Non-drinking Group Research Articles

Personality and the prediction of high-risk trajectories of alcohol use during adolescence.

Early onset of alcohol use and persistent use of alcohol during adolescence have been associated with later problem behavior, such as heavy drinking and the use of other substances. Several personality characteristics have been related to the onset and persistent use of alcohol during adolescence. In the present study, we examined the relationship between personality and different high-risk trajectories of alcohol use in adolescents. Participants were 374 8th graders (330 boys; Mage = 13.6 years) from 17 different secondary special education schools (i.e., for adolescents with externalizing behavioral problems) in the Netherlands. Adolescents were followed for 2 years (i.e., four waves), and alcohol use and personality characteristics (Substance Use Risk Profile Scale) were assessed. Using latent transition analysis, three trajectories of alcohol use were identified-a nondrinking group (reference group), an onset group (after Time 1), and an early-onset (before Time 1) persistent-drinking group. Baseline high sensation seeking predicted group membership in the onset group (odds ratio [OR] = 2.55) and the early-onset persistent-drinking group (OR = 3.57). Baseline low anxiety sensitivity predicted group membership in the early-onset persistent-drinking group (OR = 0.42). Particularly in this latter group, high prevalence rates of illegal substance use (i.e., cannabis, Ecstasy [3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; MDMA], and cocaine) were found 2 years later. High sensation seeking and low anxiety sensitivity appear to be important predictors of the early onset of adolescents' alcohol use. Moreover, a combination of early onset and persistent alcohol use demonstrates a heightened risk for the use of other illegal substances in adolescence. Implications for interventions are discussed.

Case-only designs for exploring the interaction between FCRL4 gene and suspected environmental factors in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

The aim of this study was to explore the interaction between FCRL4 gene and environmental factors in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Two hundred ninety-seven ankylosing spondylitis (AS) Han Chinese patients were selected who were diagnosed at the Department of Rheumatology, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, in accordance with the modified New York criteria. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was genotyped by multiplex SNaPshot technique. The interaction between FCRL4 gene and ten environmental factors in AS patients was assessed by using a case-only study. The interaction between FCRL4 gene (rs2777963) and environmental factors was analyzed by chi-square test and logistic models. p values, odds ratio, and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were used for estimating the effects of interaction. Odds ratio (OR) for the interaction of gene × environment (G × E) between drinking group and non-drinking group was 2.61 [95 % CI (1.30, 5.23), p=0.007], with statistical significance. Within the cooking oil group, there also may be an interaction of G × E between main animal oil and main plant oil [OR=10.55, 95 % CI (5.55, 20.04), p<0.001]. However, there was no interaction between FCRL4 gene and the other eight environmental factors in patients with AS. The observed significant gene-environment interaction suggests that drinking and cooking oil with FCRL4 gene has a significant interaction. Drinking and cooking oil may be risk exposure factors to take a combined action with predisposing genes in patients with AS. A larger sample case-control study is needed to illustrate the interaction mechanism in the further study.

성별에 따른 알코올사용행태와 대사증후군과의 관계 - 제5기 2010년 국민건강영양조사 자료를 이용하여 -

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the gender differences in the relationship between alcohol use behaviors and the risk of metabolic syndrome among Korean adult population. Methods: Data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (5th, 2010) was analyzed. Using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, subjects were classified into 4 groups including non-drinking, low-risk drinking, medium-level alcohol problem, and high-level alcohol problem group. Metabolic syndrome and its components were compared among the alcohol behavior groups by gender. Results: The odds ratio vs. non-drinking group for metabolic syndrome was significantly higher in male medium and high-level alcohol problem group. In female, high-level alcohol problem group showed significantly higher odds ratio for metabolic syndrome. Blood pressure and HDL-cholesterol were likely to be higher with the excessive drinking behaviors in both men and woman. Triglyceride level in men was significantly higher in the medium and high-level alcohol problem group than non-drinking group. Although fasting glucose level did not show differences among drinking groups, the odd ratios vs. non-drinking group for the hyperglycemia (<TEX>${\geq}$</TEX> 100mg/dl) were significantly higher in female drinking groups. Conclusions: Problematic alcohol drinking is likely to increase the risk of metabolic syndrome in Korean adults.

Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease is an Independent Predictor for Macroangiopathy in Japanese Type 2 Diabetic Patients: A Cross-sectional Study

To clarify the clinical characteristics of type 2 diabetic patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and to assess whether NAFLD is related to angiopathy. The study included 388 Japanese type 2 diabetic outpatients without viral hepatitis. The main outcome measures were angiopathy and NAFLD. The 388 subjects were divided into two subgroups based on alcohol consumption. Fatty liver was recognized in 36 of the 142 drinking patients (25%). There was no association of fatty liver disease with diabetic macro- or microangiopathy in these patients. Fatty liver disease (namely, NAFLD) was recognized in 77 of the 246 non-drinking patients (31%). Type 2 diabetic patients with NAFLD had a significantly younger age, higher body mass index level, higher levels of HbA1c, total cholesterol and triglyceride, lower HDL-C level, higher prevalence rates of hypercholesterolemia and obesity than counterparts without NAFLD. In addition, individuals in the elderly (≥65 years) non-drinking group with NAFLD had a significantly higher prevalence rates of diabetic macroangiopathy, coronary heart disease and thicker intima-media thickness level than their counterparts without NAFLD. The logistic regression analysis showed that NAFLD is an independent predictor of diabetic macroangiopathy. NAFLD was associated with an increased prevalence of diabetic macroangiopathy and coronary heart disease in elderly patients. In addition, NAFLD is an independent predictor for diabetic macroangiopathy. These findings suggest that type 2 diabetic patients with NAFLD should be considered as a high risk group for developing macroangiopathy, even if macroangiopathy is not clinically detected.

Association of betel nut chewing with chronic kidney disease: A retrospective 7‐year study in Taiwan

Only few studies have reported that betel nut (BN) chewing is independently associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD); however, the sample size was relatively small. This study was to explore further the association between BN chewing and CKD using a larger case series. We retrospectively reviewed the records of a health check-up program from 2003 to 2009. Laboratory tests, medical history and status of cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking and BN chewing were compared between CKD and non-CKD groups. We checked interaction effects between BN chewing and all other covariates, and conducted multivariate logistic regression analysis to explore the risk of CKD with BN chewing. A total of 27 482 participants (15 491 females and 11 991 males, mean age 58.02 ± 11.85 years) were included in the study, of whom 4519 (16.4%) had CKD and 1608 (5.9%) chewed BN. CKD prevalence in the chewers was higher than in the non-chewers in all age groups per decade. BN chewing was significantly associated with CKD in overall subjects (odds ratio (OR) = 1.23, P = 0.027) and also in the male (OR = 1.23, P = 0.035), non-drinking (OR = 1.62, P = 0.000), non-diabetic (OR = 1.27, P = 0.021), and non-proteinuric groups (OR = 1.30, P = 0.013). This relationship was insignificant in female, drinking, diabetic and proteinuric groups. The association between BN chewing and CKD seemed conditional on demographics, health behaviours, and underlying co-morbidities. This association should be interpreted cautiously.

DELINQUENCY AND THE STRUCTURE OF ADOLESCENT PEER GROUPS*

Gangs and group-level processes were once central phenomena for criminological theory and research. By the mid-1970's, however, gang research was primarily displaced by studies of individual behavior using randomized self-report surveys, a shift that also removed groups from the theoretical foreground. In this project, we return to the group level to test competing theoretical claims about delinquent group structure. We use network-based clustering methods to identify 897 friendship groups in two ninth grade cohorts of 27 Pennsylvania and Iowa schools. We then relate group-level measures of delinquency and drinking to network measures of group size, friendship reciprocity, transitivity, structural cohesion, stability, average popularity, and network centrality. We find significant negative correlations between group delinquency and all of our network measures, suggesting that delinquent groups are less solidary and less central to school networks than non-delinquent groups. Further analyses, however, reveal that these correlations are primarily explained by other group characteristics, such as gender composition and socioeconomic status. Drinking behaviors, on the other hand, show net positive associations with most of the network measures, suggesting that drinking groups have higher status and are more internally cohesive than non-drinking groups. Our findings shed light on a longstanding criminological debate by suggesting that any structural differences between delinquent and non-delinquent groups may be attributable to other attributes coincidental with delinquency. In contrast, drinking groups appear to provide peer contexts of greater social capital and cohesion.

Analysis on the interaction between IL-1F7 gene and environmental factors on patients with ankylosing spondylitis: a case-only study

To examine the interaction between IL-1F7 gene and environmental factors in patients with ankylosing spondylities (AS). 150 AS Han Chinese patients (all human leukocyte antigen-B27 positive) were genotyped using a panel of single-nucleotide polymorphism markers within IL-1F7 gene (rs3811047) by ligase detection reactions. Polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primer was used to determine HLA-B27 subtypes. We analyzed the interaction between IF-1F7 gene and eight environmental factors in AS patients by using a case-only study. The genetic polymorphism and environmental factors were considered as dependent variables in logistic models, and P-values, ORi and 95% confidence intervals were used for estimating the effects of interaction. The different frequency of A/G between drinking group and non-drinking group was significant (ORi 3.163, 95% CI 1.368-7.317, P=0.006). Within the cooking oil group, odds ratio for interaction of G×E between main plants fats and half plants -half animal fats subunits was 4.273 (95% CI 1.590-11.479, P=0.004). Our data show that there was no interaction between IL-1F7 alleles and the other six environmental factors in AS patients (all P>0.05). We observed that there was an interaction between IF-1F7 gene and drinking in AS patients. Thus, drinking may be a risk exposure factor to take combined action with predisposing genes in AS patients. This action may increase the incident risk of AS. Also, main plants fats may be protective factors to AS.

Association between telomere length and occupational polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure

To explore the association between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure and telomere length (TL), so as to investigate the effective biomarkers to evaluate the genetic damage in peripheral blood of workers exposed to PAHs. The exposure group consisted of 145 coke-oven workers (including 30 top-oven workers, 76 side-oven workers and 39 bottom-oven workers), and the non-exposure control group comprised 68 medical staffs. At 6 hours after the weekend duty shift, the samples of urine and 1 ml venous blood were collected from each subject. Airborne benzene-soluble matter (BSM) and particulate-phase B(a)P in the working environment of coke-oven and controls were sampled and analyzed. The concentration of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHPyr) was determined. A real-time PCR method was used to determine the relative telomere length (RTL) of genomic DNA in peripheral blood. The relationship between the RTL and external exposure of PAHs, the potential factors which might have influence on TL were analyzed. The medians of air BSM and particulate-phase B(a)P were higher in coke-oven (BSM: 328.6 µg/m(3); B(a)P: 926.9 ng/m(3)) than those in control working environment (BSM:97.8 µg/m(3); B(a)P: 49.1 ng/m(3)). The level of 1-OHPyr among coke-oven workers was significantly higher than that of non-exposed group (12.2 µmol/mol Cr vs 0.7 µmol/mol Cr; t = 26.971, P < 0.01). RTL in coke-oven workers were significantly shorter than those of controls (1.10 ± 0.75 vs 1.43 ± 1.06; t = 2.263, P = 0.026), and after adjusting for cigarettes per day and urinary 1-OHPyr, the significant difference was still observed (F(adju) = 5.496, P(adju) = 0.020). Stratification analysis found that RTL among the male and non-drinking groups in coke-oven workers were shorter than those the same sex and alcohol using status in controls (1.08 ± 0.73 vs 1.51 ± 1.10, F = 9.212, P = 0.003; 0.96 ± 0.38 vs 1.26 ± 0.46, F = 6.484, P = 0.012). Significant correlation between RTL and age was found (r = -0.284, P = 0.019) in non-exposure group. PAH-exposure has effect on TL of genomic DNA in peripheral blood, which is mainly observed in the male and non-drinking groups between PAH-exposed workers and controls. It indicates that TL of genomic DNA in peripheral blood might be an effective biomarker as PAH-induced genetic damage.

Commentary on Britton et al. (2010): The dangers of declining drink

Commentary on Britton <i>et al.</i> (2010): The dangers of declining drink

일부 농촌지역 노인들의 요실금 유병률과 관련요인

본 연구는 농촌지역 노인을 대상으로 요실금의 출현빈도를 조사하고 요실금과 관련된 요인을 검토하고자, 2007년 10월 1일부터 12월 31일까지의 기간에 충청남도의 농촌지역에 거주하고 있는 65세 이상 노인 464명을 대상으로 면접조사를 실시하였다. 그 결과 조사대상자의 요실금 경험률을 보면 「매일 실금」이 9.5%, 「가끔 실금」이 35.5% 로 요실금을 경험하고 있는 노인이 45.0%이었다. 성별로는 남자(29.8%)보다 여자(58.5%)에서, 연령이 낮은 군보다 높은 군에서, 교육수준이 높은 군보다 낮은 군에서, 월수입이 높은 군보다 낮은 군에서 요실금 경험률이 높았다. 일상생활습관별 요실금 경험률은 비흡연군보다 흡연군에서, 음주군보다 비음주군에서 유의하게 높았으며, 주관적 건강상태에 따른 요실금 경험률은 건강하다는 군보다 건강하지 않다는 군에서, 건강에 대한 걱정을 하지 않는다는 군보다 한다는 군에서, 신체부자유가 없다는 군보다 있다는 군에서, 건망증이 없다는 군보다 있다는 군에서, ADL과 IADL별로는 도움이 필요 없다는 군보다 도움이 필요하다는 군에서 유의하게 높은 비율이었다. 다변량 로지스틱회귀분석 결과 요실금발생에 영향을 미치는 관련요인으로 성별, 연령, 흡연습관, 건강에 대한 걱정유무, 신체부자유 유무, 건망증 유무, IADL이 유의한 변수로 선정되었다. 이상의 결과를 보면 농촌지역 노인들의 요실금 출현빈도는 남자보다 여자에서, 고연령일수록 높아지는 것을 알 수 있으며, 일상생활습관이나 주관적 및 신체적인 건강상태가 양호하지 않을수록 요실금 출현율이 높게 나타나고 있으므로 이에 따른 노인들의 적절한 건강관리 대책이 요구된다. Objectives: This study was conducted to find out the frequency of urinary incontinence among the rural elderly people and its related factors. Methods: Informations have been obtained through interviews from the 464 rural residents of advanced age over 65 years on September 1st through November 30th, 2007, in Chungnam Province. Results: As for the rate of experiencing urinary incontinence, the group with the experience rate of 「every day」 were 9.5% and 「occasionally」 35.5%, with the total of 45.0%. The higher rates of urinary incontinence were in the elderly women(58.5%) than in the elderly men (29.8%), in the more advanced in age, in the higher educated, and in the groups with higher monthly income. Based on life styles, the rate of experiencing urinary incontinence was significantly higher in smoking groups and non-drinking groups. Based on subjective senses of health, it was more highly associated with the groups who reported that they were not healthy, that they concerned themselves about health, that they had physical disability, that they had forgetfulness, and they needed assistance in terms of activity of daily living(ADL) and instrumental activity of daily living(IADL) than their respective counterparts. By the result of multiple logistic regression, sex, age, smoking status, anxiety, physical disability, amnesia, and IADL was indicated the affecting factors to the prevalence of urinary incontinence. Conclusions: The above results reveal that the rate of urinary incontinence was higher in the elderly women than the elderly men, and in more advanced age. Moreover, its rate increases in the groups with undesirable life styles or lower senses of subjective and physical health conditions. It is highly suggested that efforts to manage urinary incontinence of the elderly need to be narrowed to the more advanced, especially those with lower standards of health conditions.

黒酢が大学生自転車競技選手のＮＫ細胞活性及び血球に及ぼす影響

We investigated the effect of kurozu, a brewed vinegar, on the NK cell activity and peripheral blood cells in 18 university student cyclists. They were assigned to two groups, one of 11 drinking kurozu, and the other of 7 cyclists not drinking it. The drinking group was given 30 ml of kurozu a day for 80 days. Both groups performed an equal amount of training for 80 days. The NK cell activity was significantly decreased by 80 days of training in the non-drinking group (from 71.9 ± 15.9% to 61.9 ± 11.3%) (p < 0.05), but not in the drinking group. Kurozu therefore prevent the degradation of NK cell activity by intense training, suggesting its contribution to the physical condition of student bicycle racers.

Markers of Oxidative Stress and Systemic Vasoconstriction in Pregnant Women Drinking ≥48 g of Alcohol per Day

The precise pathway by which alcohol causes the characteristic features of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders is unknown. Proposed mechanisms for fetal injury from maternal alcohol use include cellular damage from oxidative stress and impaired fetal oxygenation related to maternal systemic vasoconstriction. Our objective was to compare the levels of urinary markers of oxidative stress and systemic vasoconstriction between women consuming large amounts of alcohol during pregnancy and women who did not drink alcohol during pregnancy. Pregnant women consuming > or =48 g alcohol per day (n = 29) on average and pregnant women who abstained from alcohol use (n = 39) were identified using detailed interviews and home visits. Random maternal urine specimens were collected. Urinary levels of the oxidative stress marker, 8-isoprostane F2alpha, and of the vasoactive prostaglandin metabolites, 2,3-dinor-6-keto-prostaglandin F1alpha (a vasodilator) and 11-dehydro-thromboxane B2 (a vasoconstrictor), were measured using mass spectrometric methods. All analyte levels were corrected for urinary creatinine. In crude analyses, there was no significant difference in 8-isoprostane F2alpha between pregnant drinkers and nondrinkers (2.16 vs. 2.08 ng/mg creatinine, respectively, p = 0.87). There were no significant differences between the drinking and nondrinking groups in levels of 2,3-dinor-6-keto-prostaglandin F1alpha (1.03 vs. 1.17 ng/mg creatinine, respectively, p = 0.50), 11-dehydro-thromboxane B2 (0.72 vs. 0.59 ng/mg creatinine, respectively, p = 0.21), or the ratio of vasodilatory metabolite to vasoconstrictive metabolite (1.73 vs. 2.72, respectively, p = 0.14). Adjusting for maternal age, marital status, smoking, and gestational age at sampling did not substantially alter the results. Our results show no difference in levels of urinary eicosanoid markers of oxidative stress and systemic vasoconstriction between pregnant women who drink heavily and pregnant women who abstain. These findings speak against a role for maternal oxidative stress or systemic vasoconstriction in the pathogenesis of alcohol damage to the fetus.

Is alcohol consumption good for you? Results from the 2005 Canadian Community Health Survey

Data from the Statistics Canada 2005 Canadian Community Health Survey is used to test the hypothesis that classification errors of the type noted by Fillmore et al. () could invalidate the statistical results on the effects of alcohol consumption on self-rated health and the incidence of heart disease and diabetes. The results obtained in this study show that the beneficial effects of moderate alcohol use that so many studies have found, still appear even when the correct classification of alcohol use is employed. However, parameter biases and inferential errors can occur when researchers fail to distinguish between former drinkers and never drinkers within the non-drinking group.

Impact of Alcohol Exposure After Pregnancy Recognition on Ultrasonographic Fetal Growth Measures

More than 3 decades after Jones and Smith (1973) reported on the devastation caused by alcohol exposure on fetal development, the rates of heavy drinking during pregnancy remain relatively unchanged. Early identification of fetal alcohol exposure and maternal abstinence led to better infant outcomes. This study examined the utility of biometry for detecting alcohol-related fetal growth impairment. We obtained fetal ultrasound measures from routine ultrasound examinations for 167 pregnant hazardous drinkers who were enrolled in a brief alcohol intervention study. The fetal measures for women who quit after learning of their pregnancies were compared with measures for women who continued some drinking throughout the course of their pregnancies. Because intensity of alcohol consumption is associated with poorer fetal outcomes, separate analyses were conducted for the heavy (average of >or=5 drinks per drinking day) alcohol consumers. Fetal measures from the heavy-exposed fetuses were also compared with measures from a nondrinking group that was representative of normal, uncomplicated pregnancies from our clinics. Analyses of covariance were used to determine whether there were differences between groups after controlling for influences of gestational age and drug abuse. Nearly half of the pregnant drinkers abstained after learning of their pregnancies. When women reportedly quit drinking early in their pregnancies, fetal growth measures were not significantly different from a non-alcohol-exposed group, regardless of prior drinking patterns. Any alcohol consumption postpregnancy recognition among the heavy drinkers resulted in reduced cerebellar growth as well as decreased cranial to body growth in comparison with women who either quit drinking or who were nondrinkers. Amphetamine abuse was predictive of larger cranial to body growth ratios. Alterations in fetal biometric measurements were observed among the heavy drinkers only when they continued drinking after becoming aware of their pregnancies. Although the reliance on self-reported drinking is a limitation in this study, these findings support the benefits of early abstinence and the potential for ultrasound examinations in the detection of fetal alcohol effects.

Effects of Alcohol drinking and smoking on bone formation in young Korean adult males

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of alcohol drinking and smoking on bone mineral density and bone metabolism in young adult males. A total 463 healthy adult males aged 20–26 participated in this study and the following were observed: anthropometric characteristics, alcohol drinking and smoking status, and nutrient intake using a food frequency questionnaire. Bone mineral density(BMD) of the calcaneus was measured by quantitative ultrasound. Bone metabolism related markers including blood total alkalinephosphatase(ALP) activity and N-mid osteocalcin(OC) concentrations were analyzed. The subjects were divided into three groups: both drinking and smoking group(n=125), drinking only group(n=254), and non-drinking and non-smoking control group(n=84) according to their current alcohol drinking and smoking status. There were no significant differences in height, weight, BMI, energy and calcium intake, and BMD of the calcaneus among the three groups. However, ALP activity was significantly lower in the both drinking and smoking group than in control(p<0.05). Duration of alcohol drinking was negatively correlated with ALP(p<0.001) and OC(p<0.001). Daily smoked cigarettes and smoking duration showed a significantly negative correlation with ALP(p<0.001). Our findings show that, smoking and alcohol drinking may effect bone metabolism by influencing bone formation during the young adult period in men.

Quantitative Brain MRI in Alcohol Dependence: Preliminary Evidence for Effects of Concurrent Chronic Cigarette Smoking on Regional Brain Volumes

Recent in vivo research using magnetic resonance spectroscopy demonstrated that chronic cigarette smoking exacerbates regional chronic alcohol-induced brain injury. Other studies associated cigarette smoking with gray matter volume reductions in healthy adults, with greater brain atrophy in aging, and with poorer neurocognition. Although cigarette smoking is common among alcohol-dependent individuals, previous research did not account for the potential effects of chronic smoking on regional brain volumes in alcoholism. High-resolution T1-weighted magnetic resonance images from one-week-abstinent, alcohol-dependent individuals and light drinkers were automatically segmented into gray matter, white matter, and cerebral spinal fluid of lobes and subcortical structures. A brief neuropsychological test battery was used to assess cognition in alcohol-dependent individuals. The alcoholic and nondrinking groups were retrospectively divided into chronic smokers and nonsmokers, and the volumetric data were analyzed as a function of alcohol and smoking status. Chronic alcohol dependence was associated with smaller volumes of frontal and parietal white matter, parietal and temporal gray matter, and thalami, accompanied by widespread sulcal but not ventricular enlargements. Chronic cigarette smoking was associated with less parietal and temporal gray matter and with more temporal white matter. Among alcoholics, better visuospatial learning and memory and greater visuomotor scanning speed were correlated with larger lobar white matter volumes in the nonsmoking alcohol-dependent group only. These data provide preliminary evidence that comorbid chronic cigarette smoking accounts for some of the variance associated with cortical gray matter loss and appears to alter relationships between brain structure and cognitive functions in alcohol-dependent individuals.

Association Between Alcohol Consumption and Subclinical Carotid Atherosclerosis

Epidemiologic studies have shown a J-shaped association between alcohol consumption and vascular diseases. However, only few studies have reported on the association between alcohol intake and subclinical atherosclerosis. The aim of the study was to investigate the relation between alcohol intake and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in participants of the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania. In 1230 men and 1190 women, the mean IMT of the right and left common carotid arteries was measured by B-mode ultrasonography. Alcohol consumption was assessed with a computer-assisted face-to-face interview. In men, carotid IMT as a function of alcohol intake was depicted as a J-shaped curve with a nadir for the alcohol intake category of 61 to 80 g/d. Linear regression models controlled for age, diabetes, systolic blood pressure, leisure time physical activity, food frequency patterns, smoking status, and education revealed a significant inverse association between IMT and alcohol intake < or =80 g/d in men (beta=-0.009, P<0.02), which became insignificant after further controlling for HDL cholesterol and fibrinogen (beta=-0.007, P=NS). In women, neither a J-shaped relation nor significant differences in IMT between the drinking and nondrinking groups were found. Alcohol consumption is inversely correlated with carotid IMT in men but not in women. However, the total daily level of alcohol intake that shows a maximum protective effect against atherosclerosis is above the threshold where severe alcohol related comorbidity and organ damage have been reported.

Marital quality and congruent drinking.

This research considered whether changes in marital quality over the early years of marriage were related to patterns of alcohol use among three groups of couples: congruent nondrinkers, congruent drinkers who usually drank with their spouses and congruent drinkers who usually drank apart from their spouses. Newlywed couples (N = 418) were assessed for marital satisfaction and drinking behaviors and then were reassessed at their first and second anniversaries. Cross-sectional analyses compared couples at each assessment and multilevel modeling assessed changes in marital satisfaction over time. At each assessment, husbands and wives who usually drank with their partners reported greater levels of marital satisfaction. Over time, marital satisfaction declined for both husbands and wives. When we assessed changes in marital quality based on the three groups, husbands in each group experienced similar declines in marital quality. Among wives, however, the rate of decline was not the same. Although wives in the nondrinking group and wives who usually drank with their husbands had similar initial marital satisfaction, the nondrinkers experienced a greater decline in marital satisfaction than the wives who drank with their husbands. The rate of change for the wives in the nondrinking group was quite similar to wives who more often drank apart from their spouses. These findings suggest that alcohol use may be a part of the couple's socializing and may increase interaction, thereby increasing marital satisfaction.

Alcohol Consumption, Lung Function, and Quality of Life in Pneumoconiosis

To our knowledge, there are no previous data on drinking problems in patients with pneumoconiosis. The aim of this study was to examine drinking patterns and the impact of drinking on lung function and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Chinese patients with pneumoconiosis. Three hundred patients with pneumoconiosis were recruited from a community-based case registry. The HRQOL was measured with the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). Pulmonary function, comorbidity, and psychosocial variables were also assessed. The alcohol use of the patients was evaluated with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification questionnaire. Of the 300 patients, 72.3% (217) reported that they had not consumed any alcohol during the past year, whereas 83 patients (27.7%) did report drinking alcohol. In the drinking group, 88.0% (73) consumed <7 standard drinks per week, and none of them exceeded the safety limit of 21 standard drinks per week. The drinking group (n = 83) was younger, had less concurrent medical diseases, and lower (i.e., better) unadjusted SGRQ symptom, activity, impact, and total scores than the nondrinking group (n = 217). The SGRQ scores, which were adjusted for age, duration of occupation, concurrent medical diseases, smoking status, and forced expiratory volume in 1 sec predicted tests (FEV1%), remained significantly lower for the drinking group. Although the drinking group had a higher unadjusted FEV1% predicted, the difference between the FEV1% of the two groups, after adjustment for covariates, was of borderline significance only. Most Chinese patients with pneumoconiosis in this study did not consume alcohol, and among those who did, the level of alcohol consumption was low. This low level of alcohol consumption was associated with a better HRQOL and possibly with better lung function.

Case-only study on the relationship between genetic polymorphisms in toxicant metabolizing enzymes and risk of occupational chronic benzene poisoning

To explore the effects of interaction between environmental exposure factors and genetic polymorphism in toxicant metabolizing enzymes on risk of occupational chronic benzene poisoning. One hundred and fifty-two cases of chronic benzene poisoning were analyzed for the risk by case-only study. The frequency of non-null GSTT1 gene in benzene poisoning workers with moderate benzene exposure level was higher than that in cases with lower benzene exposure (68.63% vs 38.00%, OR(adj) = 4.32, 95% CI 1.75 - 10.66, P = 0.002). The frequency of NQO1 C.609T/T gene in alcohol drinking group was higher than that in non-drinking group (61.11% vs 20.00%, OR(adj) = 8.03, 95% CI 2.28 - 28.25, P = 0.001), moreover, it was higher in workers with smoking and drinking than that in the rest group, and in drinking x exposure level workers than that in non-drinking x exposure level workers (85.71% vs 22.76%, OR(adj) = 18.62, 95% CI 2.01 - 172.72, P = 0.01 and 61.11% vs 20.00%, OR(adj) = 3.18, 95% CI 1.55 - 6.52, P = 0.002 respectively). The frequency of non-null GSTM1 gene was also higher in drinking x exposure level workers than that in non-drinking x exposure level workers (66.67% vs 47.06%, OR(adj) = 1.99, 95% CI 1.05 - 3.76, P = 0.036). There is interaction between the polymorphism of GSTT1 gene and moderate benzene exposure level; non-null GSTM1 gene and drinking x exposure level increase the risk of occupational chronic benzene poisoning; polymorphism of NQO1 gene C.609 also interacts with drinking, while polymorphism of NQO1 gene and drinking x smoking may further increase the risk of occupational chronic benzene poisoning.