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Binge drinking represents a major clinical and public health concern. Here, we investigated the prevalence of binge drinking and its related consequences, in a population of young adults. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 4275 healthy subjects. In the overall sample, the percentage of binge drinkers was 67.6 per cent; among regular alcohol users, 79.5 per cent reported episodes of binge drinking. Among binge drinkers, several serious consequences were identified (staggering and stuttering, amnesia, loss of control, aggressiveness, sexual disinhibition). Raising awareness about the seriousness of binge drinking may help health care providers to identify cases early on and provide appropriate treatments.

Objective: We aimed to investigate in a clinical setting, the effects of different classes of psychotropic drugs on cardiac electrophysiological measures linked with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in a population of 1059 psychiatric inpatients studying the effects of various psychotropic drugs on the T-peak to T-end (TpTe) interval, QT dispersion and QT interval., Results: Methadone use showed a strong association with TpTe prolongation (odds ratio (OR)=12.66 (95% confidence interval (CI), 3.9-41.1), p<0.001), an effect independent from action on QT interval. Mood stabilisers showed significant effects on ventricular repolarisation: lithium was associated with a TpTe prolongation (OR=2.12 (95% CI, 1.12-4), p=0.02), while valproic acid with a TpTe reduction (OR=0.6 (95% CI, 0.37-0.98), p=0.04). Among antipsychotics, clozapine increased TpTe (OR=9.5 (95% CI, 2.24-40.39), p=0.002) and piperazine phenothiazines increased QT dispersion (OR=2.73 (95% CI, 1.06-7.02), p=0.037)., Conclusions: Treatment with psychotropic drugs influences TpTe and QT dispersion. These parameters might be considered to better estimate the sudden cardiac death risk related to specific medications. Beyond antipsychotics and antidepressants, mood stabilisers determine significant effects on ventricular repolarisation.