Voters in Switzerland go to the polls on Sunday to decide whether to make a controversial heroin prescription programme a permanent, nationwide health policy. The Swiss government supports the idea but opponents say it encourages drug addiction, and sends the wrong message to young people. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s Switzerland had one of….
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Heavy alcohol consumption can bring with it a variety of problems, not least of which is heart disease. In fact, a group of researchers has now identified the precise mechanisms by which binge drinking contributes to clogs in arteries that lead to heart attack and stroke. Their findings are published in the medical journal Atherosclerosis…..
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Not eating before drinking alcohol is something young people have been doing for years but now there’s a slang term for it — drunkorexia. College campus health facilities are starting to take a closer look at the problem and how to curb the dangerous fad. “‘Oh I’m going to drink my dinner tonight,’ is a….
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Ann’s husband is an alcoholic. Spouses of alcoholics have two options — they can leave the alcoholic or they can seek help and understanding in order to live with the person they love. Ann chose the second option. For several years Ann has been attending Al-Anon. Ann is not her real name and her identity….
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Sometimes nothing sounds better after a long, hard day than an ice-cold Dos Equis or a glass of pinot noir. There’s also plenty of research to show that red wine is filled with antioxidants and can increase good cholesterol, while moderate alcohol consumption by men can lead to a decreased risk of heart attack. So….
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Knocking back four beers a day doesn’t just risk a serious beer gut – it could also be damaging your eyesight, a study of Australian men has found. Melbourne research shows men in their 60s who drink alcohol heavily are about six times more likely to develop the most debilitating form of age-related macular degeneration….
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It’s hard to say. Data on the effectiveness of treatment programs is scarce, but Idaho has just started to track some patients. Reliable information is practically nonexistent on whether alcoholics who go through treatment stay off alcohol in the long run, says Patrick Neeser, coordinator of a Boise outpatient treatment center. “There’s very few long-term….
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While the physiological damage and social havoc created by alcohol abuse and dependency are well-known, it is also true that light-to-moderate drinking has certain health benefits. This mini-review summarizes a roundtable discussion held at the July 2007 annual meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism in Chicago, Illinois. Results will be published in the February….
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Emerson’s Center for Health and Wellness is sponsoring Alcoholics Anonymous meetings on campus, responding to a student’s initiative to offer the outlet to sufferers of alcoholism. A student-led action to offer an outlet to those prone to the accessible excesses of collegiate life, the program was founded by Brady Frome, a sophomore Theatre Education major….
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DNA plays a role in the amount of alcohol you drink, researchers say. Among alcohol-dependent (AD) individuals, DNA variations in the brains serotonergic system influence drinking intensity. Specifically the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) contributes to a persons inclination to drink. Researchers analyzed the associations between 275 AD patients seeking treatment and six variations of SLC6A4…..
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