Heavy alcohol consumption in individuals with HIV infection: 
Effects on neuropsychological performance

Higher rates of alcohol use have been reported in HIV+ individuals compared to the general population. Both heavy alcohol use and HIV infection are associated with increased risk of neuropsychological (NP) impairment. We examined effects of heavy active alcohol use and HIV on NP functioning in a large sample of community-residing HIV+ individuals and HIV− controls. The four main study groups included 72 HIV− light/non-drinkers, 70 HIV− heavy drinkers (>100 drinks per month), 70 HIV+ light/non-drinkers, and 56 HIV+ heavy drinkers. The heavy drinking group was further subdivided to assess effects of the heaviest levels of active alcohol use (>6 drinks per day) on NP functioning. A comprehensive NP battery was administered. Multivariate analysis of covariance was employed to examine the effect of HIV and alcohol on NP functioning after adjusting for group differences in age and estimated premorbid verbal intellectual functioning. The analyses identified main effects of heavy drinking and HIV on NP function, with greatest effects involving the contrast of HIV+ heavy drinkers and the HIV− light drinkers. Synergistic effects of heaviest current drinking and HIV infection were identified in analyses of motor and visuomotor speed. Supplementary analyses also revealed better NP function in the HIV+ group with antiretroviral treatment (ART) and lower level of viral burden, a finding that was consistent across levels of alcohol consumption. Finally, heavy alcohol use and executive functioning difficulties were associated with lower levels of self-reported medication adherence in the HIV+ group. The findings suggest that active heavy alcohol use and HIV infection have additive adverse effects on NP function, that they may show synergistic effects in circumstances of very heavy active alcohol use, and that heavy drinking and executive functioning may mediate health-related behaviors in HIV disease. (JINS, 2005, 11, 70–83.)

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Gender Convergence in Alcohol Consumption Patterns: Findings from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2016

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17249317 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (24) ◽

pp. 9317

Author(s):

Minkyung Kang ◽

Ari Min ◽

Haeyoung Min

Keyword(s):

Gender Differences ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Binge Drinking ◽

Consumption Patterns ◽

Nutrition Examination Survey ◽

Heavy Alcohol ◽

Health And Nutrition ◽

Heavy Alcohol Use ◽

Gender Convergence

Gender differences in alcohol use have narrowed over the decades. This study aimed to explore changes in alcohol consumption patterns between 2007 and 2016 to identify gender convergence in alcohol use in Korea. Data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used. For all respondents (41,662 girls/women and 32,041 boys/men) aged ≥12 years, lifetime drinking, current drinking, age of drinking onset, heavy alcohol use, and binge drinking were analyzed. Gender differences in heavy alcohol use and binge drinking decreased from 2007 to 2016 (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). The prevalence of heavy alcohol use and binge drinking decreased in boys/men (67.5% to 63.9%, p = 0.001; 63.4% to 60.9%, p = 0.001, respectively), but not in girls/women (50.2% to 50.4%, p = 0.279; 30.6% to 32.0%, p = 0.994, respectively). The proportion of lifetime abstainers decreased among both girls/women (24.3% to 19.1%, p < 0.001) and boys/men (12.1% to 9.7%, p = 0.01). In girls/women, the mean age of drinking onset decreased (from 24.1 to 23.6 years, p = 0.017); however, in boys/men, significant changes were not observed (from 18.9 to 18.7 years, p = 0.307). Healthcare providers should be aware of the growing health risks resulting from increased unhealthy alcohol use in women and develop gender-specific preventive interventions.

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The impact of relaxed traveller allowances

Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs ◽

10.1177/1455072518771198 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 35 (4) ◽

pp. 275-287

Author(s):

Martin Stafström

Keyword(s):

Panel Data ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

General Population ◽

Fixed Effects ◽

Alcoholic Beverages ◽

Heavy Alcohol ◽

Private Person ◽

Cross Border ◽

Heavy Alcohol Use

Aim: To analyse to what extent the gradual relaxation of traveller allowances for alcoholic beverages 2001–2004 changed consumer behaviours and subsequent alcohol consumption patterns within a longitudinal panel data population study in Southern Sweden. Methods: General population random sample panel data study with repeated measurements were collected in 1999, in 2005, and in 2010 in the county of Scania. The study analyses answers from 9770 individuals, who in 1999 were 18–80 years old. A fixed-effects modelling was applied to assess the association between consumer behaviour and change in alcohol use across the study period. Results: Cross-border shopping for alcoholic beverages was associated, on average, with a 3.1% ( p < 0.001) increase in alcohol use. Buying imported alcohol from a private person was associated with a mean increase of 2.6% ( p < 0.001), with a total additive effect of 5.7%. Furthermore, when stratified for gender, age, and location, significant fixed effects were found. The magnitude was greater among women, younger and older ages, and in particular in the Northeast and Central regions. Both consumer behaviours – cross-border trading ( OR 1.6, CI 95% 1.28–1.92) and buying alcohol from a private person ( OR 1.4, CI 95% 1.12–1.73) – were significantly associated with heavy alcohol use. Conclusion: The fixed-effects analyses identified significant associations between consumer behaviours and alcohol consumption. The uptake of behaviours that developed because of a relaxation of the Swedish alcohol policy has contributed to an overall long-term increase in alcohol use and higher prevalence of heavy alcohol use within this general population study sample.

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Abstract P237: Moderate and Heavy Alcohol Consumption Are Associated With Decreased Systolic Function After 8 Years of Follow-up

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.137.suppl_1.p237 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 137 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Hanne Van Ballegooijen ◽

Petra J Elders ◽

Coen D Stehouwer ◽

Jacqueline M Dekker ◽

Joline Beulens

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Systolic Function ◽

Heavy Drinking ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Volume Index ◽

Heavy Alcohol ◽

Heavy Drinkers ◽

Heavy Alcohol Consumption ◽

Excessive Alcohol

Introduction: Excessive alcohol consumption is an important risk factors for cardiovascular disease, however, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Hypothesis: We assessed the hypothesis whether alcohol consumption is prospectively associated with unfavorable measures of cardiac structure and function. Methods: We used data from the Hoorn Study, a population-based, prospective cohort study. Data on self-reported alcohol consumption were collected with a validated food frequency questionnaire in 2000/2001(baseline for the current analyses). Echocardiography was performed in 2000/2001 in 582 participants and in 2007/2009 in 339 participants. Participants were classified into 5 categories based on self-reported alcohol consumption (glasses per week): 0 (non-drinkers), 0- 3 (light-drinkers), ≥3-7 (light to moderate drinkers), ≥7-14 (moderate drinkers) and ≥14 (heavy drinkers). Light drinking was considered the reference group. We studied the association of alcohol consumption with echocardiographic measures after 8 years of follow-up using linear regression analyses, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: The mean age was 69.8±6.5 years and 50% was female. After 7.4±0.5 years follow-up, moderate and heavy alcohol consumption were associated with a decreased left ventricular ejection fraction of -5.1% (-8.7, -1.4) for moderate and -4.8% (-8.8, -0.8) for heavy drinkers (Table). Heavy drinking was also associated with a decrease in left atrial volume index: -3.9mL/m 2 (-7.6, -0.2). No longitudinal associations were found between alcohol consumption and left ventricular mass index. Conclusion: Both moderate and heavy drinking were associated with decreased systolic function after 8 years follow-up. The toxic effect of alcohol could lead to underfilling of the left atrium which could lead to lower systolic function. These findings may explain the increased cardiovascular risk among people with excessive alcohol use.

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Marital Quality and Heavy Alcohol Use Among Older Couples

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.1569 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 406-406

Author(s):

Angela Curl ◽

Jennifer Bulanda ◽

Amy Restorick Roberts

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Use ◽

Marital Quality ◽

Drinking Behavior ◽

Heavy Drinking ◽

Married Couples ◽

Later Life ◽

Older Couples ◽

Heavy Alcohol ◽

Pooled Data ◽

Heavy Alcohol Use

Abstract Supportive marital relationships may reduce partners’ problematic health behaviors, whereas unhappy relationships may lack efficacious spousal monitoring of health and increase the likelihood of using maladaptive coping strategies, such as heavy alcohol use, to deal with relationship problems. We used pooled data from the 2014 and 2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study to examine how both partners’ perceptions of marital quality were associated with heavy drinking. Our analytic sample included married couples in which both spouses were over age 50, completed the leave-behind psychosocial questionnaire, and provided non-missing data on marital quality and alcohol use (n=2,095 couples). Measures included both positive and negative dimensions of marital quality and controls for sociodemographic, economic, health, household and marital characteristics. Using Proc Glimmix, we estimated a dual-intercept Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM), in which separate equations were computed simultaneously for husbands and wives. For husbands, higher negative marital quality was associated with an increase in the odds of their own heavy drinking (OR=1.27), but there was no significant association between wives’ marital quality and husbands’ heavy drinking behavior. For wives, marital quality was not significantly associated with their own heavy drinking, but husbands’ higher ratings of both negative and positive marital quality increased the risk of wives’ heavy drinking (OR=1.60 and OR=1.75, respectively). Results suggest that marital quality is associated with heavy drinking in later life: self-ratings of marital quality matter for men, whereas spousal perceptions of marital quality are more important for women.

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Associations of Binge Drinking and Heavy Alcohol Use on Sugar and Fat Intake in a Cohort of Southern People Living with HIV

Alcohol and Alcoholism ◽

10.1093/alcalc/agab066 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Erika M Rosen ◽

Stefany D Primeaux ◽

Liz Simon ◽

David A Welsh ◽

Patricia E Molina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Use ◽

Heavy Drinking ◽

Saturated Fat ◽

People Living With Hiv ◽

Fat Intake ◽

Heavy Alcohol ◽

Heavy Alcohol Use ◽

Binge Drinkers ◽

Living With Hiv ◽

Saturated Fat Intake

Abstract Aims To assess whether binge drinking and heavy alcohol use are associated with increased sugar and fat consumption among a Southern cohort of people living with HIV (PWH). Methods This was a cross-sectional analysis of PWH enrolled in the New Orleans Alcohol use in HIV (NOAH) Study (n = 215). Binge and heavy drinking were identified through a 30-day Alcohol Timeline-Followback and dietary intake was assessed through a 24-hour dietary recall. Results Participants were 65.4% male, 83.3% Black, with a mean age of 49.2 ± 9.9. Heavy drinkers consumed more total calories than abstainers (P = 0.035) and low-to-moderate drinkers (P = 0.024), and binge drinkers consumed more calories than non-binge drinkers (P = 0.025). Binge and heavy drinkers had significantly higher intake of total and saturated fat in grams. However, substantially increased caloric intake among these participants led to non-significant associations for alcohol use with high total and saturated fat intake as a percent of total energy intake (%TEI). Binge drinkers had lower odds of consuming high sugar as a %TEI (odds ratio: 0.31 [0.14, 0.68]). Additionally, sugar intake predicted total and saturated fat intake, and this association was slightly higher among binge drinkers (total fat P-value: 0.12). Conclusions In this population of PWH, while binge and heavy drinking predicted higher caloric and fat intake in grams, binge drinkers were less likely to consume a high-sugar diet. This analysis suggests that interventions focused on reduced alcohol use may be especially beneficial in reducing metabolic disease burden in PWH if supplemented with information on incorporating lower energy-dense foods with reduced fat.

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Underweight as a risk factor for esophageal squamous cellcarcinoma: A nationwide population-based study.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2017.35.4_suppl.14 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 35 (4_suppl) ◽

pp. 14-14

Author(s):

Yoon Jin Choi ◽

Dong Ho Lee

Keyword(s):

Body Mass Index ◽

Risk Factor ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Body Mass ◽

Normal Weight ◽

Heavy Alcohol ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Heavy Alcohol Use ◽

The Mean

14 Background: Obesity is a well-known risk factor for the development of esophageal cancer (EC). However, the impact of underweight on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has not been fully recognized to date. Therefore, we herein sought to determine the risk of EC in subjects with underweight. Methods: We analyzed the clinical data from a total of 264,084 individuals with the age of 40 years or older, who received healthcare checkups arranged by the national insurance program, between 2003 and 2008. Newly diagnosed EC was identified using the claims data during a median follow-up duration of 7.9 years. Results: The mean body mass index (BMI) of patients was 23.80 ± 3.05kg/m2, and 6,784 individuals (2.6%) were classified as being underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2). During the study period, 278 individuals (0.1%) developed EC. It was determined that underweight and obesity—compared with normal weight—were significantly associated with 73% increased risk and 30% decreased risk of EC, respectively. Excess risk of EC in the underweight group was independent of age, gender, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Heavy alcohol use had a synergistically increasing effect for developing EC among those in the underweight group. Conclusions: The mean body mass index (BMI) of patients was 23.80 ± 3.05kg/m2, and 6,784 individuals (2.6%) were classified as being underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2). During the study period, 278 individuals (0.1%) developed EC. It was determined that underweight and obesity—compared with normal weight—were significantly associated with 73% increased risk and 30% decreased risk of EC, respectively. Excess risk of EC in the underweight group was independent of age, gender, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Heavy alcohol use had a synergistically increasing effect for developing EC among those in the underweight group.

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Associations between occupation and heavy alcohol consumption in UK adults aged 40–69 years: a cross-sectional study using the UK Biobank

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10208-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Andrew Thompson ◽

Munir Pirmohamed

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Heavy Drinking ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Heavy Alcohol ◽

Heavy Drinkers ◽

Heavy Alcohol Consumption ◽

The Uk ◽

Gender Specific

Abstract Background Understanding the relationship between occupation and alcohol use offers opportunities to provide health promotion programmes based on evidence of need. We aimed to determine associations between occupation and heavy alcohol consumption in working individuals aged 40–69 years. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using 100,817 people from the UK Biobank: 17,907 participants categorised as heavy drinkers, defined as > 35 units/week for women and > 50 units/week for men, and 82,910 drinking controls. Prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% CIs were calculated for gender-specific heavy drinking in 353 occupations using Standard Occupational Classification, V.2000. Results Seventy-seven occupations were associated with level of alcohol consumption in drinkers. The largest ratios for heavy drinkers were observed for publicans and managers of licenced premises (PR = 2.81, 95%CI 2.52–3.14); industrial cleaning process occupations (PR = 2.09, 1.33–3.28); and plasterers (PR = 2.07, 1.66–2.59). Clergy (PR = 0.20, 0.13–0.32); physicists, geologists and meteorologists (PR = 0.40, 0.25–0.65); and medical practitioners (PR = 0.40, 0.32–0.50) were least likely to be heavy drinkers. There was evidence of gender-specific outcomes with the proportion of jobs associated with heavy drinking accounted for by skilled trade occupations being 0.44 for males and 0.05 for females, and 0.10 for males and 0.40 for females when considering managers and senior officials. Conclusions In the largest study of its kind, we found evidence for associations between a wider variety of occupations and the risk of heavy alcohol consumption than identified previously, particularly in females, although causality cannot be assumed. These results help determine which jobs and broader employment sectors may benefit most from prevention programmes.

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Changes in Alcohol Consumption during the COVID-19 Pandemic Are Dependent on Initial Consumption Level: Findings from Eight European Countries

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph181910547 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (19) ◽

pp. 10547

Author(s):

Ingeborg Rossow ◽

Miroslav Bartak ◽

Kim Bloomfield ◽

Fleur Braddick ◽

Elin K. Bye ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Heavy Drinking ◽

European Countries ◽

Consumption Level ◽

Drinking Habits ◽

European Survey ◽

Heavy Drinkers ◽

Country Differences ◽

The Uk

Evidence suggests that changes in alcohol consumption during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic were unevenly distributed over consumer groups. We investigated possible inter-country differences in how changes in alcohol consumption are contingent on initial consumption (before or at the start of the pandemic), and how changes in consumption translate into possible changes in the prevalence of heavy drinking. We used data from the European Survey on Alcohol use and COVID-19 (ESAC) conducted in Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Poland, Spain, and the UK (N = 31921). Past-year alcohol consumption and changes in consumption were measured by AUDIT-C. Drinking habits were compared according to percentiles of pre-pandemic consumption levels, below versus above the 90th percentile. Across countries, drinkers in the highest 10% for pre-pandemic consumption increased their drinking during the pandemic, whereas absolute changes among those initially drinking below this level were modest. The percentage of people reporting >28 alcohol units/week increased significantly in seven of eight countries. During the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, alcohol consumption in the upper decile of the drinkers increased as did the prevalence of heavy drinkers, in contrast with a declining consumption in other groups in the sample.

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Glutamate plasticity woven through the progression to alcohol use disorder: a multi-circuit perspective

F1000Research ◽

10.12688/f1000research.9609.1 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. 298 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Lara Hwa ◽

Joyce Besheer ◽

Thomas Kash

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Use ◽

Alcohol Drinking ◽

Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor ◽

Heavy Drinking ◽

Ethanol Vapor ◽

Research Field ◽

Self Administration ◽

Excitatory Neurotransmitter ◽

Heavy Alcohol ◽

Heavy Alcohol Use

Glutamate signaling in the brain is one of the most studied targets in the alcohol research field. Here, we report the current understanding of how the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, its receptors, and its transporters are involved in low, episodic, and heavy alcohol use. Specific animal behavior protocols can be used to assess these different drinking levels, including two-bottle choice, operant self-administration, drinking in the dark, the alcohol deprivation effect, intermittent access to alcohol, and chronic intermittent ethanol vapor inhalation. Importantly, these methods are not limited to a specific category, since they can be interchanged to assess different states in the development from low to heavy drinking. We encourage a circuit-based perspective beyond the classic mesolimbic-centric view, as multiple structures are dynamically engaged during the transition from positive- to negative-related reinforcement to drive alcohol drinking. During this shift from lower-level alcohol drinking to heavy alcohol use, there appears to be a shift from metabotropic glutamate receptor-dependent behaviors to N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-related processes. Despite high efficacy of the glutamate-related pharmaceutical acamprosate in animal models of drinking, it is ineffective as treatment in the clinic. Therefore, research needs to focus on other promising glutamatergic compounds to reduce heavy drinking or mediate withdrawal symptoms or both.

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Predictors of Symptom Course in Alcohol Use Disorder

10.31234/osf.io/xuvaz ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

William Conlin ◽

Kenneth J. Sher ◽

Alvaro Vergés ◽

Michaela Hoffman ◽

Douglas Steinley

Keyword(s):

Family History ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Alcohol Use Disorder ◽

Heavy Drinking ◽

Epidemiological Survey ◽

Future Research ◽

Heavy Alcohol ◽

Heavy Alcohol Consumption ◽

History Of

Objective: Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) has traditionally been viewed as a chronic, progressive, relapsing disorder (Jellinek, 1960; National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018). However, little is known about the course of individual AUD criteria. To the extent that individual symptoms represent the focus of some treatments (e.g., withdrawal, craving), understanding the course of specific symptoms, and individual differences in symptom course, can inform treatment efforts and future research directions.Method: The current study examined 34,653 participants form Wave 1 (2001-2002) and Wave 2 (2003-2004) of the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC; Grant, Moore, & Kaplan, 2003; Grant, Kaplan, and Stinson, 2005), using logistic regression to analyze the extent to which AUD symptom course is predicted by heavy alcohol consumption, family history of alcoholism, and lifetime diagnosis of Conduct Disorder. Results: The course of all AUD symptoms was significantly influenced by all four external criteria, with the magnitude of the prediction varying across different symptoms and different aspects of course. Conclusion: The strength of the relationship appeared to be related to the theoretical proximity of a given predictor to AUD symptomatology, with heavy drinking being the strongest and family history of AUD being the weakest. The course of all AUD symptoms was strongly associated with the prevalence of the given symptom in the overall sample. Future work should include examining the interchangeability of AUD symptoms and considering heavy alcohol consumption as a criterion for AUD diagnosis.

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