Alcohol Use Disorder News and Research

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New method helps determine alcohol consumption in fatty liver disease

It is important to know whether patients have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or alcohol-related liver disease (ALD), as this distinction plays a key role in treatment and prognosis but cannot be reliably determined by established diagnostic means.

5 Jul 2022

Immune protein could be a target of future treatments for alcohol use disorder

The anxiety that occurs during withdrawal from excessive alcohol use, and contributes to relapse, may be driven in part by the release of an immune protein in the brain, according to a new study from scientists at Scripps Research.

8 Jun 2022

Older patients with potentially unhealthy alcohol intake report better quality of life post-surgery

Older adults (aged 60 or older) who consume potentially unhealthy amounts of alcohol report significantly better mobility, self-care and fewer problems undertaking daily activities after surgery compared to their peers who abstain from alcohol or drink at very low levels.

2 Jun 2022

Alcohol use disorder mortality rates surged during the pandemic, study finds

Deaths involving alcohol use disorder increased dramatically during the pandemic, according to a new study by Cedars-Sinai investigators.

17 May 2022

New alcohol consumption patterns during COVID-19 pandemic in the USA

In a recent study published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, researchers evaluated alcohol drinking patterns over 42 weeks post-onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States.

12 May 2022

Discovery could lead to new treatments to minimize cravings in people with addictions

For some people with alcohol use disorder, it might be the sight of a familiar bar or a favorite bottle; for others, it might be the feeling of leaving the office after a stressful day at work or stepping into a crowded party. Most people who struggle with drug or alcohol addiction have particular cues that set off their cravings.

4 May 2022

Increased incidence of COVID-19 breakthrough cases associated with psychiatric disorders

Researchers investigated the relationship between past psychiatric disorder diagnoses and breakthrough cases of COVID-19 in fully vaccinated people.

27 Apr 2022

Gender influences how people cope with alcohol use disorder, study suggests

A qualitative study conducted by researchers at the University of São Paulo's School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities (EACH-USP) in Brazil suggests that gender influences how people suffering from alcohol use disorder cope with their condition.

4 Apr 2022

Study suggests severe neuroinvasion by SARS-CoV-2 in individuals with alcohol use disorder

Researchers investigated the effect of repeated alcohol exposure and withdrawal on angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and transmembrane serine protease 2 expression, putative regulators of SARS-CoV-2 entry, in discrete brain regions.

4 Apr 2022

Individuals with alcohol problems may have lower functional connectivity in brain regions that process emotions

People predisposed to heavy drinking and alcohol problems may have lower functional connectivity -; the patterns of signaling between brain areas -; in regions that process emotions and social situations.

10 Feb 2022

Old FDA-approved drug may protect against lung injury and blood clots in severe COVID-19

An FDA-approved drug that has been in clinical use for more than 70 years may protect against lung injury and the risk of blood clots in severe COVID-19 and other disorders that cause immune-mediated damage to the lungs, according to a preclinical study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

8 Feb 2022

Liver hormone suppresses alcohol consumption in primates, study shows

A hormone produced by the liver called fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) suppresses alcohol consumption in primates, finds a study published February 1 in the journal Cell Metabolism.

1 Feb 2022

TTUHSC project awarded new NIH grant to advance research on amygdala pain mechanisms

It is estimated that more than 100 million U.S. adults are affected by chronic pain, a condition that annually costs the country an estimated $560-635 billion in health care costs, disability and lost productivity.

1 Feb 2022

Addiction medicine consults can reduce deaths in high-risk patients with substance use disorder

In-hospital addiction medicine consultations can reduce deaths in high-risk patients with substance use disorder, according to a new study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine by University of Pittsburgh physicians.

25 Jan 2022

Study finds poorer outcomes after ICU discharge in patients with alcohol-associated cirrhosis

Patients with alcohol-associated cirrhosis have poorer outcomes after ICU discharge, compared to patients with cirrhosis linked to other causes, according to new Mayo Clinic research.

25 Jan 2022

Smartphone apps could help reduce alcohol consumption among college-age drinkers

Smartphone apps to track blood alcohol abound, but until now had little evidence to show they help manage drinking in young adults.

16 Dec 2021

COVID-19 in association with pre-existing mental and physical health issues

The present study attempts to identify the factors that increase the risk of COVID-19 infection or confer protection against COVID-19 in a study population above 55 years of age known to experience higher morbidity and risk of mortality from COVID-19.

13 Dec 2021

Higher acute stress associated with stronger alcohol craving for Black individuals

Acute stress elicits stronger alcohol craving among Black individuals compared to white individuals, reported scientists from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in a paper published today in Addiction.

5 Dec 2021

Study findings speak against recommendations to drink alcohol for health reasons

Increased mortality risk among current alcohol abstainers might largely be explained by other factors, including previous alcohol or drug problems, daily smoking, and overall poor health, according to a new study publishing November 2nd in PLOS Medicine by Ulrich John of University Medicine Greifswald, Germany, and colleagues.

2 Nov 2021

Psychology professor secures $2.59 million NIH grant to study the brain mechanisms of addiction

A five-year, $2.59 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will allow a psychology professor at Binghamton University, State University of New York to study the mechanisms of addiction.