Low Alcohol Drinking Research Articles

Nutritional Status, Food Consumption Pattern and Lifestyle Practices Of Bowen University Students, Iwo

Young adults are vulnerable to obesity, especially as they transition into university life and become responsible for their food consumption and lifestyles. This study assessed the nutritional status, food consumption pattern and lifestyle practices of undergraduates studying at Bowen University, Iwo. A cross-sectional study involving 235 undergraduates was conducted at Bowen university, Iwo. The respondents were assessed with the use of pretested questionnaire to collect data on sociodemographic characteristics, socioeconomic characteristics, body weight, height, body mass index (BMI), food consumption pattern with the use food frequency questionnaire and lifestyle practices. The collected data were analysed with the use of SPSS. The study showed that more than half (63.5%) of the respondents were between the ages of 17-20 years, 57.5% had normal body weight, 5.5% were slightly obese, 12.3% were underweight, and 24.7% were overweight. Cereals, notably, rice was consumed by 33.2% of the respondents on a daily basis and was also the major cereals consumed. This study showed that 22.6% of the respondents engage in physical activities more than three times a week, 23.4% less than three times a week and 63.8% do not engage in any physical activity except school and domestic activities. About 15% of the respondents took alcohol and those who smoked cigarette (4.3%) are far less than those who do not smoke. Most undergraduates have normal body weight, and most of them have low smoking, alcohol drinking and physical activity engagement.

Evaluating habit formation across pairs of female and male selectively bred alcohol-preferring and non-preferring rats

Some individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) continue to drink because they have developed a habit where they do not consider the consequences of their actions. Genetically selected lines of alcohol-preferring and non-preferring rats allow for exploration of how specific endophenotypes, such as tendency to form habits, may be risk factors that interact with a genetic predisposition of AUD. While high alcohol drinking (HAD) and alcohol-preferring (P) rats were selectively bred to consume high amounts of freely available ethanol, they exhibit differences in alcohol-seeking behaviors as well as impulsive behaviors, and may represent different behavioral models of AUD. The goal of the current study was to compare the tendency to develop habitual behaviors across female and male HAD1, HAD2, and P rats and their respective alcohol non-preferring counterparts. Alcohol-naïve rats were trained on a variable interval schedule using a non-ethanol reinforcer and were then tested in two extinction sessions, one prior to a reinforcer devaluation (conditioned taste aversion) procedure and one after. There were no differences in total lever presses between P and alcohol non-preferring (NP) rats, but there were differences between HAD and low-alcohol drinking (LAD) rats. All six strains decreased lever pressing after reinforcer devaluation. However, P and NP females did not increase latency to first lever press after devaluation, suggesting some inclination toward habitual behavior that was not apparent in either the HAD or LAD lines. Selective breeding for alcohol preference does not seem to influence the tendency to form habits, whereas background strain and sex may have an influence on this behavior.

Prevalence of alcohol dehydrogenase 1B and aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 genotypes in Kashmir, an Asian high-risk region of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Alcohol dehydrogenase 1B (ADH1B) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) are the two essential enzymes for alcohol metabolism. Polymorphic variants in these genes have been linked with an elevated risk of some alcohol-related cancers, including oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). In the current study, we aimed to evaluate the distribution of ADH1B (p.His48Arg; rs1229984) and ALDH2 (p.Glu504Lys; rs671) genotypes and investigate the association of these variants with the ESCC risk in Kashmir, India, a region where ESCC is comparatively more prevalent. We analyzed ADH1B and ALDH2 genotypes in 340 histopathologically verified ESCC cases and 800 controls by polymerase chain reaction with confronting two-pair primer (PCR-CTPP) and direct sequencing. To assess the association of the genotypes with ESCC risk, we used conditional logistic regression models. The frequency of mutant ADH1B 48His (ADH1B*) and ALDH2 504Lys (ALDH2*2) alleles was 29.0% and 1.9% respectively in controls. The odds ratio (OR) for the association between the genotypes ALDH2*1/*2, compared to *1/*1, and ESCC risk was above the unity, whereas it was below unity for ALDH2 *2/*2. However, due to a modest number of individuals with variant genotypes in the ALDH2 gene, 95% confidence intervals (Cis) for their associations with ESCC risk could not be calculated in the adjusted models. The corresponding OR (95% CI) was 0.87 (0.45 – 1.69) for ADH1B*2/*2 and 4.61 (0.20 –105.86) for ADH1B*1/*2. The lack of association between studied ADH1B and ALDH2 polymorphic variants and ESCC risk in Kashmir may be supported by the low prevalence of the mutant alleles, which is much lower than the reported prevalence in Chinese and Japanese populations, and low alcohol drinking in the Kashmiri population.

Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and the Risk of Depression in Offspring: a Meta-Analysis.

Background Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has been related to poor consequences of mental health in offspring. However, it remains unknown whether maternal alcohol drinking during pregnancy is associated with depression in the offspring. Methods A meta-analysis was performed accordingly. Relevant observational studies were identified from Medline, Embase, and Web of Science databases. A fixed-effect or a random-effect model was selected dependending on the between-study heterogeneity. Results Eight cohort studies were included. The heterogeneity was not significant (I2 = 14%). A meta-analysis with a fixed-effect model showed that PAE was associated with a higher risk of depression in offspring (odds ratio (OR): 2.28, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.61 to 3.25, p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that moderate (OR: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.22 to 2.49, p=0.002, I2 = 0%) or heavy (OR: 2.41, 95% CI: 1.55 to 3.73, p < 0.001, I2 = 0%) maternal alcohol drinking in pregnancy was associated with depression in offspring, but not for those with low maternal alcohol drinking (OR: 1.18, 95% CI: 0.97 to 1.44, p=0.10, I2 = 0%). Further subgroup analyses according to study design, timing of PAE evaluation, age at depression diagnosis, and quality scores showed consistent results. Univariate metaregression showed a dose-response association between PAE and offspring depression (coefficient: 0.073, 95% CI: 0.019 to 0.127, p=0.014). Conclusions Current evidence suggests that PAE may be a risk factor of depression in offspring.

Burden of tuberculosis and hepatitis co-infection among people living with HIV in Nepal: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

People living with HIV (PLHIV) are prone to tuberculosis (TB) and hepatitis co-infections, which cause substantial burden on morbidity and mortality. However, data on the burden of HIV co-infection from a specific low- and middle-income country are limited. To address this gap in evidence, a meta-analysis of published literature and country surveillance report was conducted to estimate the burden of TB, hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) co-infection among PLHIV in Nepal. Twenty-three studies, including 5900 PLHIV, were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of HIV-TB, HIV-HBV and HIV-HCV co-infection was 19% (95% CI, 10-28%), 3% (2-5%) and 19% (4-33%), respectively. Low CD4 cell count (pooled odds ratio [OR] 4.38, 95% CI 1.11-17.25), smoking (3.07, 1.48-6.37) and alcohol drinking (3.12, 1.52-6.43) were significantly correlated with HIV-TB co-infection. The odds of HCV co-infection was greater in PLHIV, who were male (5.39, 1.54-18.89) and drug users (166.26, 15.94-1734.44). PLHIV who were on antiretroviral therapy had a reduced risk of HCV co-infection (0.49, 0.36-0.66) than the general PLHIV population. The burden of TB and hepatitis co-infection among PLHIV in Nepal was high. Regular screening of PLHIV for co-infections and prompt initiation of treatment are essential to reduce the transmission of infection and improve quality of life.

Genetic association of nucleus accumbens 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid level and alcohol preference drinking in a quasi-congenic male mice: Potential modulation by Grm7 gene polymorphism

ObjectiveTo test the hypothesis that predisposition to high alcohol drinking behavior is genetically associated with hypoactive serotonergic function in the Nucleus Accumbens (NAc). MethodAlcohol avoiding C5A3 and alcohol preferring I5B25A mice of the Quasi-congenic Recombinant QTL Introgression (RQI) mouse strains were subjected to in vivo microdialysis in the NAc. Neurotransmitter and metabolite contents were analyzed by HPLC and samples were collected in three phases: Baseline, Control, and Alcohol. Samples were collected with 20 min intervals. ResultsBetween-strain differences restricted to small chromosome segments significantly affected both alcohol preference drinking and NAc 5-HIAA levels [F1,13 = 5.569 p=.035 (General Linear Model Repeated Measures ANOVA and Tests of Between-Subjects Effects)]. Whole genome biallelic DNA marker genotyping allowed the identification of 16 differential microsatellite markers associated with low 5-HIAA levels and excessive alcohol drinking. Chromosome 6 markers were linked to Grm7 (51.19 centimorgan), a reported candidate gene for modulation of addiction. The results are consistent with earlier reports of association of low 5-HIAA and high alcohol consumption in rats and primates, including Homo sapiens. ConclusionLow NAc 5-HIAA and high alcohol consumption are genetically associated in a quasi-congenic mouse model carrying variants of the Grm7 gene. We propose that constitutional polymorphism in Grm7 may modulate CRF neuron activity via altered mGluR7 expression thus targeting CRF pathways to substance use circuits. This raises the possibility of modulation of DRN 5-HT neurons leading to hypo- or hyper-serotonergic condition in NAc and higher or lower alcohol preference drinking.

Lifestyle factors associated with incidence of rheumatoid arthritis in US adults: analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database and meta-analysis

ObjectiveTo quantify rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cases attributable to selected non-genetic risk factors.DesignNational Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and meta-analysis.ParticipantsUS adults.Data sourcesThe prevalence of exposure was obtained from NHANES. Weighted...

Spontaneous Ultrasonic Vocalization Transmission in Adult, Male Long-Evans Rats Is Age-Dependent and Sensitive to EtOH Modulation.

Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) are well-established markers of motivational and emotional status. Recent work from our lab has provided novel evidence for a role of USVs in models of ethanol (EtOH) use. For instance, USV acoustic characteristics can be used to accurately discriminate between rats selectively bred for high EtOH intake (e.g., alcohol-preferring (P) and high-alcohol-drinking (HAD)) versus EtOH-avoiding (e.g., alcohol-non-preferring (NP) and low-alcohol-drinking (LAD)) strains, as well as differentiate between male and female rats. In the present study we sought to explore the effect of age and alcohol availability on spontaneously emitted 50–55 kHz frequency modulated (FM) and 22–28 kHz USVs in adult, male Long–Evans rats. With the hypothesis that age and alcohol experience influence spontaneous USV emissions, we examined USV data collected across a 24-week intermittent EtOH access experiment in male Long–Evans rats. USV counts and acoustic characteristic (i.e., mean frequency, duration, bandwidth and power) data revealed distinct age-dependent phenotypes in both 50–55 kHz FM and 22–28 kHz USV transmission patterns that were modulated by EtOH exposure. These results highlight the influence of age and EtOH experience on the unique emotional phenotypes of male Long–Evans rats.

The problem of drinking alcoholic and low-alcoholic drinks in the teenage

Purpose of the study. To investigate and analyze the prevalence of alcohol and low alcohol drinking among adolescents and to propose preventive measures to prevent this phenomenon.&#x0D; Materials and methods. Used bibliographical, sociological and medical-statistical methods of research. The annual report of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine for 2019 and statistics of sociological surveys served as research materials.&#x0D; Results. The study found that more than 90% of 15–17 year-old students have alcohol, nearly 60% of teens have been repeatedly intoxicated. The most common alcoholic beverages used by 15–17 year-old students recently are beer (57,3%) for boys, and girls – industrial beverages (43,7%). Almost 40% of wine has been consumed recently, champagne and spirits more than a fifth of boys and girls (21,8% and 22,4% respectively). The most common alcoholic beverage consumed by 15–17 year old student youth in any entertainment establishment is beer − it is consumed by 45,4% of boys and 30,9% of girls. Low in alcoholic beverages of industrial production are second in popularity – 28,8% of boys and 35,9% of girls consumed them.&#x0D; Conclusion. Thus, the overall tendency for adolescent alcohol and low alcohol consumption to be prevalent is disappointing. The main factors that have a negative impact on the situation are: tolerant attitude of the family to adolescent alcohol, cultural traditions of communication in the company, insufficiently formed outlook of a young person to understand a healthy lifestyle.

Nuclear transcriptional changes in hypothalamus of Pomc enhancer knockout mice after excessive alcohol drinking.

Persistent alterations of proopiomelanocortin (Pomc) and mu-opioid receptor (Oprm1) activity and stress responses after alcohol are critically involved in vulnerability to alcohol dependency. Gene transcriptional regulation altered by alcohol may play important roles. Mice with genome-wide deletion of neuronal Pomc enhancer1 (nPE1-/- ), had hypothalamic-specific partial reductions of beta-endorphin and displayed lower alcohol consumption, compared to wildtype littermates (nPE1+/+ ). We used RNA-Seq to measure steady-state nuclear mRNA transcripts of opioid and stress genes in hypothalamus of nPE1+/+ and nPE1-/- mice after 1-day acute withdrawal from chronic excessive alcohol drinking or after water. nPE1-/- had lower basal Pomc and Pdyn (prodynorphin) levels compared to nPE1+/+ , coupled with increased basal Oprm1 and Oprk1 (kappa-opioid receptor) levels, and low alcohol drinking increased Pomc and Pdyn to the basal levels of nPE1+/+ in the water group, without significant effects on Oprm1 and Oprk1. In nPE1+/+ , excessive alcohol intake increased Pomc and Oprm1, with no effect on Pdyn or Oprk1. For stress genes, nPE1-/- had lowered basal Oxt (oxytocin) and Avp (arginine vasopressin) that were restored by low alcohol intake to basal levels of nPE1+/+ . In nPE1+/+ , excessive alcohol intake decreased Oxt and Avpi1 (AVP-induced protein1). Functionally examining the effect of pharmacological blockade of mu-opioid receptor, we found that naltrexone reduced excessive alcohol intake in nPE1+/+ , but not nPE1-/- . Our results provide evidence relevant to the transcriptional profiling of the critical genes in mouse hypothalamus: enhanced opioid and reduced stress gene transcripts after acute withdrawal from excessive alcohol may contribute to altered reward and stress responses.

CIS-Acting Allele-Specific Expression Differences Induced by Alcohol and Impacted by Sex as Well as Parental Genotype of Origin.

Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are influenced by complex interactions between the genetics of the individual and their environment. We have previously identified hundreds of polygenic genetic variants between the selectively bred high- and low-alcohol drinking (HAD and LAD) rat lines. Here, we report allele-specific expression (ASE) differences, between the HAD2 and LAD2 rat lines. The HAD2 and LAD2 rats, which have been sequenced, were reciprocally crossed to generate 10 litters of F1 progeny. For 5 of these litters, the sire was HAD2, and for the other 5 litters, the sire was a LAD2. From these 10 litters, 2 males and 2 females were picked from each F1 litter (N=40 total). The F1 pups were divided, balancing for sex and direction of cross, into an alcohol (15%) versus a water control group. Alcohol drinking started in the middle of adolescence (~postnatal day 35) and lasted 9weeks. At the end of these treatments, rats were euthanized, the nucleus accumbens was dissected, and RNA was processed for RNA-sequencing and ASE analyses. Analyses revealed that adolescent ethanol (EtOH) drinking, individual EtOH drinking levels, parentage, and sex-of-animal affected ASEs of about 300genes. The identified genes included those associated with EtOH metabolism (e.g., Aldh2); neuromodulatory function (e.g., Cckbr, Slc6a7, and Slc1a1); ion channel activity (e.g., Kcnc3); and other synaptic and epigenetic functions. These data indicate that EtOH drinking differentially amplified paternal versus maternal allelic contribution to the transcriptome. We hypothesize that this was due, at least in part, to EtOH-induced changes in cis-regulation of polymorphisms previously identified between the HAD2 and LAD2 rat lines. This report highlights the complexity of gene-by-environment interactions mediating a genetic predisposition for, and/or the active development of, AUDs.

Risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus: An exposure-wide umbrella review of meta-analyses.

BackgroundType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a global epidemic associated with increased health expenditure, and low quality of life. Many non-genetic risk factors have been suggested, but their overall epidemiological credibility has not been assessed.MethodsWe searched PubMed to capture all meta-analyses and Mendelian randomization studies for risk factors of T2DM. For each association, we estimated the summary effect size, its 95% confidence and prediction interval, and the I2 metric. We examined the presence of small-study effects and excess significance bias. We assessed the epidemiological credibility through a set of predefined criteria.ResultsWe captured 86 eligible papers (142 associations) covering a wide range of biomarkers, medical conditions, and dietary, lifestyle, environmental and psychosocial factors. Adiposity, low hip circumference, serum biomarkers (increased level of alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, uric acid and C-reactive protein, and decreased level of adiponectin and vitamin D), an unhealthy dietary pattern (increased consumption of processed meat and sugar-sweetened beverages, decreased intake of whole grains, coffee and heme iron, and low adherence to a healthy dietary pattern), low level of education and conscientiousness, decreased physical activity, high sedentary time and duration of television watching, low alcohol drinking, smoking, air pollution, and some medical conditions (high systolic blood pressure, late menarche age, gestational diabetes, metabolic syndrome, preterm birth) presented robust evidence for increased risk of T2DM.ConclusionsA healthy lifestyle pattern could lead to decreased risk for T2DM. Future randomized clinical trials should focus on identifying efficient strategies to modify harmful daily habits and predisposing dietary patterns.

Attributable causes of colorectal cancer in China

BackgroundColorectal cancer is the 4th common cancer in China. Most colorectal cancers are due to modifiable lifestyle factors, but few studies have provided a systematic evidence-based assessment of the burden of colorectal cancer incidence and mortality attributable to the known risk factors in China.MethodsWe estimated the population attributable faction (PAF) for each selected risk factor in China, based on the prevalence of exposure around 2000 and relative risks from cohort studies and meta-analyses.ResultsAmong 245,000 new cases and 139,000 deaths of colorectal cancer in China in 2012, we found that 115,578 incident cases and 63,102 deaths of colorectal cancer were attributable to smoking, alcohol drinking, overweight and obesity, physical inactivity and dietary factors. Low vegetable intake was the main risk factor for colorectal cancer with a PAF of 17.9%. Physical inactivity was responsible for 8.9% of colorectal cancer incidence and mortality. The remaining factors, including high red and processed meat intake, low fruit intake, alcohol drinking, overweight/obesity and smoking, accounted for 8.6%, 6.4%, 5.4%, 5.3% and 4.9% of colorectal cancer, respectively. Overall, 45.5% of colorectal cancer incidence and mortality were attributable to the joint effects of these seven risk factors.ConclusionsTobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, overweight or obesity, physical inactivity, low vegetable intake, low fruit intake, and high red and processed meat intake were responsible for nearly 46% of colorectal cancer incidence and mortality in China in 2012. Our findings could provide a basis for developing guidelines of colorectal cancer prevention and control in China.

Midbrain circuit regulation of individual alcohol drinking behaviors in mice

Alcohol-use disorder (AUD) is the most prevalent substance-use disorder worldwide. There is substantial individual variability in alcohol drinking behaviors in the population, the neural circuit mechanisms of which remain elusive. Utilizing in vivo electrophysiological techniques, we find that low alcohol drinking (LAD) mice have dramatically higher ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neuron firing and burst activity. Unexpectedly, VTA dopamine neuron activity in high alcohol drinking (HAD) mice does not differ from alcohol naive mice. Optogenetically enhancing VTA dopamine neuron burst activity in HAD mice decreases alcohol drinking behaviors. Circuit-specific recordings reveal that spontaneous activity of nucleus accumbens-projecting VTA (VTA-NAc) neurons is selectively higher in LAD mice. Specifically activating this projection is sufficient to reduce alcohol consumption in HAD mice. Furthermore, we uncover ionic and cellular mechanisms that suggest unique neuroadaptations between the alcohol drinking groups. Together, these data identify a neural circuit responsible for individual alcohol drinking behaviors.

Alcohol drinking and gastric cancer risk: a meta-analysis of observational studies.

BackgroundMany studies investigated the association between alcohol drinking and gastric cancer risk, but the results were controversial. We performed a meta-analysis of observational studies to explore the association.Materials and MethodsWe searched PubMed to identify the relevant studies that reported the association between alcohol drinking and gastric cancer risk up to December 31, 2016. We pooled relative risks (RRs) in random effects model and performed dose-response analysis to quantify the association. Cochran Q test and I2 analyses were used to evaluate the heterogeneity. Meta-regression, subgroup, sensitivity and publication bias analyses were also performed.Results75 studies were included in our study. The pooled RR of high vs low total alcohol drinking was 1.25 (95% CI, 1.15–1.37, P < 0.001), and a nonlinear association was further observed. Subgroup analysis showed that alcohol drinking significantly associated with the risk of gastric noncardia cancer (RR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.01–1.40, P = 0.033), but not with the risk of gastric cardia cancer (RR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.98–1.39, P = 0.087). Notably, the pooled RRs of high vs low analyses were 1.13 (95% CI, 1.03–1.24, P = 0.012) for beer drinking, 1.22 (95% CI, 1.06–1.40, P = 0.005) for liquor drinking, and 0.99 (95% CI, 0.84–1.16, P = 0.857) for wine drinking.ConclusionsOur meta-analysis found a nonlinear association between alcohol drinking and gastric cancer risk, and heavy drinking level was strongly related to gastric cancer risk. Beer and liquor had significant positive associations with gastric cancer risk, while wine drinking would not increase gastric cancer risk. These results need to be verified in future research.

Alcohol-naïve USVs distinguish male HAD-1 from LAD-1 rat strains.

Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) are mediated through specific dopaminergic and cholinergic neural pathways and serve as real-time measures of positive and negative emotional status in rodents. Although most USV studies focus primarily on USV counts, each USV possesses a number of characteristics shown to reflect activity in the associated neurotransmitter system. In the present study, we recorded spontaneously emitted USVs from alcohol-naïve high alcohol drinking (HAD-1) and low alcohol drinking (LAD-1) rats. Using our recently developed WAAVES algorithm, we quantified four acoustic characteristics (mean frequency, duration, power, and bandwidth) from each 22-28kHz and 50-55kHz frequency-modulated (FM) USV. This rich USV representation allowed us to apply advanced statistical techniques to identify the USV acoustic characteristics that distinguished HAD-1 from LAD-1 rats. Linear mixed models (LMM) examined the predictability of each USV characteristic in isolation and linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and binomial logistic regression examined the predictability of linear combinations of the USV characteristics as a group. Results revealed significant differences in acoustic characteristics between HAD-1 and LAD-1 rats in both 22-28kHz and 50-55kHz FM USVs. In other words, these rats selectively bred for high- and low-alcohol consumption can be identified as HAD-1 or LAD-1 rats with high classification accuracy (approximately 92-100%) exclusively based on their emitted 22-28kHz and 50-55kHz FM USV acoustic characteristics. In addition, acoustic characteristics of 22-28kHz and 50-55kHz FM USVs emitted by alcohol-naïve HAD-1 and LAD-1 rats significantly correlate with their future alcohol consumption. Our current findings provide novel evidence that USV acoustic characteristics can be used to discriminate between alcohol-naïve HAD-1 and LAD-1 rats, and may serve as biomarkers in rodents with a predisposition for, or against, excessive alcohol intake.

Commentary on current changes of the SoHT 2016 consensus on alcohol markers in hair and further background information

The consensus on alcohol markers in hair was revised for the fourth time by an expert group of the Society of Hair Testing based on current state of research. This revision was adopted by the members of the Society during the business meeting in Brisbane on August 29th 2016. For both markers, ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs), two cut-off values for discrimination between teetotalers or occasional low amount consumption and moderate alcohol drinking (low cut-off), and between non-excessive (abstinence up to moderate alcohol intake) and chronic excessive drinking (high cut-off value) were critically examined. For the current revision, the cut-off values for EtG (7pg/mg and 30pg/mg, respectively) remained unchanged despite different findings or discussions published in the meantime. This was mainly due to the lack of broader data collections from new studies with great numbers of volunteers following thorough study concepts. In contrast, an essential change of the consensus was accepted for the FAEEs, where the concentration of ethyl palmitate (E16:0) can be used autonomously for interpretation instead of the concentration sum (ΣFAEE) of the four esters ethyl myristate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl oleate and ethyl stearate, as previously applied. After evaluation of the data from seven laboratories, the E16:0 cut-off for abstinence assessment was defined at 0.12ng/mg for the 0–3cm segment and at 0.15ng/mg for the 0–6cm segment. The cut-off for chronic excessive drinking was fixed at 0.35ng/mg for the 0–3cm segment and at 0.45ng/mg for the 0–6cm segment. The use of E16:0 with these cut-offs in place of ΣFAEE for alcohol intake assessment produces only a minor loss in discrimination power, leads to no essential difference in the interpretation concerning chronic excessive alcohol consumption and is suitable to confirm EtG results in abstinence assessment if ethanol containing hair sprays or lotions are excluded.

Jiangsu Four Cancers Study: a large case-control study of lung, liver, stomach, and esophageal cancers in Jiangsu Province, China.

Cancer is a major public health burden both globally and in China. The most common cancer-related deaths in China are attributable to cancers of the lung, liver, stomach, and esophagus. Previous epidemiologic studies on cancer in China have often been limited by small sample sizes, inconsistent measurements, and lack of precise and accurate data. The Jiangsu Four Cancers (JFC) Study is a population-based case-control study carried out in an effort to obtain consistent and high-quality data to investigate the life style, behavioral, environmental, and genetic factors associated with the four major cancers in China. The aim of this paper is to describe the overall design of the JFC Study and report selected findings on the major risk factors for cancers. Epidemiologic data were collected from 2003 to 2010 through in-person interviews using a structured questionnaire and blood samples were drawn. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate the associations of putative risk factors with risks of cancers of the lung, liver, stomach, and esophagus. The study included 2871 lung cancer cases, 2018 liver cancer cases, 2969 esophageal cancer cases, 2216 stomach cancer cases, and 8019 community controls. Low educational level, low income level, tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, and family history of cancer were confirmed as risk factors for these major cancers. The JFC Study is one of the largest case-control studies of cancers in the Chinese population and will serve as a rich resource for future research on the four major cancers in China.

Corticosteroid modulation and testosterone changes during alcohol intoxication affects voluntary alcohol drinking

A number of studies have shown that stress and an activated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are associated with increased voluntary alcohol drinking. Recently, associations have been found between activated HPA and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axes in alcohol-preferring AA and non-preferring ANA, F2 (crossbred second generation from original AA and ANA), and Wistar rats. The aim of the present study has been to determine the role of corticosterone and alcohol-related testosterone-effects in subsequent alcohol drinking in AA, ANA, F2 and Wistar rats. The present study comprises of four substudies presenting new analyses of existing data, by which correlations between basal corticosterone levels, changes in testosterone levels during alcohol intoxications and subsequent voluntary alcohol consumption are investigated. The results displayed positive correlations between basal corticosterone levels and subsequent alcohol-mediated testosterone elevations, which was positively associated with voluntary alcohol consumption. The results also showed a negative correlation between basal corticosterone levels and alcohol-mediated testosterone decreases, which was negatively associated with alcohol consumption. In conclusion, the present study displays novel results, according to which the HPA axis, one hand, relates to testosterone elevation (potentially causing and/or strengthening reinforcement) during alcohol intoxication, which in turn may relate to higher voluntary alcohol consumption (AA rats). Vice versa, the HPA axis may also relate to alcohol-mediated testosterone decrease (causing testosterone reduction and disinforcement) and low-alcohol drinking (ANA, F2 and Wistar rats). In addition, the present results showed that alcohol-mediated testosterone changes may also, independently of the HPA axis, correlate with voluntary alcohol drinking, which indicate the impact of genetic factors. Thus, the role of the HPA-axis may be more related to situational stress than to intrinsic factors. In further studies, it should be investigated, whether the present results also apply to stress and human alcohol drinking.

The role of unhealthy lifestyles in the incidence and persistence of depression: a longitudinal general population study in four emerging countries

BackgroundUnhealthy lifestyles and depression are highly interrelated: depression might elicit and exacerbate unhealthy lifestyles and people with unhealthy lifestyles are more likely to become depressed over time. However, few longitudinal evidence of these relationships has been collected in emerging countries. The present study aims i) to analyse whether people with unhealthy lifestyles are more likely to develop depression, and ii) to examine whether depressed people with unhealthy lifestyles are more likely to remain depressed. A total of 7908 participants from Ghana, India, Mexico and Russia were firstly evaluated in the World Health Organization’s Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health (SAGE) Wave 0 (2002–2004) and re-evaluated in 2007–2010 (Wave 1). Data on tobacco use, alcohol drinking and physical activity, were collected. Logistic regressions models were employed to assess whether baseline unhealthy lifestyles were related to depression in Wave 1, among people without 12-month depression in Wave 0 and any previous lifetime diagnosis of depression, and to 12-month depression at both study waves (persistent depression).ResultsBaseline daily and non-daily smoking was associated with depression in Wave 1. Low physical activity and heavy alcohol drinking were associated with persistent depression.ConclusionsUnhealthy lifestyles and depression are also positively related in emerging countries. Smoking on a daily and non-daily basis was longitudinally related to depression. Depressed people with low physical activity and with heavy drinking patterns were more likely to become depressed over time. Several interpretations of these results are given. Further studies should check whether a reduction of these unhealthy lifestyles leads to lower depression rates and/or to a better clinical prognosis of depressed people.