Substance Abuse News - Women and Substance AbuseLatest Findings, Research and Headlines2024-03-09T17:07:27-05:00urn:md5:416e72d9f47b5e6c09185c222ef2763cDotclearWomen With Alcohol-Related Liver Disease Have Greater Mortality Risk Than Menurn:md5:7546749ce744eb209d4aae41c17b61202024-03-09T16:47:00+00:002024-03-09T16:48:40+00:00System AdminWomen and Substance Abuse<p>Investigators from the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai and colleagues found that women with fatty liver disease related to alcohol consumption have almost twice the risk of dying within a certain time period than men with the same condition. The findings, published in the peer-reviewed <I>Journal of Hepatology</I>, highlight the need for women who are at risk of developing liver disease to avoid excess alcohol consumption.</p> <p>Also known as steatotic liver disease, fatty liver disease occurs when too much fat accumulates in the liver. In some people, it can lead to long-term liver damage. Steatotic liver disease is also linked with heart disease.
Causes of Steatotic Liver Disease
Experts are unsure what exactly causes steatotic liver disease, but associated factors... <a href="https://dryspace.org/index.php?post/Women-With-Alcohol-Related-Liver-Disease-Have-Greater-Mortality-Risk-Than-Men"><em>Read</em> Women With Alcohol-Related Liver Disease Have Greater Mortality Risk Than Men</a></p>Women Beer Drinkers More Likely to Develop Psoriasisurn:md5:a8b6bd5431dd0f0d5d2118cb5d9dabb02023-08-16T12:37:00+01:002023-08-17T17:40:14+01:00System AdminWomen and Substance Abuse<p>Regular beer—but not light beer or other types of alcohol—appears to be associated with an increased risk of developing psoriasis, according to a report posted online that will be published in the <i>Archives of Dermatology</i>.</p> <p>"Psoriasis is a common immune-mediated skin disease," the authors write as background information in the article. "The association between alcohol consumption and increased risk of psoriasis onset and psoriasis worsening has long been suspected. For example, individuals with psoriasis drink more alcohol than individuals without psoriasis, and... <a href="https://dryspace.org/index.php?post/2019/03/27/Women-Beer-Drinkers-Likely-to-Develop-Psoriasis"><em>Read</em> Women Beer Drinkers More Likely to Develop Psoriasis</a></p>Alcohol's Effects on Women's Sleep More Pronouncedurn:md5:9194f07d1abb657b63dbf1c60623e5452023-06-26T13:06:00+01:002023-06-27T13:45:28+01:00System AdminWomen and Substance Abuse<p>Researchers have known for decades that alcohol can initially deepen sleep during the early part of the night but then disrupt sleep during the latter part of the night; this is called a "rebound effect." A study of the influence of gender and family history of alcoholism on sleep has found that intoxication can increase feelings of sleepiness while at the same time disrupt actual sleep measures in healthy women more than in healthy men.</p> <p>Results will be published in the May 2011 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.
Alcohol Disrupts Later Sleep
"It's clear that a substantial portion of the population uses alcohol on a regular basis to help with sleep problems," said J. Todd Arnedt, assistant professor of psychiatry... <a href="https://dryspace.org/index.php?post/2019/03/27/Alcohol-s-Effects-on-Women-s-Sleep-More-Pronounced"><em>Read</em> Alcohol's Effects on Women's Sleep More Pronounced</a></p>Couples Therapy Best for Alcohol Dependent Womenurn:md5:64ddf4ad04dc08437b93bee46fc4e9352023-05-24T11:52:00+01:002023-05-25T03:08:48+01:00System AdminWomen and Substance AbuseBarbara McCrady and Elizabeth Epstein wanted to know whether cognitive behavior therapy worked better for alcohol-dependent women when delivered as couples therapy than when delivered as individual therapy. They reported recently that both treatment methods worked well, but women treated in couples therapy maintained their gains a bit better than those in individual therapy. Also, women suffering from depression in addition to alcohol-dependence did better in couples therapy. Their paper appeared in the <i>Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology</i>. <p>Epstein is an associate research professor at the Center of Alcohol Studies. McCrady, formerly a professor of psychology at Rutgers, now directs the University of New Mexico’s Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions.
Women Less Likely to Seek Treatment
Alcohol use disorders hit women particularly hard, physically and... <a href="https://dryspace.org/index.php?post/2019/03/27/Couples-Therapy-Best-for-Alcohol-Dependent-Women"><em>Read</em> Couples Therapy Best for Alcohol Dependent Women</a></p>Alcohol Ups Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrenceurn:md5:150ceeb8bc7c2ea1ad5cbfd0f8fcf5fd2023-05-10T12:45:00+01:002023-06-11T22:56:57+01:00System AdminWomen and Substance AbuseA study of early-stage breast cancer patients who were light drinkers found an increased risk for recurrence of breast cancer and mortality. In the Life After Cancer Epidemiology (LACE) study, 1,897 participants diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer between 1997 and 2000 and recruited on average 2 years post-breast cancer diagnosis were evaluated for the association between alcohol intake and breast cancer recurrence and death. <p>The women, who were generally light drinkers, were followed for an average of 7.4 years. The study reported an increase in risk of breast cancer recurrence and breast cancer death, but no effect on total mortality, to be associated with consumption of 3 to 4 or more drinks per week when compared with women not drinking following their cancer... <a href="https://dryspace.org/index.php?post/2019/03/27/Alcohol-Ups-Risk-of-Breast-Cancer-Recurrence"><em>Read</em> Alcohol Ups Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence</a></p>Cirrhosis Increasing at Alarming Rate in Younger Womenurn:md5:7571dde9fd603cbe372fd2623fc20e382020-11-18T00:13:00+00:002020-11-18T00:14:28+00:00System AdminWomen and Substance Abuse<p>Researchers have found that the burden of cirrhosis in women in North America has increased substantially in recent years, a worrying trend driven by a rise in alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Projections suggest that both ALD and NAFLD rates will result in even higher cirrhosis incidence by 2040, with the most worrisome upward trends seen in young women with ALD and post-menopausal women with NAFLD.</p> <p>"To our knowledge, this is the first population-based study to evaluate the epidemiology and natural history of cirrhosis in a large diverse cohort of North American women. This data shows that the burden of cirrhosis is increasing in women in North America, driven largely by NAFLD and ALD and will account for around 95 percent of all cirrhosis... <a href="https://dryspace.org/index.php?post/Cirrhosis-Increasing-at-Alarming-Rate-in-Young-Women"><em>Read</em> Cirrhosis Increasing at Alarming Rate in Younger Women</a></p>Older Women Drink More and Think It's 'Normal'urn:md5:8c96b676167c6554bc01b3b07f6f13ec2020-02-11T20:30:00+00:002020-02-11T20:32:38+00:00System AdminWomen and Substance Abuse<p>Women aged 50-70 are more likely than younger women to consume alcohol at levels that exceed low risk drinking guidelines - and most think that's just perfectly fine. Research has found that despite the potential health risks of exceeding national drinking guidelines, many middle-aged and older women who consume alcohol at high risk levels tend to perceive their drinking as normal and acceptable, so long as they appear respectable and in control.</p> <p>The study is a collaboration between New Edith Cowan University (ECU) and Aalborg University, Denmark, led by Dr Julie Dare from ECU's School of Medical and Health Sciences. It investigated the social construction of alcohol use among 49 women aged 50 to 69 in Denmark and Australia.
According to Australian health authorities, drinking more than... <a href="https://dryspace.org/index.php?post/Older-Women-Drink-More-and-Think-It-s-Normal"><em>Read</em> Older Women Drink More and Think It's 'Normal'</a></p>Even Low-level Alcohol Use Increases Miscarriage Riskurn:md5:ec3e7e3bc01852efd61b237baa79ce0d2019-08-09T17:25:00+01:002019-08-09T17:25:00+01:00System AdminWomen and Substance Abuse<p>Women who consume alcohol during pregnancy — even in small amounts — have a 19 percent greater risk of miscarriage than women who don't use alcohol, according to a new study by Vanderbilt researchers. The study also found that for alcohol exposure of less than five drinks per week, each additional drink per week during pregnancy was associated with a 6 percent increase in miscarriage risk.</p> <p>"Since alcohol is one of the most common exposures in early pregnancy, it's critical to understand how consumption relates to miscarriage," said Alex Sundermann, an MD/PhD student at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and the study's lead investigator. "Adverse pregnancy outcomes, like fetal alcohol syndrome, are often associated in popular... <a href="https://dryspace.org/index.php?post/Even-Low-level-Alcohol-Use-Increases-Miscarriage-Risk"><em>Read</em> Even Low-level Alcohol Use Increases Miscarriage Risk</a></p>Women With Cirrhosis Less Likely to Seek Treatmenturn:md5:2a329d05030d6c17cf33d6bd5a63d2ee2019-03-29T14:43:00+00:002019-03-29T14:47:57+00:00System AdminWomen and Substance Abuse<p>Women who have been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver due to alcohol consumption are less likely that their male counterparts to seek treatment for their alcohol abuse disorder according to a study of more than 60,000 patients.</p> <p>Alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition. Although patients with cirrhosis are routinely encouraged to stop drinking in order to reduce their mortality risk, many continue drinking and do not avail themselves of alcohol treatment.
To understand more fully the role of alcohol treatment in... <a href="https://dryspace.org/index.php?post/2019/03/29/Women-WIth-Cirrhosis-Less-Likely-to-Seek-Treatment"><em>Read</em> Women With Cirrhosis Less Likely to Seek Treatment</a></p>Many Women Ignore Alcohol-Breast Cancer Riskurn:md5:8e7c90e2afdb10208f074aa63ee968d62019-03-27T17:32:00+00:002019-03-27T21:24:55+00:00System AdminWomen and Substance Abuse<p>Middle aged women in Australia aren't getting the message about the proven link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer, at a time when more are drinking while cancer rates in their age bracket are increasing, according to a new study.</p>
<p>More women aged between 45 and 64 years aren't aware of the potential risks, and indicate negative impacts on their weight, relationships or lifestyle would more likely result in a reduction in drinking, rather then warnings about an increased risk of cancer.</p> <p>"There is a low level of awareness about the established link between alcohol and breast cancer, and some confusion about the risk given the community perception that not all drinkers get breast cancer," says study lead Dr. Emma Miller at Flinders University.
Most Common Cancer
"So it's really important to understand the patterns and drivers... <a href="https://dryspace.org/index.php?post/2019/03/27/Many-Women-Ignore-Alcohol-Breast-Cancer-Risk"><em>Read</em> Many Women Ignore Alcohol-Breast Cancer Risk</a></p>119,000 Children With FAS Born Each Yearurn:md5:a300b9e7798617941a2f3788c5b22aee2019-03-27T15:08:00+00:002019-03-27T15:09:09+00:00System AdminWomen and Substance AbuseWorldwide, an estimated 119,000 children are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) each year, a new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) shows. The study, published in <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(17)30021-9/fulltext" target="_blank"><i>The Lancet Global Health</i></a>, provides the first-ever estimates of the proportion of women who drink during pregnancy, as well as estimates of FAS by country, World Health Organization (WHO) region and worldwide. <p>Globally, nearly 10 per cent of women drink alcohol during pregnancy, with wide variations by country and WHO region. In some countries, more than 45 per cent of women consume alcohol during pregnancy. In Canada, which has clinical guidelines advising abstinence during pregnancy, an estimated 10 per cent of pregnant women still drink, which is... <a href="https://dryspace.org/index.php?post/2019/03/27/119%2C000-Children-With-FAS-Born-Each-Year"><em>Read</em> 119,000 Children With FAS Born Each Year</a></p>Over 400 Conditions Co-Occur With FASDurn:md5:7892e82b31e2182fda92c2d623343d6d2019-03-27T14:31:00+00:002019-03-27T14:31:55+00:00System AdminWomen and Substance AbuseResearchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) have identified 428 distinct disease conditions that co-occur in people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), in the most comprehensive review of its kind. <p>The results were published in The Lancet.
"We've systematically identified numerous disease conditions co-occurring with FASD, which underscores the fact that it isn't safe to drink any amount or type of alcohol at any stage of pregnancy, despite the conflicting messages the public may hear," says Dr. Lana Popova, Senior Scientist in Social and... <a href="https://dryspace.org/index.php?post/2019/03/27/Over-400-Conditions-Co-Occur-With-FASD"><em>Read</em> Over 400 Conditions Co-Occur With FASD</a></p>