Alcohol (Hanover, York County, Pa.)最新文献

{"title":"Media portrayals of alcohol use in pregnancy and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: A scoping review","authors":"Fiona J. Robards,&nbsp;Sharon Medlow,&nbsp;Elizabeth J. Elliott","doi":"10.1111/acer.70168","DOIUrl":"10.1111/acer.70168","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Little is known about media portrayals of alcohol use in pregnancy and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). The media has an important role in informing the public about the potential for alcohol harms to the unborn child and shaping community understanding and attitudes toward alcohol use in pregnancy and FASD. This scoping review aimed to identify and analyze publications that explore how alcohol use in pregnancy and FASD have been portrayed in the international media across two decades.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Five databases were searched for peer-reviewed, English-language articles published in the medical literature between January 2004 and June 2024 that reported perceptions of, or analyzed content on, alcohol use in pregnancy and FASD in a variety of media types. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes across and between different types of media.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We identified 18 relevant articles that analyzed content from newspapers (<i>n</i> = 7), online discussion forums (<i>n</i> = 4), Twitter (X, <i>n</i> = 3), Facebook (<i>n</i> = 1), television (<i>n</i> = 1), and mixed media (<i>n</i> = 2). Of these articles, 11 focused on alcohol use in pregnancy, two on FASD, and five on both. Five themes were identified: (1) Contradictions in messaging between media sources regarding alcohol harms; (2) Concerns about harm to children, mothers, and society; (3) Expectations of motherhood; (4) Stigma, stereotypes, and shame associated with alcohol use in pregnancy and FASD; and (5) Advocacy for FASD prevention and support.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Contradictory information provided within and between media sources sends mixed and potentially confusing messages about pregnancy-related alcohol harms. Messages must avoid stigmatizing pregnant women and individuals living with FASD. To raise awareness of alcohol harms and help prevent FASD, media communications must go beyond providing recommendations from alcohol use guidelines. Messaging should be culturally appropriate, strengths-based, and acknowledge the multiple drivers of alcohol use in pregnancy.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":72145,"journal":{"name":"Alcohol (Hanover, York County, Pa.)","volume":"49 11","pages":"2396-2411"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/acer.70168","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145132946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence, predictors, correlates, and dynamic changes in the NIAAA-defined “recovery” definition","authors":"John F. Kelly,&nbsp;Kyla L. Belisario,&nbsp;James MacKillop","doi":"10.1111/acer.70172","DOIUrl":"10.1111/acer.70172","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Definitions of alcohol use disorder (AUD) “recovery” abound, but the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) was the first to offer an operational definition (“AUD remission with no heavy drinking”). Little is known about this definition or how it compares to others. Greater knowledge would inform its clinical and public health utility.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Design</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Multisite, single-group, prospective study of individuals beginning a new AUD recovery attempt (<i>N</i> = 442) assessed at baseline, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months on AUD symptoms, alcohol use, and functioning/well-being. Hidden Markov models (HMMs) estimated NIAAA-defined recovery status and other recovery group statuses/transitions. Regressions tested group membership predictors; linear mixed models examined functioning/well-being.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Participants were classified into four groups depending on remission status and level of alcohol use: (i) Remission + abstinence (R + A; <i>n</i> = 102); (ii) Remission + low-risk drinking (R + LRD; <i>n</i>=51); (iii) Remission + higher-risk drinking (R + HRD; <i>n</i> = 70); (iv) No remission (NR; <i>n</i> = 219). During follow-up, groups 1 + 2 (NIAAA definition) were quite prevalent (34.6%), evincing patterns of larger psychosocial improvements compared with NR and R + HRD. R + A and R + LRD, however, differed on baseline characteristics, with R + A, similar to NR, being more severe on AUD-related metrics, whereas both remitted but still drinking groups (R + LRD, R + HRD) were less severe. Of note, R + A was the most stably remitted group; R + LRD and R + HRD were less stable, moving increasingly into NR. Unlike R + HRD, who, similar to NR, exhibited persistent lower levels of self-esteem and happiness, NIAAA-defined groups were associated with widespread improvements.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The NIAAA recovery definition was consistent with empirical outcomes exhibited by the R + A and R + LRD profiles, with both showing large psychosocial improvements, but who may represent different AUD phenotypes/stages. Despite R + A exhibiting a pattern of historically greater clinical severity, they demonstrated more stable remission compared with both the NIAAA recovery definition-inclusive R + LRD, but especially R + HRD. Ongoing alcohol use appears to destabilize remission, with heavier use associated with less psychosocial improvement and AUD reinstatement.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":72145,"journal":{"name":"Alcohol (Hanover, York County, Pa.)","volume":"49 11","pages":"2579-2591"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/acer.70172","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145132907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Alcohol consumption and rheumatoid arthritis risk: A prospective cohort study with nonlinear Mendelian randomization analysis","authors":"Qi-Sheng Guo,&nbsp;Jie Zhang,&nbsp;Ze-Yang Li,&nbsp;Jian-Wen Ye,&nbsp;Chang-Jie Du,&nbsp;Yuan-Chen Zhao,&nbsp;Dong-Qing Ye,&nbsp;Rui-Xue Leng,&nbsp;Yin-Guang Fan","doi":"10.1111/acer.70163","DOIUrl":"10.1111/acer.70163","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Previous epidemiological studies have shown a nonlinear relationship between alcohol consumption and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), though these findings may be biased by confounding factors or reverse causation. Additionally, the impact of sex on this association remains inconsistent. Therefore, we aim to investigate whether the causal link between alcohol consumption and RA risk is linear, nonlinear, or both.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Participants from the UK Biobank who provided detailed alcohol consumption information and complete covariate data were included in this study. Alcohol intake was quantified in units per week. We employed multivariable Cox models with restricted cubic splines for conventional analysis, and both linear and nonlinear Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to assess causal relationships.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Among the 316,717 participants, 3264 incident cases of RA were recorded during an average follow-up of 13.22 years. The Cox regression model suggested that the association between weekly alcohol consumption and RA incidence was an approximate U-shaped relationship, with the lowest risk at 21.95 units/week. Each unit increase in alcohol consumption was significantly associated with a lower risk of RA in women (HR: 0.991; 95% CI: 0.986, 0.996), but not in men (P for interaction &lt;0.001). However, nonlinear MR did not detect a significant nonlinear correlation between alcohol consumption and RA risk, either overall (P for nonlinearity = 0.161) or within sex subgroups. The individual-level linear MR also indicated that genetically predicted alcohol consumption is not associated with RA risk.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The overall and sex-specific associations found in conventional epidemiological analyses were not supported by either linear or nonlinear MR analyses.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":72145,"journal":{"name":"Alcohol (Hanover, York County, Pa.)","volume":"49 11","pages":"2520-2526"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145126567","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Scoping review of the effects of antihistamines on physiological responses to alcohol among individuals with natural and induced alcohol flushing reactions","authors":"Tommy Gunawan,&nbsp;Sarah S. Izabel,&nbsp;B. Eric Turnquist,&nbsp;Nancy Diazgranados,&nbsp;Vijay A. Ramchandani","doi":"10.1111/acer.70156","DOIUrl":"10.1111/acer.70156","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Individuals with a genetically driven impairment in acetaldehyde metabolism have acute alcohol sensitivity and experience a range of heightened physiological responses, including skin flushing after consuming alcohol. Some individuals consume histamine receptor antagonists (antihistamines) to block the skin flushing response. However, our knowledge of the effects of antihistamines on the physiological responses of alcohol is poor. The purpose of this scoping review was to evaluate the current evidence of the effects of antihistamines on the physiological effects of alcohol among individuals with acute alcohol sensitivity and identify gaps in this literature.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A scoping review was conducted to identify studies prior to March 2024 that administered alcohol and antihistamines to individuals with natural or induced alcohol sensitivity and examined the following physiological responses: skin flushing, heart rate, blood pressure, and skin temperature.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Seven experimental studies were identified. Antihistamines showed some evidence in reducing alcohol-induced skin flushing, which was associated with a reduction in skin temperature. Antihistamines showed inconsistent effects on alcohol-associated changes in HR and BP.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Antihistamines may attenuate alcohol skin flushing in alcohol-sensitive individuals with mixed and inconclusive effects on other physiological responses. Current evidence is limited by small sample sizes, inconsistent findings, and a lack of acetaldehyde measurement. These limitations highlight the urgent need for rigorous studies to clarify the health risks of alcohol-antihistamine co-use and to inform harm reduction strategies for vulnerable populations. Understanding these interactions is vital for public health to inform targeted education and interventions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":72145,"journal":{"name":"Alcohol (Hanover, York County, Pa.)","volume":"49 10","pages":"2117-2127"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145115075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Liver molecular networks associated with drinking behavior in nonhuman primates","authors":"Laura A. Cox,&nbsp;James B. Daunais,&nbsp;Timothy D. Howard,&nbsp;Ge Li,&nbsp;Sobha Puppala,&nbsp;Jeannie Chan,&nbsp;Zeeshan Hamid,&nbsp;Samer Gawrieh,&nbsp;Sun Mi Lee,&nbsp;Betsy Ferguson,&nbsp;Kathleen A. Grant,&nbsp;Michael Olivier","doi":"10.1111/acer.70162","DOIUrl":"10.1111/acer.70162","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Consumed ethanol is primarily metabolized by the liver, with resulting products of ethanol metabolism, acetaldehyde and salsolinol that influence brain activity and alcohol drinking behavior. Alcohol consumption in humans is highly heritable with numerous associated genetic variants. Functional variants in the <i>ADH</i> and <i>ALDH</i> genes influence liver alcohol metabolism but only account for a small percentage of variance in consumption. We hypothesized that variation in hepatic molecular networks during the induction phase, where animals consume identical amounts of alcohol, predicted variation in drinking behavior during subsequent ad libitum access in nonhuman primates (NHPs).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We studied male rhesus macaques at baseline and during the uniform consumption phase that became discordant at the later ad libitum phase. The study design increased the likelihood of identifying functional molecular differences between light drinkers (LD) and very heavy drinkers (VHD) before animals exhibited differences in drinking behavior. We analyzed liver biopsies, provided by the Monkey Alcohol and Tissue Research Resource (MATRR), collected at baseline and after 3 months of uniform consumption, using multiomic and histologic methods.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We found hepatic molecular pathways and networks differed between LD and VHD at baseline and in response to identical consumption. Notably, Sirtuin Signaling and a MYC-regulated network were significantly enriched for differentially abundant molecules in both LD and VHD response to uniform alcohol consumption. Potential epigenomic mechanisms regulating response to alcohol consumption were significantly different with LD response primarily through microRNAs, and VHD primarily through DNA methylation. Histological analysis of liver biopsies showed no liver pathologies in either group.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our findings of differences in molecular networks prior to alcohol consumption suggest genetic variation contributes to drinking phenotypes, and differences in molecular response to uniform alcohol consumption suggest epigenetic mechanisms regulating liver networks also contribute to the development and progression of drinking phenotypes in NHP.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":72145,"journal":{"name":"Alcohol (Hanover, York County, Pa.)","volume":"49 11","pages":"2470-2484"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/acer.70162","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145082470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of varenicline on major adverse liver outcomes in alcohol-associated liver disease: An exploratory analysis","authors":"Pojsakorn Danpanichkul,&nbsp;Yanfang Pang,&nbsp;Donghee Kim,&nbsp;Thanathip Suenghataiphorn,&nbsp;Donghyun Ko,&nbsp;Andrew F. Ibrahim,&nbsp;Vitchapong Prasitsumrit,&nbsp;Kwanjit Duangsonk,&nbsp;Mazen Noureddin,&nbsp;Karn Wijarnpreecha,&nbsp;Suthat Liangpunsakul","doi":"10.1111/acer.70160","DOIUrl":"10.1111/acer.70160","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Varenicline, a partial agonist of the α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, is effective for smoking cessation and has shown promise in treating alcohol use disorder (AUD). However, its impact on patients with concurrent alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) remains understudied. We aimed to evaluate the association between varenicline use and long-term clinical outcomes in this population.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the TriNetX federated network of deidentified electronic health records. Adults with diagnoses of both ALD and AUD were included. Patients prescribed varenicline were compared to those receiving FDA-approved AUD pharmacotherapies (acamprosate or naltrexone), using 1:1 propensity score matching based on demographics, comorbidities, medications, and laboratory values. The primary outcome was major adverse liver outcomes (MALO); secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality and other liver-related complications. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models over a five-year follow-up period.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A total of 1278 patients were included after matching. Varenicline use was associated with lower all-cause mortality (14.4% vs. 17.4%; HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.57–0.99) and a significantly reduced risk of hepatic encephalopathy (3.5% vs. 6.7%; HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.28–0.79). Although overall MALO rates were similar between groups (17.3% vs. 17.6%; HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.66–1.20), subgroup analyses revealed reduced MALO incidence among females and all-cause mortality among individuals aged ≥65 years.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In this real-world cohort study, varenicline use was associated with improved survival and a lower risk of hepatic encephalopathy compared to standard AUD pharmacotherapies in patients with co-occurring ALD and AUD. These findings support further investigation of varenicline as a potential therapeutic option, ideally through randomized controlled trials.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":72145,"journal":{"name":"Alcohol (Hanover, York County, Pa.)","volume":"49 11","pages":"2451-2460"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/acer.70160","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145066601","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prenatal alcohol exposure perturbs the development of radial glial cells in the fetal olfactory bulb","authors":"Yuka Imamura Kawasawa,&nbsp;Kazue Hashimoto-Torii,&nbsp;Masaaki Torii,&nbsp;Fumiaki Imamura","doi":"10.1111/acer.70161","DOIUrl":"10.1111/acer.70161","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) causes fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and is associated with various cognitive and sensory impairments, including olfactory dysfunction. While both genetic and environmental factors contribute to olfactory dysfunction, PAE is considered a significant factor affecting brain development, including the olfactory system. In this study, we investigated the impact of PAE on the developing olfactory bulb (OB), specifically focusing on OB RGCs—radial glial cells that give rise to OB projection neurons.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Ethanol was administered to pregnant mice at embryonic day (E) 11, a time point when OB RGCs generate the highest number of mitral cells—a major class of OB projection neurons. To investigate the impact of PAE on OB RGCs, BrdU was injected 30 min prior to ethanol administration to label OB RGCs in the S phase of the cell cycle. The location and differentiation of BrdU⁺ cells were subsequently examined in the developing OB at E11, E13, and E15. We also assessed whether inhibition of GABA(A) receptors could mitigate the effects induced by PAE.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>PAE was found to impair the progression of migration of OB RGC nuclei to the apical side of the ventricular zone for mitosis, indicating the inhibition of the transition from the S phase to the M phase (G2/M arrest). Therefore, PAE delays neurogenesis of OB RGCs. Importantly, our findings suggest that GABAergic signaling mediated by the mTOR signaling plays a critical role in these PAE-induced effects.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>These findings provide insights into the mechanisms by which PAE disrupts OB development by impairing neurogenesis of RGC, contributing to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of olfactory dysfunction observed in FASD.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":72145,"journal":{"name":"Alcohol (Hanover, York County, Pa.)","volume":"49 11","pages":"2494-2501"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/acer.70161","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145034780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the role of gender on treatment outcomes in older adults with alcohol use disorder","authors":"Jeppe Sig Juelsgaard Tryggedsson,&nbsp;Kjeld Andersen,&nbsp;Silke Behrendt,&nbsp;Michael P. Bogenschutz,&nbsp;Gerhard Buehringer,&nbsp;Anette Søgaard Nielsen","doi":"10.1111/acer.70164","DOIUrl":"10.1111/acer.70164","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Alcohol use disorder (AUD) among older adults, particularly with respect to gender differences in treatment outcomes, remains underexplored. Our objective was to explore gender differences in AUD treatment outcomes among older adults, focusing on continuous measures (e.g., drinks per day) and binary measures (e.g., abstinence) across a 1-year period.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We analyzed data from a multinational randomized controlled trial involving 693 older adults (60+) diagnosed with DSM-5 AUD. Participants received motivational enhancement therapy and the community reinforcement approach, across sites in Denmark, Germany, and the United States. Participants were assessed at baseline and after 4, 12, 26, and 52 weeks. Multilevel mixed-effects linear and logistic regressions were used, adjusted for sociodemographic and baseline drinking characteristics.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Both men and women showed significant improvements across all outcomes. At baseline, females reported 0.75 fewer drinks/day, 1.33 fewer drinks/drinking day, and 50% lower odds of low blood alcohol content (BAC) compared to males (OR = 0.50; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). Gender–time interactions showed smaller reductions in females' drinks per day and drinks per drinking day (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05), resulting in similar drinking levels at follow-ups. No gender differences were found at any time points for percent days abstinent and percent heavy drinking days (<i>p</i> ≥ 0.05). A significant gender–time interaction was found for percent days abstinent (<i>p</i> = 0.04), but no consistent direction was observed across time points. For abstinence and no heavy drinking, no gender differences were found (<i>p</i> ≥ 0.05). No interactions between gender and time were found for any binary outcome (<i>p</i> ≥ 0.05).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Among older adults with DSM-5 AUD diagnosis, treatment led to substantial and sustained improvements across genders. While women showed less favorable drinking reductions, adjusted estimates were broadly comparable. Given women's increased physiological vulnerability to alcohol, this may not imply equivalent clinical risk. Still, findings support the potential for meaningful treatment benefits regardless of gender.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":72145,"journal":{"name":"Alcohol (Hanover, York County, Pa.)","volume":"49 11","pages":"2553-2566"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/acer.70164","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145034752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Targeting G9a decreases escalated alcohol drinking in male mice in a model of combined stress and chronic alcohol exposure","authors":"Marcelo F. Lopez,&nbsp;Paulina Misztak,&nbsp;Howard C. Becker,&nbsp;Christopher W. Cowan,&nbsp;Ethan M. Anderson","doi":"10.1111/acer.70142","DOIUrl":"10.1111/acer.70142","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a pervasive problem in society afflicting millions of people worldwide. One reason for the prevalence of AUD is that heavy alcohol drinking can produce alcohol dependence. In addition, alcohol dependence dysregulates the body's stress systems to increase alcohol drinking. Therefore, targeting dependence- and/or stress-related alcohol drinking clinically could reduce heavy drinking in patients with AUD. One key mechanism thought to contribute to behaviors associated with AUD is long-lasting epigenetic alterations of gene expression. We recently showed that the epigenetic regulatory enzyme G9a (also known as euchromatic histone-lysine N-methyltransferase 2 or EHMT2) is downregulated in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in mice by alcohol dependence produced by the chronic intermittent alcohol (CIE) model. Also, we showed that either viral-mediated NAc G9a knockdown or a systemically administered G9a inhibitor reduced stress-potentiated alcohol drinking by the kappa-opioid agonist U50,488.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Here, we tested whether NAc G9a knockdown reduces escalated alcohol drinking in a mouse model of combined dependence plus forced swim stress (CIE + FSS) in male mice. We also tested for changes in sucrose drinking, sucrose preference, and water consumption as controls. In addition, we tested whether systemic administration of a G9a inhibitor, UNC0642, could reduce alcohol drinking in the CIE + FSS model.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We found that either NAc G9a knockdown or repeated systemic UNC0642 administration reduced escalated ethanol drinking following CIE + FSS, but without altering control levels of ethanol drinking or sucrose drinking or water drinking in male mice.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>These preclinical data suggest that reducing NAc G9a levels, or suppressing its enzymatic activity, can effectively reduce potentiated alcohol drinking produced by stress and/or alcohol dependence. These data suggest that G9a inhibition holds promise as a potential therapeutic for individuals who suffer from AUD.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":72145,"journal":{"name":"Alcohol (Hanover, York County, Pa.)","volume":"49 10","pages":"2267-2277"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/acer.70142","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145031132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Internalizing symptoms are indirectly associated with simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use through specific motives for simultaneous use: A longitudinal study of young adults","authors":"Jeffrey D. Wardell,&nbsp;Kyra N. Farrelly,&nbsp;Annabelle Moore,&nbsp;Nicolle Fox,&nbsp;Sophie G. Coelho,&nbsp;John A. Cunningham,&nbsp;Roisin M. O'Connor,&nbsp;Christian S. Hendershot","doi":"10.1111/acer.70147","DOIUrl":"10.1111/acer.70147","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study examined motivational pathways between internalizing symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress) and simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use among young adults.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Participants (<i>N</i> = 151; 64% female, Mean age = 22.07) completed baseline questionnaires assessing internalizing symptoms and simultaneous use motives, and then reported their alcohol and cannabis use each day for 21 days. Participants repeated these procedures again 6 months and 12 months postbaseline. Daily survey responses were used to calculate the number of simultaneous use days involving heavy drinking (4 or more drinks for females; 5 or more drinks for males) and light drinking at each wave for each participant. The total number of negative consequences reported across all simultaneous use days was also calculated for each participant at each wave.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Multilevel mediation analyses revealed that within-person increases in internalizing symptoms (a latent factor consisting of depression, anxiety, and stress indicators) at a given wave were indirectly associated with (a) a greater number of heavy drinking simultaneous use days (controlling for number of cannabis-only days and heavy drinking alcohol-only days) and (b) greater negative consequences on simultaneous use days (controlling for negative consequences on cannabis-only and alcohol-only days). These within-person associations were mediated by increases in positive (i.e., reward/enhancement) motives for simultaneous use. At the between-person level, greater average internalizing symptoms (aggregated across waves) were indirectly associated with more light drinking simultaneous use days via coping motives, and with fewer heavy drinking simultaneous use days via conformity motives (controlling for frequency of single substance use).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Young adults may combine cannabis with heavy episodic drinking more frequently during periods when they experience elevations in internalizing symptoms, mediated by a desire to achieve the positive/enhancing effects of simultaneous use. Findings may inform alcohol and cannabis harm reduction interventions tailored for young adults with internalizing symptoms.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":72145,"journal":{"name":"Alcohol (Hanover, York County, Pa.)","volume":"49 10","pages":"2319-2333"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/acer.70147","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145024899","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}