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OBJETIVO: Evaluar el riesgo para el uso excesivo de etanol en personas con historia familiar positiva de consumo de alcohol (HF+). MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Los datos corresponden a una muestra de población general (n= 8 890) y fueron recopilados a partir de una encuesta nacional de adicciones en población urbana de México, realizada en 1988. Se determinaron medidas epidemiológicas de frecuencia y asociación considerando los antecedentes de HF+ como factor de exposición. RESULTADOS: La prevalencia actual del consumo consuetudinario de alcohol fue de 13.7% para los hombres y 0.6% para las mujeres, las cifras para el síndrome de dependencia fueron 9.9% para hombres y 0.6% para las mujeres. Los hombres con HF+ tienen dos veces más probabilidad de desarrollar el síndrome de dependencia que aquellos con HF-. La razón de momios en el grupo de mujeres fue de 1.27. CONCLUSIONES: Se observaron patrones diferenciales por sexo en la transmisión de problemas de consumo. El consumo de los padres representa un factor de riesgo importante para el desarrollo del síndrome de dependencia de los hijos. El texto completo en inglés de este artículo está disponible en: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.htmlOBJETIVE: To assess the risk for alcohol abuse among individuals with a positive family history of alcohol abuse (FH+). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study population was a sample (n=8 890) drawn from a 1988 national survey on addictions in Mexico City's urban population. Data analysis consisted of frequency and association measures, using family history of alcohol abuse as the exposure factor. RESULTS: Prevalence of heavy drinking was 13.7% for males and 0.6% for females. Alcohol dependence syndrome was found in 9.9% of males and 0.6% of females. Men with HF+ were twice more likely to develop dependence syndrome than HF- males. The odds ratio for women was 1.27. CONCLUSIONS: Differential patterns by gender were found for familial transmission of alcohol abuse; parental alcohol intake is a main risk factor for developing alcohol dependence syndrome. The English version of this paper is available at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html

Aims: Juvenile alcohol consumption and abuse cohort studies are rare. A three-year-long project, provided a cohort of students followed up at 16 and 18 years of age. Alcohol behaviour is supposed to link drinking patterns with psychosocial influences. A panel of 258 Italian students was interviewed in 2009 and in 2011 using a questionnaire focussed on: drinking habits, alcohol use and abuse awareness and opinions, family cohesion, personality traits self-perception and coping.Methods: Drinking patterns were identified based on Alcohol use, Intoxication and Binge Drinking by means of a multivariate analysis. The results are consistent with findings from the ESPAD study. A set of psychosocial variables used as potential predictors of three drinking patterns has been investigated adopting a Discriminant Analysis.Findings: Results contribute to “fill the gap” of the drinking pattern’s profiles. Those who do not drink to excess show a higher coping disposition and family cohesion.Conclusions: Positive influences derive from awareness of the drinking consequences since the Drinking to Intoxication and Drinking to excess are associated with low awareness of alcohol risks. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aims The minimum purchase age (MPA) for alcohol in New Zealand (NZ) was reduced from 20 to 18 years in 1999. We assessed the degree to which this change was associated with alterations in uses of drinking contexts, drinking and related problems. Methods NZ National Alcohol Surveys among people 14+ years of age provided demographics, frequencies and amounts consumed in drinking places, and problem measures for 1995, 2000 and 2004. Censored regression estimates of parameters of a context-specific dose-response model identified MPA-associated changes in drinking and problems. Results The lowered MPA was associated with more frequent drinking at pubs/nightclubs among the newly of-age 18-19-year-olds ( b = 15.26, P = 0.009), moderated drinking quantities at these places ( b = -0.94, P = 0.034) and greater quantities consumed at home ( b = 1.01, P = 0.010) and others' homes ( b = 0.87; P = 0.029). Drinking frequency and quantity in the 16-17-year age group increased at home ( b = 22.11, P = 0.040 and b = 1.22, P = 0.002) and others' homes ( b = 11.65, P = 0.002 and b = 0.91, P = 0.021). Problems associated with drinking contexts changed post-MPA (G2 ≥ 27.45, P ≤ 0.002), specifically increased association with drinking in pubs/nightclubs ( b = 0.09, P < 0.001) across both age groups. Conclusions The 1999 change in New Zealand's minimum purchase age for alcohol from 20 to 18 years appears to have been associated with substantive changes in uses of drinking contexts, drinking and associated drinking problems among 16-19-year-olds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses alcohol consumption amongst the indigenous communities of reindeer herders in the Russian North. It introduces the metaphor of the social catalyst to interpret a broad range of effects and motivations linked with drinking practices and discourses associated with alcohol. An anthropological fieldwork methodology allows entry into the sphere of cultural intimacy in order to understand morally suspicious practices usually hidden from the outside world. A non-normative approach is suggested to escape the moral trap of the 'social problem' discourse. Two main patterns of drinking practices, the 'losing face together' and the 'competitive drinking' spree are identified. Whereas the first can be associated with local traditions, the second is linked with male interaction with and within the settler communities. Transgressive practices causing loss of control are examined for their social function and the different notions of 'strength' associated with drinking practices. All of them serve either to confirm, to transcend or to abandon social boundaries, status roles and relationships, which allows us to speak about alcohol as a social catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neuroactive steroid allopregnanolone (ALLO) is a positive modulator of GABA receptors, and manipulation of neuroactive steroid levels via injection of ALLO or the 5α-reductase inhibitor finasteride alters ethanol self-administration patterns in male, but not female, mice. The Srd5a1 gene encodes the enzyme 5α-reductase-1, which is required for the synthesis of ALLO. The current studies investigated the influence of Srd5a1 deletion on voluntary ethanol consumption in male and female wildtype (WT) and knockout (KO) mice. Under a continuous access condition, 6 and 10 % ethanol intake was significantly greater in KO versus WT females, but significantly lower in KO versus WT males. In 2-h limited access sessions, Srd5a1 deletion retarded acquisition of 10 % ethanol intake in female mice, but facilitated it in males, versus respective WT mice. The present findings demonstrate that the Srd5a1 gene modulates ethanol consumption in a sex-dependent manner that is also contingent upon ethanol access condition and concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Little epidemiological evidence exists on alcohol use and related problems along the U.S.–Mexico border, although the borderlands have been the focus of recent media attention related to the escalating drug/violence “epidemic”. In the present study, the relationship of proximity of living at the border and alcohol use disorders (AUDs) is analyzed from the U.S.–Mexico Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions (UMSARC). Methods Household surveys were conducted on 2336 Mexican Americans in Texas (771 in a non-border city and 1565 from three border cities located in the three poorest counties in the U.S.) and 2460 Mexicans from the states of Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas in Mexico (811 in a non-border city and 1649 from three cities which are sister cities to the Texas border sites). Results Among current drinkers, prevalence of AUD was marginally greater ( p < 0.10) at the U.S. border compared to the non-border, but the opposite was true in Mexico ( p < 0.001), and these trends continued on both sides across volume and 5+ drinking days. Prevalence was greater in Laredo/Nuevo Laredo relative to their respective sister city counterparts on the same side. Border effects appeared greater for males than females in the U.S. and the opposite in Mexico. Conclusion The data suggest that border proximity may affect AUD in both the U.S. and Mexico, but in the opposite direction, and may be related to the relative perceived or actual stress of living in the respective communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Older adults are a growing segment of the European population and alcohol is an important cause of disease burden; thus, it is noteworthy that little information is available on alcohol intake among older adults in Europe. Objective The aim of this study was to examine alcohol consumption patterns and their association with demographic and clinical variables in the older population of Spain. Design This was a cross-sectional study. Participants/setting The sample included 3,058 individuals, representative of the Spanish population aged ≥60 years during 2008-2010. Main outcome measure Regular alcohol consumption was measured with a validated diet history questionnaire. The threshold between moderate and heavy drinking was ≥40 g alcohol/day in men (≥24 g in women). Binge drinking was defined as intake of ≥80 g alcohol in men (≥60 g in women) during any drinking occasion in the previous month, and problem drinking by a CAGE score ≥2. Statistical analysis performed The prevalence and 95% CI of the drinking patterns were calculated after accounting for sampling design. Results The prevalence of moderate drinking was 44.3% (95% CI 42.0% to 46.6%) and of heavy drinking was 7.8% (95% CI 6.7% to 8.9%). In total, 68.4% (95% CI 65.7% to 71.2%) of individuals obtained >80% of alcohol from wine and 61.8% (95% CI 58.9% to 64.6%) drank only with meals. Furthermore, 1% (95% CI 0.6% to 1.4%) showed binge drinking and 3.1% (95% CI 2.3% to 3.8%) showed problem drinking. Heavy alcohol consumption was significantly more frequent in men. Moderate alcohol consumption was significantly less frequent among women, persons who were not married, living alone, with a diagnosis of diabetes, receiving treatment for diabetes, and with suboptimal self-rated health. About 5% to 10% of individuals with diagnosed hypertension, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease showed heavy drinking. Among those taking sleeping pills or antidiabetes or antithrombotic treatment, 37% to 46% had moderate alcohol intake and 5% to 8% had heavy intake. Conclusions Alcohol consumption among older adults in Spain is frequent and mostly consistent with the traditional Mediterranean drinking pattern. However, a proportion of individuals were heavy drinkers and used medication that may interact with alcohol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The majority of Americans consume alcoholic beverages. Alcohol interacts negatively with numerous commonly prescribed medications. Yet, on a population level, little is known about use of alcohol-interactive ( AI) prescription medications among drinkers. The purpose of our study was to determine the prevalence of AI prescription medication use among current drinkers in the U.S. population. Methods Data were from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey ( NHANES 1999 to 2010); 26,657 adults aged ≥20 years had data on past year alcohol consumption and past month prescription medication use. Analyses were adjusted for covariates: age, race/ethnicity, education, marital status, and smoking. Statistical procedures accounted for survey stratification, clustering, and nonresponse. Analyses were weighted to be nationally representative. Results The unadjusted total prevalence of AI medication use was 42.8% (95% confidence interval [ CI] 41.5 to 44.0). Among current drinkers, adjusted prevalence was 41.5% ( CI 40.3 to 42.7). Among participants aged ≥65 total prevalence of AI medication use was 78.6% ( CI 77.3 to 79.9) and adjusted prevalence among current drinkers was 77.8% ( CI 75.7 to 79.7). The AI medications most commonly used by current drinkers were cardiovascular agents, central nervous system agents, and metabolic agents. Conclusions Our results suggest that there could be substantial simultaneous exposure to alcohol and AI prescription medications in the U.S. population. Given the adverse health risks of combining alcohol with AI prescription medications, future efforts are needed to collect data to determine actual simultaneous prevalence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate alcohol drinking status and the association between drinking patterns and visual impairment in an adult population in northern China. Methods: Cluster sampling was used to select samples. The protocol consisted of an interview, pilot study, visual acuity (VA) testing and a clinical examination. Visual impairment was defined as presenting VA worse than 20/60 in any eye. Drinking patterns included drinking quantity (standard drinks per week) and frequency (drinking days in the past week) Results: Information on alcohol consumption was obtained from 8445 subjects, 963 (11.4%) of whom reported consuming alcohol. In multivariate analysis, alcohol consumption was significantly associated with older age ( p < 0.001), male sex ( p < 0.001), and higher education level ( p < 0.01). Heavy intake (>14 drinks/week) was associated with higher odds of visual impairment. However, moderate intake (>1-14 drinks/week) was significantly associated with lower odds (adjusted odds ratio, OR, 0.7, 95% confidence interval, CI, 0.5-1.0) of visual impairment ( p = 0.03). Higher drinking frequency was significantly associated with higher odds of visual impairment. Multivariate analysis showed that older age, male sex, and higher education level were associated with visual impairment among current drinkers. Age- and sex-adjusted ORs for the association of cataract and alcohol intake showed that higher alcohol consumption was not significantly associated with an increased prevalence of cataract (OR 1.2, 95% CI 0.4-3.6), whereas light and moderate alcohol consumption appeared to reduce incidence of cataract. Conclusion: Drinking patterns were associated with visual impairment. Heavy intake had negative effects on distance vision; meanwhile, moderate intake had a positive effect on distance vision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This point-of-view commentary explores a selected range of issues relevant to alcoholic beverage drinking and nondrinking patterns documented by the AMPHORA European study which, with hind-sight, limits its generalizability, with fore-sight are generally inadequately considered and documented and, with ordinary insight, are not likely to affect the ongoing and future behaviors of policy making and sustaining stakeholders whatever their sources of influence and whatever the levels and quality of evidence-informed data, information, and derived knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reprint of the article "Changes in Drinking Patterns in the First Years After Onset: A Latent Transition Analysis of National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) Data" by researcher Orla McBride and others, published online on May 19, 2014 issue of the journal is presented. Topics include examination of adult drinking patterns in the U.S., onset of heavy episodic drinking and relationship between drinking behaviors and development of drinking problems.

The study applies the concept of boundary work, as developed by Lamont and Molnár to analyze how young people perceive adult drinking. It is based on eight focus groups involving young people aged 17 to 24 years conducted in Torino (IT) and Helsinki (FI). The study contributes to understand why different orientations towards heavy drinking persist in the two geographical regions. In Italy young people draw explicit boundaries between theirs’ and adults’ drinking and between proper and deviant drinking, so that their boundary work results in producing social norms that are shared with adults, except for drunkenness, which is seen as normal for young people but not for adults. In Finland young people distance themselves from adults’ drinking situations, and describe them in terms of light versus heavy drinking, yet without making distinctions between proper and improper drinking in each situation, thereby articulating an absence of explicit norms against drunkenness. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Background: This study examined changes in alcohol drinking patterns (DP) and associated variables in a Mediterranean country. Methods: Changes in DP between baseline (2008–2010) and follow-up (2012–2013) were examined on a Spanish population-based cohort of 2254 adults (18–59 years) using multinomial logistic regression. Heavy consumption was defined as ≥40g/day of alcohol in men (≥24g/day in women) and binge drinking (BD) as the intake of ≥80g of alcohol in men (≥60g in women) on one occasion in the previous month. Six patterns were defined: (1) non-drinkers; (2) ex-drinkers; (3) moderate drinkers without BD (MNB); (4) moderate drinkers with BD (MB); (5) heavy drinkers without BD (HNB); and (6) heavy drinkers with BD (HB). Results: Overall, 45.2% of participants changed DP during follow-up. Over 24% of non-drinkers and 19.4% of ex-drinkers at baseline qualified as MNB at follow-up. The largest flow was from HNB to MNB (57.1%). Light-drinking patterns experienced the largest gains (ex-drinkers: 37.5% and MNB: 66.7%) by absorbing individuals lost by heavy-drinking patterns (MB: 50.8% and HNB: 48.4%). Men, younger individuals, and current smokers were more likely to report heavy-drinking patterns at one or both assessments. Being married or employed increased the likelihood of reporting light-drinking patterns at both surveys (p <0.05). Improving physical quality of life and exercise were associated with a shift from light- to heavy-drinking pattern during follow-up (p <0.05). Conclusions: DP in Spain changed over 3 years with a tendency to “regress” toward moderate patterns. Repeated measures of alcohol intake may reduce classification errors and biased results when examining the impact of alcohol on health. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Moderate alcohol intake has been related to lower mortality. However, alcohol use includes other dimensions beyond the amount of alcohol consumed. These aspects have not been sufficiently studied as a comprehensive entity. We aimed to test the relationship between an overall alcohol-drinking pattern and all-cause mortality. In a Mediterranean cohort study, we followed 18 394 Spanish participants up to 12 years. A validated 136-item FFQ was used to assess baseline alcohol intake. We developed a score assessing simultaneously seven aspects of alcohol consumption to capture the conformity to a traditional Mediterranean alcohol-drinking pattern (MADP). It positively scored moderate alcohol intake, alcohol intake spread out over the week, low spirit consumption, wine preference, red wine consumption, wine consumed during meals and avoidance of binge drinking. During the follow-up, 206 deaths were identified. For each 2-point increment in a 0–9 score of adherence to the MADP, we observed a 25 % relative risk reduction in mortality (95 % CI 11, 38 %). Within each category of alcohol intake, a higher adherence to the MADP was associated with lower mortality. Abstainers (excluded from the calculations of the MADP) exhibited higher mortality (hazard ratio 1·82, 95 % CI 1·14, 2·90) than participants highly adherent to the MADP. In conclusion, better adherence to an overall healthy alcohol-drinking pattern was associated with reduced mortality when compared with abstention or departure from this pattern. This reduction goes beyond the inverse association usually observed for moderate alcohol drinking. Even moderate drinkers can benefit from the advice to follow a traditional MADP. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Aims: We present methodology to identify statistically distinct patterns of daily alcohol use and classify them into categories that could be further used in monitoring of transitions between patterns such as transitions from regular to problem use. Data: The study analyzed individual patterns of adult alcohol consumption from two datasets containing short (<6 month) and long (up to 2years) daily records of drinking. These data were collected over the period between 1999 and 2003. Results: By using a non-parametric (Kolmogorov–Smirnov) test we have identified distinct drinking patterns and classified them into 8 types according to their means, percentages of non-drinking days and variances of consumed amount during drinking days. For each studied individual we calculated a transition chart that characterizes transitions between the types. Conclusions: Individual daily consumption patterns can be identified, and classified into distinct patterns. Changes between the patterns could be related to life events or environmental trends, and thus provide insights into pathways towards either heavier use or recovery. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background Most alcohol-related research has focused on northern and eastern Europe and the United States. Data on Mediterranean countries point to drinking patterns approaching the sporadic and excessive patterns found in northern and eastern Europe. This is the first study to estimate the prevalence of binge drinking ( BD) and the joint distribution of BD, regular heavy alcohol consumption, and alcohol abuse or dependence ( AAD) in a nationally representative sample of the adult population of Spain. Methods Cross-sectional study conducted in 2008 to 2010 with 9,130 persons aged 18 to 64 years. BD was defined as intake of ≥80 g of alcohol in men (≥60 g in women) during any drinking occasion in the previous month, with ≥3 BD episodes discriminating between frequent and sporadic BD. Regular alcohol consumption was measured with a validated diet history, and the threshold between moderate and heavy drinking was ≥40 g of alcohol/d in men (≥24 g in women). AAD was defined by a CAGE score ≥2. Results BD prevalence was 10% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.8 to 11.2) in men and 4.2% (95% CI: 3.5 to 4.8) in women, and proved highest among 18- to 24-year-olds (19.5% in men and 10.3% in women). During the latest BD episode, men consumed a mean of 114 g of alcohol versus 85.3 g in women; spirits accounted for 65.2 and 66.2% of total intake, respectively. The mean number of monthly BD episodes was 2.3 in men and 2 in women. Among binge drinkers, 61% were 18- to 34-year-olds, over 80% had regular moderate drinking, 25% reported frequent BD, and 22.8% reported AAD. In multivariate analyses, sporadic BD and frequent BD were associated with AAD independently of regular alcohol intake. Conclusions Prevalence of BD in Spain is moderately high. Prevention interventions should consider that the majority of binge drinkers are young men with regular moderate consumption and no AAD traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To describe and discuss the alcohol drinking patterns of the younger generation of hospital doctors in Norway and Germany – respectively the abstainers, frequent drinkers, episodic heavy drinkers and hazardous drinkers.Methods: Data were collected in nationwide postal surveys among doctors in Norway (2000) and Germany (2006). A representative sample of 1898 German and 602 Norwegian hospital doctors aged 27–65 years were included in the analyses (N=2500). Alcohol drinking patterns were measured using the first three items of AUDIT in Norway and the AUDIT-C in Germany, scores of ≥5 (ranking from 0 to 12) indicating hazardous drinking. Episodic heavy drinking was defined by the intake of ≥60g of ethanol, on one occasion, at least once a week. Frequent drinkers were who drank alcoholic beverages at least twice a week. Abstainers were persons who drank no alcohol. The analyses were performed separately for age groups (27–44 years versus 45–65 years) and genders. Results: Compared to the age groups 45 to 65 years in the Norwegian and German samples, the younger age groups (27–44 years) tend to have higher rates of abstainers, higher rates of infrequent drinking of moderate amount of alcoholic drinks, lower rates of episodic heavy drinking and lower rates of hazardous drinking. Conclusion: The younger generation of hospital doctors in Norway and Germany showed tendencies to healthier drinking habits. Changes in professional life, and in the attitude towards alcohol consumption, may go some way towards explaining these findings.

Abstract: Background: Uni-dimensional measures of alcohol consumption may be unable to fully capture the complexity of adolescent drinking and experience of alcohol-related harms. Latent class analysis provides an empirical method to understand different adolescent drinking patterns. Methods: Latent class analysis was used to create typologies of drinking among the 5018 current drinkers in the national Youth ‘07 survey. Determinants of drinking patterns were identified using multinomial logistic regression. Results: Four latent classes were identified, demonstrating an overall increase in risk of alcohol-related outcomes from increasing consumption. One class strongly deviated from this pattern, having moderate consumption patterns but disproportionately high levels of alcohol-related problems. Multinomial logistic regression found that the strongest predictors of belonging to high-risk drinking typologies were having a positive attitude to regular alcohol use, buying own alcohol, peers using alcohol, and obtaining alcohol from friends and/or other adults. Other significant predictors included being male, having a strong connection to friends, having parents with a low level of knowledge of their daily activities and poor connection to school. Class membership also varied by ethnicity. Conclusion: The latent class approach demonstrated variability in alcohol-related harms across groups of students with different drinking patterns. Longitudinal studies are necessary to determine the causes of this variability in order to inform the development of targeted policy and preventative interventions. Legislative controls, such as increasing the legal purchase age and reducing the commercial availability of alcohol, will continue to be important strategies for reducing harm in young people. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify how the drinking patterns of a generation on the paternal side affect those of the next generations by estimating the number of high-risk drinkers by generation according to the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test. Methods: Data were selected from the 2009 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and were analyzed using SPSS 18.0. Results: Later generations started drinking earlier (62.4%, 71.8% and 91.1%, respectively). The majority of the second generation consumed more than 2–4 drinks a month (83.7%), but only a small proportion experienced difficulty in everyday life (9.6%), felt repentance (9.6%), or experienced memory loss (17.9%) after drinking. Unmarried third-generation adults with high-risk-drinking fathers reported more frequent alcohol consumption [odds ratio (OR) 1.441), greater amounts on one occasion (>7 cups for men, OR 1.661; > 5 cups for women, OR 2.078), temperance failure (OR 2.377), and repentance after drinking (OR 1.577). Unmarried third-generation adults with high-risk-drinking grandfathers consumed greater amounts of alcohol on one occasion (OR 3.642), and unmarried third-generation women more frequently consumed large amounts of alcohol (>5 cups, OR 4.091). Unmarried third-generation adults with high-risk-drinking fathers were more likely to exhibit high-risk drinking patterns (OR 1.608). Second-generation individuals from a high-risk-drinking first generation were more likely to engage in high-risk drinking (OR 3.705). Conclusion: High-risk drinking by a generation significantly affects the high-risk drinking patterns of subsequent generations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background and aims: To estimate the association between patterns of alcohol consumption and biomarkers of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. Methods and results: Cross-sectional study among 10,793 individuals representative of the Spanish population aged ≥18 years. The threshold between moderate and heavy drinking was 40 g of alcohol/day in men and 24 g/day in women. Binge drinking was defined as intake of ≥80 g of alcohol in men and ≥60 g in women at any drinking occasion in the preceding 30 days. Analyses were performed with generalized linear models with adjustment for the main confounders, and results were expressed as the percentage change in the geometric mean (PCGM). Compared to non-drinkers, moderate and heavy drinkers had progressively higher serum HDL-cholesterol, with a PCGM ranging from 4.8% (95% CI: 3.7–6.0%) in moderate drinkers without binge drinking (MNB) to 9.6% (5.1–14.2%) in heavy drinkers with binge drinking (HB). Fibrinogen decreased progressively with alcohol intake, from −2.2% (−3.1 to −1.3%) in MNB to −5.8% (−9.4 to −2.0%) in HB. Leptin, glycated hemoglobin and the HOMA-index also decreased with increasing alcohol intake, and particularly with binge drinking. Conclusions: Moderate alcohol intake is associated with improved HDL-cholesterol, fibrinogen and markers of glucose metabolism, which is consistent with the reduced CHD risk of moderate drinkers in many studies. Heavy and binge drinking were also associated with favorable levels of CHD biomarkers; since these drinking patterns produce substantial health harms, our results should not be used to promote alcohol consumption. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: In order to successfully address excessive alcohol consumption it is essential to have a means of measuring the drinking patterns of a nation. Owing to the multi-dimensional nature of drinking patterns, usual survey methods have their limitations. The aim of this study was to make use of extremely detailed diary survey data to demonstrate a method of combining different survey measures of drinking in order to reduce these limitations. Methods: Data for 1724 respondents of the 2000/01 National Diet and Nutrition Survey was used to obtain a drinking occasion dataset, by plotting the respondent's blood alcohol content over time. Drinking frequency, level and variation measures were chosen to characterise drinking behaviour and usual behaviour was estimated via statistical methods. Results: Complex patterns in drinking behaviour were observed amongst population subgroups using the chosen consumption measures. The predicted drinking distribution combines diary data equivalent coverage with a more accurate proportion of non-drinkers. Conclusions: This statistical analysis provides a means of obtaining average consumption measures from diary data and thus reducing the main limitation of this type of data for many applications. We hope that this will facilitate the use of such data in a wide range of applications such as risk modelling, especially for acute harms, and burden of disease studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objectives: To examine the association between alcohol drinking patterns and health-related quality of life (HRQL). Methods: Population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 2008–2010 among 12,715 adult individuals in Spain. HRQL was assessed with the SF-12 questionnaire and alcohol intake with a diet history. The threshold between average moderate drinking and average heavy drinking was ≥40g/day of alcohol in men and ≥24g/day in women. Binge drinking was defined as the intake of ≥80g in men and ≥60g in women at any drinking session during the preceding 30days. Analyses were performed with linear regression and adjusted for the main confounders. Results: Compared to non-drinkers, all types of average drinkers reported better scores on the SF-12 physical component: β=1.42 (95% confidence interval 1.03 to 1.81) in moderate drinkers and β=1.86 (1.07 to 2.64) in heavy drinkers. In contrast, average alcohol consumption was not associated with the mental component of the SF-12. The number of binge drinking episodes and most types of beverage preference showed no association with physical or mental HRQL. Conclusions: Alcohol drinkers, including those with heavy drinking, reported better physical HRQL than non-drinkers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background Although there have been a wide range of epidemiological studies examining the impact of patterns of alcohol consumption among adolescents, there remains considerable variability in both defining these patterns and the ability to comprehensively evaluate their relationship to behavioural patterns. This study explores a new procedure for defining and evaluating drinking patterns and integrating well-established indicators. The composite measure is then used to estimate the impact of these patterns on alcohol-related aggressive behaviour among Italian adolescents. Methods Data were collected as part of the 2011 European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD). A national sample of 14,199 students aged 15-19 years was collected using an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire completed in a classroom setting. Drinking patterns were established using principal component analysis. Alcohol-related aggression was analysed as to its relationship to patterns of drinking, behaviour of friends towards alcohol use, substance use/abuse, school performance, family relationships and leisure activities. Results Several specific drinking patterns were identified: "Drinking to Excess" (DE), "Drinking with Intoxication" (DI) and "Drinking but Not to Excess" (DNE). A higher percentage of males were involved in alcohol-related aggression compared with females. In males, the DE and DI patterns significantly increased the likelihood of alcohol-related aggression, whereas the DNE pattern was negatively associated. Similar results were found in females, although the DI pattern was not significantly associated with alcohol-related aggression. Overall, cigarette smoking, illegal drug use, truancy, limited parental monitoring, frequent evenings spent outside of the home and peer influence associated strongly with alcohol-related aggression. Conclusions Our findings suggest that drinking patterns, as uniquely monitored with an integrated metric, can: 1) explain drinking habits better than commonly used indicators of alcohol use and 2) provide a better understanding of behavioural risks such as alcohol-related aggression. Environmental background also appears to strongly associate with this type of aggressive behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Schedules of intermittent food delivery induce excessive fluid intake, termed schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP), and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activation is important for the expression and maintenance of this adjunctive behavior. Previous work has focused on examining the relationship between water intake and plasma corticosterone (CORT) in rats at a single or a limited range of fixed time (FT) intervals. However, little remains known regarding SIP and the corresponding stress response (1) across the bitonic function that epitomizes adjunctive behavior, (2) when ethanol is the available fluid, and (3) when a species other than rat or multiple strains are studied. Here we report the findings from ethanol-preferring C57BL/6J (B6) and non-preferring DBA/2J (D2) mice serially exposed to progressively larger FT intervals (0→60min) and given access to either water or a 5% (v/v) ethanol solution. Following 2 weeks of experience with each schedule, blood samples were collected at the conclusion of the last 60-min session to evaluate CORT and the blood ethanol concentration (BEC) achieved. While both strains exhibited a bitonic function of ethanol intake and BEC that peaked at or near a 5-min interval, only D2 mice showed a similar response with water. In contrast, CORT levels rose monotonically with incremental increases in the FT interval regardless of the strain examined or fluid type offered, indicating that glucocorticoid release likely reflects the aversive aspects of increasing intervals between reinforcement rather than engagement in adjunctive behavior. These findings also caution against the use of a single intensity stressor to evaluate the relationship between stress and ethanol intake, as the magnitude of stress appears to affect ethanol consumption in a non-linear fashion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The food, water and sodium intake of laboratory rats fluctuates over the circadian and estrous cycles. Blood calcium and calcium-regulating hormones also wax and wane in response to these cycles, raising the possibility that the same might be true of calcium intake. To investigate this, we monitored the fluid intakes of female Long-Evans rats given a choice between water and 10mM CaCl2 solution for two consecutive estrous cycles. We found that calcium solution intake changed over the circadian cycle in a similar manner to water intake; the preference scores for CaCl2 solution remained stable. We did not detect any changes in calcium solution intake or preference scores during the estrous cycle despite a decrease in fluid intake at estrus. Thus, fluctuations in intake of calcium solution during the circadian cycle appear to be nonspecific and probably the result of changes in fluid balance. Estrous changes either do not influence calcium intake or their effects are masked by other factors, resulting in stable levels of calcium intake. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background Exposure to permissive minimum legal drinking age ( MLDA) laws not only affects young adults in the short term, but also later in life; for example, individuals who could legally purchase alcohol before the age of 21 are more likely to suffer from drinking problems as older adults, long after the laws had been changed. However, it is not known how permissive MLDA exposure affects specific drinking behavior. This present study uses changes in MLDA laws during the 1970s and 1980s as a natural experiment to investigate the potential impact of permissive MLDA exposure on average alcohol consumption, frequency of drinking, and patterns of binging and more moderate, nonheavy drinking. Methods Policy exposure data were paired with alcohol use data from the 1991 to 1992 National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey and the 2001 to 2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Past-year drinkers born between 1949 and 1972 ( n = 24,088) were included. Average daily intake, overall drinking frequency, and frequency of both binge episodes (5+ drinks) and days without a binge episode (nonheavy drinking) for the previous year at the time of interview were tracked for each respondent. Results Exposure to permissive MLDAs was associated with higher odds to report frequent binging and lower odds to report any moderate drinking; these associations were largely driven by men and those who did not attend college. Overall drinking frequency and average alcohol consumption were not affected by MLDA exposure. Conclusions The ability to legally purchase alcohol before the age of 21 does not seem to increase overall drinking frequency, but our findings suggest that it is associated with certain types of problematic drinking behaviors that persist into later adulthood: more frequent binge episodes and less frequent nonheavy drinking. We also propose that policymakers and critics should not focus on college drinking when evaluating the effectiveness of MLDAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Numerous studies have documented a profound reduction in alcohol use among pregnant women, whereas research on expectant fathers has been scarce. The aim of this study was to measure changes in alcohol consumption from before pregnancy to 17 weeks in gestation for mothers and fathers, differentiating between parents with and without any previous children, and to measure how level and change in alcohol consumption into early pregnancy was associated with relationship satisfaction. Methods: The data collection was conducted as part of the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. This cohort now includes 108 000 children, 90 700 mothers and 71 500 fathers recruited from 1999 to 2008. The present study comprises 82 362 couples. Alcohol consumption was assessed using a questionnaire including items about usual drinking frequency, quantities, and number of occasions with heavy episodic drinking (HED). Relationship satisfaction was measured by five items scored on a Likert agreement scale. Results: The findings indicate that both mothers and fathers reduce their drinking significantly during pregnancy. Reduction was apparent for all three measures of alcohol consumption. First-time fathers reduced their alcohol consumption more than experienced fathers, from initially higher levels. The gap between the fathers and their pregnant partner was greater for first-time parents compared to parents with previous children. Drinking pre-pregnancy and relationship satisfaction during pregnancy were weakly related within each partner, whereas no association across partners was observed. Conclusions: Both expectant mothers and fathers changed their alcohol consumption patterns when expecting a child. Almost all mothers stopped drinking, whereas fathers reduced their drinking to a considerable degree. Relationship satisfaction was only slightly related to their drinking patterns. The findings may have important policy implications, mainly with regard to developing alcohol preventive strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Associations between low socio-economic class and alcohol use disorders are relatively well established in developed countries; however, there is comparably little research in India and other developing countries on the associations between socio-economic class, drinking patterns, and alcohol-related problems. We sought to assess drinking patterns and adverse outcomes among male drinkers and examine whether the association between drinking patterns and adverse outcomes differ by socioeconomic class. Methods: Population survey of 732 male drinkers screened from 1,899 men, aged 18 to 49 years, randomly selected from rural and urban communities in northern Goa, India. Results: Usual quantity of alcohol consumed by 14.8 % (rural 16.8 %; urban 13.6 %) current drinkers is at high-risk level. About 28.6 % (rural 31 %; urban 27.2 %) and 33.7 % (rural 30.5 %; urban 35.5 %) of current drinkers reported monthly or more frequent heavy episodic drinking and drunkenness, respectively. Lower education and lower standard of living (SLI) were associated with higher usual quantity of alcohol consumption. More frequent heavy episodic drinking was associated with older age, being separated, lower education, and lower standard of living; weekly or more frequent drunkenness was associated only with rural residence. All three risky drinking patterns were associated with common mental disorders, sexual risk, intimate partner violence, acute alcohol-related consequences, and alcohol dependence. Significant interactions between SLI and risky alcohol use patterns suggested an increased risk of intimate partner violence among men with risky drinking and lower SLI. Conclusions: Risky drinking patterns are common among male drinkers in Goa and associated with lower socio-economic class. A range of adverse health and social outcomes were associated with risky drinking across all socio-economic classes. Alcohol policy should target risky drinking patterns, particularly among poorer men, to reduce the health and social burden of alcohol use in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aim: This study examines the prevalence of and risk factors for alcohol-related harm and types of harm among medical students from Hanoi Medical University (Vietnam). Risk factors include aspects of drinking patterns and relevant socio-demographic variables. Study Design and Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 1st to 6th year students (N=1216; response rate 96.5%). Of these, 210 students from each academic year were randomly selected from a sampling frame covering all students from each academic year. Data were collected using a questionnaire distributed in class by researchers. Drinkers completed 23 questions on alcohol-related harm categorized into: 1) 'negative influence on daily activities'; 2) 'social conflict'; 3) 'loss of control, acute consequences, and withdrawal'; 4) 'mental health conditions'; and 5) 'physical and medical health problems'. Logistic and Poisson regression models were used to identify the predictors of alcohol-related harm and the amount of harm, respectively. Results: The prevalence of alcohol use associated with at least one or more of the five types of harm was higher in men (81.8%) than in women (60.4%). In female and male students, the most common harm category was 'loss of control, acute consequences, and withdrawal' (51.8 and 75.6%, respectively), followed by 'negative influence on daily activities' (29.4 and 55.8%, respectively). Age, living away from home, and average number of standard drinks per occasion among male drinkers, and age and frequency of drinking per week among female drinkers were associated with alcohol-related harm. Conclusions: These data suggest that alcohol-related harm represents a serious public health problem among young educated individuals in Vietnam. The risk factors indicate that prevention should be aimed at aspects of drinking patterns and specific subpopulations defined by gender, age, and (for men only) type of living situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To assess relationships between area level deprivation and drinking patterns among adolescents. Method: This study uses data from the national New Zealand Alcohol Survey 2004 comprising 1828, age range 12–19 years. A multilevel linear regression was conducted using NZDep2001 (a composite deprivation measure) as the exposure and alcohol use (quantity and frequency) as outcome. Results: A J-shaped association was observed between area level deprivation and quantity of adolescents’ alcohol use after controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, and individual socioeconomic position; where adolescents living in the most deprived areas consumed the heaviest quantities of alcohol. No association was found for frequency of drinking. Conclusion: This study found a J-shaped relationship between area-level disadvantage and increased quantities consumed, where adolescents living in the most deprived areas typically consumed the heaviest quantities of alcohol. However, our study has also highlighted that future research may better isolate an independent relationship between deprivation and consumption in adolescents by accounting for structural variables related to both deprivation and consumption, such as alcohol outlet density [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Water is one of the fundamental requirements of life but there has been little study on the use of water by free-ranging wildlife communities. We investigated the timing of waterhole use by African fauna using webcams to determine whether this mode of data collection was viable, to determine whether animals drank randomly throughout the day, whether there were differences between guilds in waterhole use and finally we created a relative rank of water dependency by comparing waterhole use with the relative abundance of species at Kruger and Pilanesberg National Parks. We used webcams sited at waterholes in South Africa's Kruger and Pilanesberg, Madikwe Game Reserve and Tembe Elephant Park, and Botswana's Mashatu Game Reserve to remotely monitor waterhole use at random times throughout the day. Over the 16-month study period, 1546 observations were made of 30 species at waterholes, with elephants (Loxodonta africana) and impala (Aepyceros melampus) being the most frequently observed species. There was a high degree of diurnal overlap in waterhole use amongst the herbivores, but they partitioned the time of peak waterhole use. Large predators were largely nocturnal while their prey was invariably diurnal. The index of relative water use showed that hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) and blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) were highly water-dependent, whereas lion (Panthera leo), spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta) and kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) appear relatively water independent. African fauna may partition waterhole use to avoid competition and predation. The use of webcams is a novel technique to allow remote monitoring of aspects of the ecology of African wildlife at minimal cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This literature review examines alcohol prices and taxes as potential prevention strategies--examining the links with high-risk drinking and drinking patterns and alcohol-related harm. A literature search of the studies on alcohol price and taxation was conducted using multiple electronic bibliographic databases. Examined outcomes were a) drinking patterns and high risk drinking; and b) harm from alcohol. Fifty-four relevant studies were evaluated, and the majority found that a change in price or taxes on alcohol had an impact on one or more of the two main outcome variables. Significant variations exist across studies in terms of designs, settings, effects across groups, and types of harm. In order to reduce alcohol-related trauma, chronic disease, and other consequences of high-risk drinking, an increase in pricing/taxation is a central component of an overall alcohol strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Aims To examine the proportion of self-reported alcohol consumed by different gender and age groups in Brazil over the past year, and to examine whether the 'prevention paradox' applies to Brazilian data on alcohol-related problems. Design A multi-stage cluster sample, representative of the Brazilian household population. Setting This study was conducted in Brazil between November 2005 and April 2006. Participants Respondents were aged ≥ 14 years (n = 3007). Measurements Measures included past year estimates of (i) number of standard drinks, (ii) frequency of binge drinking, and (iii) alcohol-related problems. Findings The survey response rate was 66.4%. The top 2.5% of the drinkers by volume consume 14.9%, the top 5% consume 27.4% and the top 10% consume 44.2% of all alcohol consumed in Brazil. Men consume 77.8% of the total alcohol, and 18-29-year-olds consume 40.3%. Individuals below risky drinking guidelines for weekly volumetric intake account for 49-50% of all problem drinkers and 45-47% of all problem types reported. Individuals who do not binge or who binge infrequently (1-3 times/year) account for 50-51% of all problem drinkers and 45-46% of all reported problem types. Most binge drinkers are low-volume drinkers. Conclusions Consistent with the prevention paradox literature, most drinking problems in Brazil are associated with low or moderate drinking. Binge drinking accounts more clearly for the distribution of alcohol problems than total volume consumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to examine whether there is evidence of a "taming" of drinking patterns and a decrease in the rate of harms per each liter of alcohol consumed during the time when Finland transformed from a spirits-drinking country with a low alcohol consumption level to a beer-drinking country with a high level of consumption. According to the results, there has been a nearly constant increase in both alcohol consumption and related harm. Results on harms-per-liter were ambiguous, with stronger increases for chronic than for acute harm and stronger increase in register-based aggregate-level data than in survey data. The same amounts of alcohol are nowadays drunk more slowly than before. Overall, there is no compelling evidence in the data that Finnish drinking patterns would have become more moderate or that Finnish drinking habits would have been tamed. The Finnish case, then, does not lend support to reduction of intoxication-related drinking problems through modifying beverage preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A cross-sectional retrospective design was employed to examine the relationship between age at menarche (AAM) and alcohol use patterns from middle childhood (age 7) to early adulthood in 265 University-aged women. Earlier menarche was associated with: (a) earlier ages at first drink and first intoxication, (b) greater use between ages 9 and 14 (i.e., frequency, amount, vomiting), and (c) binge drinking between ages 11 and 14. In contrast, late menarche was associated with greater current use in the adult women (i.e., frequency, amount, hangovers). Early timing of first intoxication relative to menarche (FIRM) strongly predicted higher current drinking. These findings suggest: (a) a link between AAM and alcohol use as early as age 9, (b) opposite relationships between AAM and alcohol use during two distinct developmental periods separated by a period of use unassociated with AAM, and (c) that the impact of early FIRM on adult consumption deserves further study. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction and Aims. Significant changes have occurred in the alcohol environment in New Zealand recently and there has been debate about how trends in alcohol consumption may currently look. This paper reports trends in drinking over three general population samples in New Zealand. Design and Methods. Three nationally representative comparable surveys were analysed for trends in: prevalence of drinking, typical occasion quantity, annual frequency and heavier drinking (5+ drinks). Analyses assessed the mean difference of the measures at each year point. Adjustments for multiple comparisons were made. Analysis was undertaken for age and separately for gender. Results. Increases in quantities consumed on a typical occasion occurred for the majority of age groups between 1995 and 2000. Women were as likely as men to increase the quantities they consumed. Observing differences between age groups found that young people tended to show the greatest increases in quantity (including heavier drinking) and frequency of consumption between 1995 and 2000. Drinking levels remained relatively stable between 2000 and 2004 with the exception of increases in abstention for some of the younger groups and increases in quantities consumed and heavier drinking among some of the older men. Discussion and Conclusions. Increases in quantities consumed per occasion have occurred almost across the board between 1995 and 2000 in New Zealand. Women were as likely as men to increase the quantities they consumed. Young people tended to show the greatest increases in quantity (including heavier drinking) and frequency of consumption between 1995 and 2000. Drinking remained relatively stable between 2000 and 2004.[Huckle T, You RQ, Casswell S. Increases in quantities consumed in drinking occasions in New Zealand 1995-2004. Drug Alcohol Rev 2011;30:366-371] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat maps are presented here as an innovative technique for evaluating longitudinal drinking outcomes. The Life Transitions Study followed alcohol dependent individuals for 2.5 years during 2004--2009 in a Midwestern city ( N == 364). The TimeLine Follow-Back obtained drinking information. Heat map results were compared with those obtained using growth mixture modeling. Heat map classes differed significantly on baseline clinical and demographic indicators. Data were gathered with support from NIAAA R01AA014442. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which investigated promotive and risk factors of hazardous drinking across different levels including community, family, and individual levels in Air Force personnel. The study identified predictors of women's and men's hazardous drinking. It notes that difference in severity of drinking problems are best explained by a set of predictors among risky drinkers. It says that the study helped identify targets for drinking problem prevention at various levels.