Health News

Drinkers Stay in Hospitals Longer, Cost More
Heavy drinkers are known to have increased risk for several health related problems. In addition, drinking could be related to longer recovery time from hospital visits.
Kids Say Maybe to Alcohol and Cigarettes
Tweens , or children aged 10-12, are among the most impressionable age groups, and currently they are decidedly ambivalent towards cigarettes and alcohol. What can be done to change their minds?
Binge Drinking in Kids Linked to Onscreen Boozing
Teens who binge drink can put themselves at risk of serious problems, including a greater chance of developing alcohol addiction later in life. Now, a new study says that part of the problem may be attributed to the movies that kids watch. Researchers from institutions in Germany, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Scotland studied 16,551 students between the ages of 10 and 19 and found that kids who watched the most instances of drinking in films were more likely to have engaged in at least one episode of binge drinking, which is consuming more than five drinks on a single occ...
Trouble Applying New Knowledge for Alcoholics
Continuous excessive drinking can cause changes in the brain related to functional and physiological activity - which may hinder alcoholics’ ability to process information, and, importantly, to stop drinking. The research suggests that people who have alcohol dependence (AD) have problems transferring and applying new knowledge to additional contexts. The lack of ability to apply knowledge to new situations may also hurt their ability to quit drinking. Treatment of addiction continues to improve - ask for new treatments. "AD individuals often have problems applying the knowled...
Alcoholics Often Had Traumatic Childhood
There are many reasons that a person may begin drinking heavily. Stress, depression, and mental health are all factors. One of the biggest reasons may be a traumatic experience or abuse during childhood. Previous studies have suggested that alcoholics are much more likely to have been physically or sexually abused as children. New research adds that emotional abuse and neglect may be equally important factors. Get professional help if you suspect child abuse. Markus Heilig , M.D., Ph.D., of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the National Institute on Drug...
Lysergic Acid Diethylamide Helps Alcoholics
In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s researchers tested the effects of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) as a treatment for alcoholics. The results of multiple trials has not been pooled and analyzed until now.
Alcohol While Pregnant is Worse Than Cocaine or Pot
Children exposed to as little as half an alcoholic drink a day in utero - even if they didn't have fetal alcohol syndrome - appeared to suffer in their achievement test scores.
Knowledge Aids Prevention for Adopted Youth
If you’re considering adoption or have already adopted, understanding the family history of a child can help predict and possibly prevent psychological struggles.
Condoms Aren't Cool to Freshman Girls
If you’re daughter is in her first year of college, it might be a good time to remind her about the importance of safe sex. According to new research, freshman girls use condoms less and less as the year progresses.
If Bars are Close, Violence May Be Closer
Growing research has developed indicating risk factors for potential violence in intimate relationships that come from both genetic and environmental sources, and new research suggests a person’s proximity to the neighborhood bar scene may contribute to their aggression at home.