Archive for May, 2010

Why is Alcohol Dangerous during Pregnancy?

Man s hand on pregnant woman s stomach uid 1180693 The US Centres for Disease Control  urges pregnant women not to drink alcohol any time during pregnancy.

  • There is no known safe amount of alcohol to drink while pregnant.
  • There is also no safe time during pregnancy to drink and
  • There is no safe kind of alcohol to drink while pregnant.

Women also should not drink alcohol if they are planning to become pregnant or are sexually active and do not use effective birth control.

This is because a woman could become pregnant and not know for several weeks or more. In the United States half of all pregnancies are unplanned.

Why is Alcohol Dangerous during Pregnancy?

When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, so does her unborn baby.

Alcohol in the mother’s blood passes through the placenta to the baby through the umbilical cord. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and a range of lifelong disorders, known as foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs).

Read more about the characteristics and behaviors of children with FASDs and how much alcohol is too much to drink during pregnancy.

FASDs are 100% preventable

If a woman doesn’t drink alcohol while she is pregnant, her child cannot have an FASD. Learn more about FASDs.

Watch a video about living with FASDs.

See also

Female Heavy Drinkers have Smaller Brains

Female drinkers lose brain volume more quickly than men, according to researchers at the University of Heidelberg in Germany.

The BBC reported May 15 that researchers took brain scans of 150 women – about half of them alcoholics – and found that the heavy drinkers have smaller brains.

Female alcoholics were found to lose the same brain volume as male alcoholics, but suffered atrophy much more quickly.

"Women typically start drinking later in life and consume less" said lead study author Karl Mann. "But there is evidence for a faster progress of the events leading to dependence among female alcoholics and an earlier onset of adverse consequences of alcoholism. This suggests that women may be more vulnerable to chronic alcohol consumption."

From Join Together Online

Mann, K., Ackermann, K., Croissant, B., Mundle, G., Nakovics, H., & Diehl, A. (2005) Neuroimaging of Gender Differences in Alcohol Dependence: Are Women More Vulnerable? Alcoholism: Clinical and Epidemiological Research, 29(5): 896-901.

See also

28% of Kids Exposed to Alcoholism

One in four children exposed to family alcohol abuse or alcoholism

A study in the January 2000 issue of the American Journal of Public Health reports that approximately one in four U.S. children (19 million children or 28.6 percent of children 0-17 years) is exposed at some time before age 18 to family alcohol dependence (alcoholism), alcohol abuse, or both.

"The design and methods of today¹s report provide the most precise estimate to date of children affected by family alcohol problems," said Enoch Gordis, M.D., Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. "Given the prevalence of alcohol abuse and alcoholism in the U.S. adult population, however, the number of exposed children shocks but regrettably does not surprise."

Estimated adult alcohol use disorders (alcohol abuse and alcoholism) and children exposed to those disorders were based on a survey of 42,862 people conducted in conjunction with the census.

Researchers used the Alcohol Use Disorders and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule (AUDADIS) to assess the presence of alcohol dependence characterized by;

  • impaired control over drinking,
  • tolerance,
  • withdrawal syndrome when alcohol is removed,
  • neglect of normal activities for drinking, and
  • continued drinking despite recurrent related physical or psychological problems)
  • and alcohol abuse; characterized by clinically significant impairment or distress that does not entail physical dependence) according to standard diagnostic criteria.

NIAAA earlier reported that 7.1 percent of American adults (14 million persons aged 18 and older) met standard diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence or alcohol abuse.

Approximately 18.2 percent of adults were estimated to experience an episode of alcohol abuse or dependence at some time during their lives.

Research has shown that families with an alcoholic member live in environments that are disorganized and unstable. Children of alcoholics may be neglected or abused and frequently face economic hardship and social isolation. They also are vulnerable to psychopathology and medical problems, including an increased risk for themselves developing alcohol abuse or alcohol alcoholism.

According to Dr. Gordis, "These findings once again call attention to the enormous impact of alcohol in our country and the need to confront its personal,  social, health, and economic consequences head on."

From a press release at EurekAlert

See also

The Power of Focus

3545 The Power of FocusThe Power of Focus

Whether they are corporate professionals, budding entrepreneurs, or they own a home business, most people are looking to achieve more in less time, while earning enough money to live comfortably.

This book reveals the proven techniques thousands of people have used to attain all of the money they wanted while living healthy, happy and balanced lives.

The Power of Focus, the new blockbuster from the co-authors of the bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul, is a practical no-nonsense guide that shows readers how to reach their business, personal and financial goals without getting burned out in the process.

Canfield, Hansen, and Hewitt have taken the best ideas from their own successful careers (seventy-nine years of combined business expertise), and distilled them into ten powerful focusing principles. The result is a treasury of insights that is enjoyable to read and easy to understand.

At the outset, the book identifies the three most important fundamentals for consistent success:

  1. developing unusual clarity;
  2. understanding that habits determine your future; and
  3. using a “no exceptions policy” approach to focus on what you want.

Numerous anecdotes and inspiring stories help to reinforce each principle.

This is a must-read for business people, sales managers, entrepreneurs, and anyone who is serious about improving their personal awareness.

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Alcohol Increases Breast Cancer Repeat Risk

Alcohol consumption increases risk of breast cancer recurrence

Moderate to heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages (at least three to four drinks per week) is associated with a 1.3 times increased risk of breast cancer recurrence. Women who are post-menopausal or overweight may be most susceptible to the effects of alcohol on recurrence. Drinking less than three drinks per week was not associated with an increased risk.

Based on these findings, Marilyn L. Kwan, Ph.D., staff scientist in the Division of Research at Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, Calif., suggested, "women previously diagnosed with breast cancer should consider limiting their consumption of alcohol to less than three drinks per week, especially women who are postmenopausal and overweight or obese."

Previous research has shown that consumption of alcohol is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, but there are limited studies to date about alcohol’s role in patient prospects and survival among those already diagnosed with breast cancer. Kwan and colleagues examined the effects of alcohol on cancer recurrence and mortality in the Life After Cancer Epidemiology (LACE) Study.

Information on wine, beer and liquor consumption was documented via questionnaire. Each year, participants also filled out information on health outcomes, including recurrence of breast cancer, which was then verified by their medical records.

After eight years of follow-up, Kwan and colleagues found 349 breast cancer recurrences and 332 deaths. Among drinkers (50 percent of the study population), wine was the most popular choice of alcohol (90 percent), followed by liquor (43 percent) then beer (36 percent). Increased risk of cancer recurrence was most predominant among those who consumed two or more glasses of wine per day.

The increased risk of recurrence appeared to be greater among participants who were postmenopausal and overweight or obese, and was present regardless of type of alcohol. Alcohol consumption was not associated with overall mortality.

“These results can help women make a more informed decision about lifestyle choices after a diagnosis of breast cancer," said Kwan.

From a press release by EurekAlert.

Elderly Drinkers at High Risk

One in Three Elderly Drinkers Face High Risk of Harm, Study Finds

One-third of drinkers over age 60 consume excessive amounts of alcohol, are at risk of dangerous interactions between alcohol and medications, or have illnesses that can be made worse by drinking, according to researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

A study of 3,308 clinic patients in California found that 34.7% of drinkers were considered high-risk, with more than half falling into at least two of the three risk categories. Patients ages 60-64 were twice as likely to be at-risk drinkers than those over age 80, and risk was also higher among drinkers who were more affluent and less educated.

The findings were published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

From; Join Together

Chemical Dependency and the Family

3017 Chemical Dependency and the Family

Everything You Need to Know about Chemical Dependence – Addiction, Alcoholism

  • Alcohol
  • Heroin
  • Amphetamines
  • Tobacco
  • Inhalants
  • Cocaine
  • Marijuana
  • Medications

By Vernon E. Johnson, D.D., founder of the Johnson Institute.

Former faculty member of Rutgers University Summer School for Alcohol Studies

Dr. Johnson compiled the most popular Johnson Institute literature on chemical dependence for this complete family guide. It includes answers to these important questions:

  • How can I recognize chemical dependence?
  • How can I avoid it?
  • How can my family solve the problems that come with it?
  • How is chemical dependence different for men, women, teenagers, children, and the elderly?
  • How can I prevent my child from using drugs?

Designed for easy access, this practical guide to prevention, intervention, and recovery will support any family who wants to keep alcohol and drugs from ruining its members’ lives.

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Order Today >> Everything You Need to Know about Chemical Dependence

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Heavy Drinking Causes Cancer

Heavy Drinking and Cancer Linked at Cellular Level

A study presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research identifies structures at the cellular level that appear to explain a link between heavy alcohol use and cancer, HealthDay News reported.

Andrea Baccarelli, who heads a research center at the University of Milan, reported that a team of investigators found the connection in looking at telomeres — structures at the end of chromosomes that shorten as people age. In comparing DNA from a group of 59 heavy drinkers with 197 individuals who drank less, the researchers found that telomeres were considerably shorter in the heavy-drinking group.

Heavy alcohol use has been linked with premature aging and earlier onset of illnesses associated with aging, such as cancer, according to the researchers.

"The decrease we found in telomere length is very sharp, and we were surprised to find such a strong effect at the cellular level," Baccarelli said.

From Join Together

  
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