Alcohol and pregnancy: do abstinence policies have unintended consequences?

Most policies and guidelines recommend that women abstain from alcohol during pregnancy. This can be difficult to achieve in developed nations where the majority of women consume alcohol and almost half of pregnancies are unplanned, leading to many pregnancies being exposed to alcohol prior to pregnancy awareness. Concerns have been raised that abstinence policies may lead women in this situation to terminate their pregnancy out of fear that they have harmed their baby; however, the evidence is limited. A recent study found that while few women reported alcohol as the reason for seeking an abortion, in almost all cases where alcohol was the reason, the women were either binge drinking or reported alcohol-related problems and the pregnancy was unplanned.

Alcohol Binge Drinking-Induced ST-Segment-Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome.

We present the case of a 26-year-old man, without any apparent cardiovascular risk factors, who experienced an ST-segment-elevation acute coronary syndrome after binge drinking high-proof alcohol, which was successfully managed with primary percutaneous coronary intervention and comprehensive, guideline-directed medical therapy.

Binge drinking during the adolescence period causes oxidative damage-induced cardiometabolic disorders: A possible ameliorative approach with selenium supplementation.

Binge drinking (BD) is the most common alcohol consumption model among adolescents. BD exposure during adolescence disrupts the nervous system function, being involved in the major mortality causes at this age: motor vehicle accidents, homicides and suicides. Recent studies have also shown that BD consumption during adolescence affects liver, renal and cardiovascular physiology, predisposing adolescents to future adult cardiometabolic damage. BD is a particularly pro-oxidant alcohol consumption pattern, because it leads to the production of a great source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) via the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system, also decreasing the antioxidant activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Selenium (Se) is a mineral which plays a pivotal role against oxidation; it forms part of the catalytic center of different antioxidant selenoproteins such as GPxs (GPx1, GPx4, GPx3) and selenoprotein P (SelP). Specifically, GPx4 has an essential role in mitochondria, preventing their oxidation, apoptosis and NFkB-inflamative response, being this function even more relevant in heart's tissue. Se serum levels are decreased in acute and chronic alcoholic adult patients, being correlated to the severity of oxidation, liver damage and metabolic profile. Experimental studies have described that Se supplementation to alcohol exposed mice clearly decreases oxidative and liver damage. However, clinical BD effects on Se homeostasis and selenoproteins' tissue distribution related to oxidation during adolescence are not yet studied. In this narrative review we will describe the use of sodium selenite supplementation as an antioxidant therapy in adolescent BD rats in order to analyze Se homeostasis implication during BD exposure, oxidative balance, apoptosis and inflammation, mainly in liver, kidney, and heart. These biomolecular changes and the cardiovascular function will be analyzed. Se supplementation therapies could be a good strategy to prevent the oxidation, inflammation and apoptosis generated in tissues by BD during adolescence, such as liver, kidney and heart, improving cardiovascular functioning.

The interplay of Western diet and binge drinking on the onset, progression, and outlook of liver disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and alcoholic liver disease, the two most prevalent liver diseases worldwide, share a common pathology but have largely been considered disparate diseases. Liver diseases are widely underestimated, but their prevalence is increasing worldwide. The Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) and binge drinking (rapid consumption of alcohol in a short period of time) are two highly prevalent features of standard life in the United States, and both are linked to the development and progression of liver disease. Yet, few studies have been conducted to elucidate their potential interactions. Data shows binge drinking is on the rise in several age groups, and poor dietary trends continue to be prevalent. This review serves to summarize the sparse findings on the hepatic consequences of the combination of binge drinking and consuming a Western diet, while also drawing conclusions on potential future impacts. The data suggest the potential for a looming liver disease epidemic, indicating that more research on its progression as well as its prevention is needed on this critical topic.

Alcohol consumption in late adolescence and early adulthood--where is the problem?

Risky single-occasion drinking (RSOD) is more common in late adolescence and early adulthood (approximately between the ages of 16 and 30) than in any other period in life. This is also the age when young people in Switzerland and many other European countries are legally allowed to buy and drink alcohol, but they usually do not yet have adult responsibilities. This paper reviews evidence from the international literature and provides examples of studies conducted in Switzerland demonstrating that (a) RSOD is by far most prevalent on Saturday evenings followed by Friday evenings, usually because young people go out and do not have any work or study responsibilities the next day; (b) RSOD results from drinking in private before going out ("predrinking") and accelerating the pace of drinking (i.e. increasing the number of drinks consumed per hour); (c) RSOD is often not accidental but purposeful,. to seek excitement, to have fun and to feel the effects of alcohol; (d) RSOD occurs predominantly outside the home, mostly in bars, pubs, discos or at special events and festivals; (e) RSOD often results in intended and unintended injuries and other acute consequences, which are leading risk factors for mortality and morbidity in this age group. Effective prevention strategies should include attempts to reduce opportunities to engage in heavy drinking as well as strategies to reduce its harmful consequences.

Adolescência e sua relação com a cárie dentária, binge drinking, capital social e fatores associados / Adolescence and your relationship with tooth decay, binge drinking, social capital and associated factors

O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar as relações entre binge drinking - consumo de 5 ou mais doses de bebidas alcoólicas em uma ocasião -, cárie dentária, capital social e condição socioeconômica entre os estudantes de 12 anos de escolas públicas e privadas da área urbana da cidade de Diamantina-MG. A coleta de dados ocorreu em duas etapas: na primeira etapa foi realizado um censo envolvendo todos os 633 alunos de 12 anos de idade, matriculados nas 13 escolas. Na segunda etapa do estudo foi desenvolvido um estudo longitudinal de prevalência de período com os alunos que fizeram parte da primeira fase desta pesquisa. Na primeira etapa foram avaliados a prevalência da cárie dentária e sua associação com capital social e condições socioeconômicas, bem como, o consumo em ¿binge¿ por adolescentes e sua associação com o consumo de álcool por amigos, familiares, condições socioeconômicas e religiosidade. Na segunda etapa o objetivo foi investigar a associação entre capital social e a frequência de beber em "binge" entre adolescentes escolares. Os dados foram coletados por meio de exames clínicos e questionários autoaplicados. A frequência de consumo de álcool na vida e o binge drinking foram determinadas usando as Teste de Identificação de Desordens Devido ao Uso de Álcool (AUDIT-C). Para cárie dental foi adotado o Índice de dentes "cariados, perdidos e obturados" (CPO-D). O capital social foi medido pelo Questionário de Capital Social para Alunos Adolescentes (QCS-AE) desenvolvido e validado para os adolescentes escolares. Os indicadores socioeconômicos utilizados foram tipo de escola, renda familiar mensal, ABA-ABIPEME e escolaridade materna. Foram realizadas análise descritiva e bivariada e regressão binomial no estudo de prevalência de período. O nível de significância foi de 5%. Como principais resultados, observou-se que um total de 269 (45,7%) adolescentes tiveram pelo menos uma lesão cariada cavitada. A análise múltipla revelou que nem o gênero nem o capital social estiveram estatisticamente associados com a presença de lesões cavitadas (p > 0.05). Adolescentes que estudam em escolas públicas e com renda familiar inferior a 3 salários mínimos foram mais propensos a ter lesões cariosas cavitadas. Em relação ao consumo excessivo de álcool, a prevalência foi de 23,1%. A idade média de início do consumo de álcool foi de 10,8 anos. O binge drinking foi mais prevalente entre adolescentes cujo melhor amigo [RP = 4,72 (95% IC 2,78-8,03)] e irmão [RP = 1,46 (IC 95% 1,10-1,92)] consumiam álcool. A religiosidade [RP = 0,40 (IC 95% 0,27-0,62)] apareceu como um possível fator de proteção. No estudo longitudinal, adolescentes que relataram um aumento na coesão social na subescala comunidade/vizinhança foram 3,4 vezes mais propensos (95% IC 1,96-6,10) a consumir álcool excessivamente. Os achados desse estudo destacam os determinantes sociais do binge drinking e do comportamento de beber entre os adolescentes e a não associação entre o capital social e a cárie dentária. Além disso, os resultados fornecem novas evidências sobre o "lado negro" da coesão social na promoção do consumo excessivo de álcool entre os adolescentes.

The objetive of this study was to investigate the relationship between binge drinking - consumption of 5 or more doses of alcoholic beverages on one occasion - dental caries, social capital, and socioeconomic status among students of- 12-years-old of public and private schools in the urban area of the city of Diamantina-MG. Data collection took place in two stages: in the first stage, a census was carried out involving all 633 12-year-old students enrolled in the 13 scholls. In the second phase of the study a longitudinal period prevalence study was developed with students who were part of the first phase of this research. The first stage evaluated the prevalence of dental caries and its association with social capital and socioeconomic conditions, as well as the consumtion of alcoholic beverages by adolescents and their association with alcohol consumption by friends, family members, socioeconomic condition and religiosity...