on and day 3 (t = 2.4; P = 0.029). The severity of alcohol drinking pattern, measured by lifetime drinking and daily ethanol intake, was negatively correlated with the methylation of a defined cluster of five CPG-sites within the NR2B promoter (lifetime drinking: Spearman's rho = -0.55; P = 0.013; daily ethanol intake: rho = -0.46; P = 0.043). These findings might explain the observation of an impact of alcohol consumption patterns on the gravity of withdrawal symptoms.