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Excessive Consumption (excessive + consumption)
Selected AbstractsAlcohol consumption in homicide victims in the city of São PauloADDICTION, Issue 12 2009Gabriel Andreuccetti ABSTRACT Aims To assess the association between alcohol use and victimization by homicide in individuals autopsied at the Institute of Legal Medicine in São Paulo, Brazil. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Excessive consumption of alcohol is a serious public health issue and a major factor in triggering violent situations, which suggests a strong association between alcohol ingestion and becoming a victim of homicide. Participants Data from 2042 victims of homicides in 2005 were obtained from medical examiner reports. Measurements The victim's gender, age, ethnicity and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) were collected. The method of death and homicide circumstances, as well as the date, time and place of death were also studied. Findings Alcohol was detected in blood samples of 43% of the victims, and mean BAC levels were 1.55 ± 0.86 g/l. The prevalence of positive BAC levels was higher among men (44.1%) than women (26.6%), P < 0.01. Firearms caused most of the deaths (78.6%), and alcohol consumption was greater among victims of homicide by sharp weapons (P < 0.01). A greater proportion of victims with positive BAC were killed at weekends compared to weekdays (56.4 and 38.5%, respectively; P < 0.01), and the correlation between homicide rates and the average BAC for the central area of the city was positive (rs = 0.90; P < 0.01). Conclusions These results highlight alcohol as a contributing factor for homicide victimization in the greatest urban center in South America, supporting public strategies and future research aiming to prevent homicides and violence related to alcohol consumption. [source] The feasibility of providing community pharmacy-based services for alcohol misuse: A literature reviewINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACY PRACTICE, Issue 4 2009Dr Margaret C. Watson Abstract Objectives Excessive consumption of alcohol is a major public health concern. The use of community pharmacies and pharmacists as sources of public health information and services is gaining greater recognition. The objective of this review was to provide an overview of the evidence on the feasibility, effectiveness and acceptability of providing community pharmacy-based services to address the excessive consumption of alcohol. Methods Electronic databases were searched for the period 1996,2007 to identify relevant evidence. Searches were also conducted of relevant pharmacy and addiction journals. Information was sought from key contacts in pharmacy and alcohol research. Studies were included if they were conducted in a community pharmacy setting. Key findings The review comprised three feasibility studies which included 14 pharmacies and 500 customers. Non-significant reductions in alcohol consumption were reported with two studies following brief interventions by pharmacists. Between 30% and 53% of pharmacy customers were identified as having hazardous or harmful drinking behaviour. Customer opinion of the pharmacy-based alcohol services was not reported. Conclusions There has been little empirical evaluation of the effectiveness of community pharmacy-based services for alcohol misuse. The evidence presented in this review suggests that community pharmacy-based screening is feasible. Organisations and individuals involved with tackling excessive alcohol consumption should consider the inclusion of community pharmacies and pharmacists as part of their strategies to address this problem. Large-scale studies are needed to evaluate the short- and long-term effects and cost-effectiveness of community pharmacy-based interventions to reduce excessive alcohol consumption, as well as to explore the acceptability of the service to users. [source] Association Analyses of Genetic Polymorphisms of GSTM1, GSTT1, NQO1, NAT2, LPL, PRSS1, PSTI, and CFTR With Chronic Alcoholic Pancreatitis in JapanALCOHOLISM, Issue 2010Katsuya Maruyama Background:, Excessive consumption of alcohol is involved in the onset of pancreatitis. However, most of heavy drinkers do not always develop chronic pancreatitis. Various genetic factors appear to be involved in these individual differences in onset of chronic alcoholic pancreatitis. Here we investigated a possible association of alcoholic pancreatitis with polymorphisms of the various genes belong to the phase II detoxification enzymes responsible for metabolism of the oxidative compounds, and the several genes that have relevance to inherited pancreatitis. Methods:, The subjects consisted of 53 patients with chronic alcoholic pancreatitis, 54 alcoholic patients without pancreatic dysfunction, and 42 healthy individuals. DNA was extracted from the peripheral nucleated blood cells of all subjects and genetic mutations and subtypes were analyzed by the PCR and RFLP methods. We examined the correlation between chronic alcoholic pancreatitis and variants of the phase II detoxification enzymes such as Glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1), glutathione S-transferase theta 1 (GSTT1), NADPH-quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), and N-acetyl transferase (NAT2). In addition, genes of lipoprotein lipase (LPL), cationic trypsinogen (PRSS1), pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor (PSTI), and cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) were also analyzed. Results:, Frequencies of the gene deletion of GSTM1 and GSTT1 in addition to the C-allele frequency of NQO1 tended to be higher in the alcoholic patients with (AlCP) or without pancreatic dysfunction (Alc) than in the healthy controls although the difference was not significant. The NAT2 gene showed no relation with Alc and AlCP patients. PSTI, LPL, PRSS1, and CFTR genes presented no association with chronic alcoholic pancreatitis. Conclusions:, All genes analyzed in the present study lacked association with chronic alcoholic pancreatitis. However, the gene deletion of GSTM1 and GSTT1, and the C-allele of NQO1 cannot be ruled out for association with alcoholism. [source] OBESITY AND NUTRIENT CONSUMPTION: A RATIONAL ADDICTION?CONTEMPORARY ECONOMIC POLICY, Issue 3 2007TIMOTHY J. RICHARDS Recent research shows that the dramatic rise in obesity in the United States is due more to the overconsumption of unhealthy foods than underactivity. This study tests for an addiction to food nutrients as a potential explanation for the apparent excessive consumption. A random coefficients (mixed) logit model is used to test a multivariate rational addiction model. The results reveal a particularly strong addiction to carbohydrates. The implication of this finding is that price-based policies, sin taxes, or produce subsidies that change the expected future costs and benefits of consuming carbohydrate-intensive foods may be effective in controlling excessive nutrient intake. (JEL D120, I120, C230) [source] Tagatose, a new antidiabetic and obesity control drugDIABETES OBESITY & METABOLISM, Issue 2 2008Y. Lu A potentially important new drug for treating type 2 diabetes, tagatose, is now in phase 3 clinical trial. The history, development, additional health benefits, mechanisms of action and the potential for the drug are presented in context with a review of the rapidly growing epidemic of type 2 diabetes and treatments for it. An epimer of fructose, the natural hexose tagatose was originally developed by Spherix Incorporated (formerly Biospherics Inc.) as a low-calorie sugar substitute. Only 20% of orally ingested tagatose is fully metabolized, principally in the liver, following a metabolic pathway identical to that of fructose. Following a decade of studies, tagatose became generally recognized as safe for use in foods and beverages under US FDA regulation. The simple sugar is commercially produced by isomerization of galactose, which is prepared from lactose. Early human studies suggested tagatose as a potential antidiabetic drug through its beneficial effects on postprandial hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia. A subsequent 14-month trial confirmed its potential for treating type 2 diabetes, and tagatose showed promise for inducing weight loss and raising high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, both important to the control of diabetes and constituting benefits independent of the disease. Furthermore, tagatose was shown to be an antioxidant and a prebiotic, both properties cited in the maintenance and promotion of health. No current therapies for type 2 diabetes provide these multiple health benefits. The predominant side effects of tagatose are gastrointestinal disturbances associated with excessive consumption, generally accommodated within 1- to 2-week period. The health and use potentials for tagatose (branded Naturlose® for this use) are given with respect to current type 2 diabetes drugs and markets. Under an FDA-affirmed protocol, Spherix is currently conducting a phase 3 trial to evaluate a placebo-subtracted treatment effect based on a decrease in HbA1c levels. Side effects, contraindications and possibly beneficial new findings will be carefully monitored. It is hoped that early results of the trial may become available by mid-2008. If a subsequent NDA is successful, tagatose may fill a major health need. [source] Dental erosion in Cuban children associated with excessive consumption of orangesEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORAL SCIENCES, Issue 2 2000Walter Künzel Marked erosion at the mesial edges of upper front teeth was observed during an examination of Cuban children. The preferential erosion of mesial edges produced characteristic V-shaped defects on upper central incisors, and the aim of the present study, carried out on 12-yr-old children (N=1010) in 10 communities in the Province of Havana was to establish the frequency of dental erosion and explain its occurrence. The symmetrical erosion of teeth 11 and 21 (excluding crown injuries and attrition) were clinically classified into four grades: 0.5=objectionable; 1=abnormal mesial shortening of incisal edges; 2=V-shaped defect of cutting edges; 3=exposure of dentine and extension of the erosive defect to the lateral incisors. In four of the communities, children did not show or rarely showed incisal erosion. In the other six communities, the frequency was surprisingly high (16.6,40.9%). Overall, 17.4% of children exhibited erosion, and the occurrence was significantly higher in girls (20.7%) than in boys (15.0%). The typical V-shaped pattern of erosion seems to be a consequence of the manner in which citrus fruits are eaten. There was also a positive correlation between the frequency of dental erosion and the proximity of citrus plantations, which presumably related to the extent of (daily) orange consumption. [source] The feasibility of providing community pharmacy-based services for alcohol misuse: A literature reviewINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACY PRACTICE, Issue 4 2009Dr Margaret C. Watson Abstract Objectives Excessive consumption of alcohol is a major public health concern. The use of community pharmacies and pharmacists as sources of public health information and services is gaining greater recognition. The objective of this review was to provide an overview of the evidence on the feasibility, effectiveness and acceptability of providing community pharmacy-based services to address the excessive consumption of alcohol. Methods Electronic databases were searched for the period 1996,2007 to identify relevant evidence. Searches were also conducted of relevant pharmacy and addiction journals. Information was sought from key contacts in pharmacy and alcohol research. Studies were included if they were conducted in a community pharmacy setting. Key findings The review comprised three feasibility studies which included 14 pharmacies and 500 customers. Non-significant reductions in alcohol consumption were reported with two studies following brief interventions by pharmacists. Between 30% and 53% of pharmacy customers were identified as having hazardous or harmful drinking behaviour. Customer opinion of the pharmacy-based alcohol services was not reported. Conclusions There has been little empirical evaluation of the effectiveness of community pharmacy-based services for alcohol misuse. The evidence presented in this review suggests that community pharmacy-based screening is feasible. Organisations and individuals involved with tackling excessive alcohol consumption should consider the inclusion of community pharmacies and pharmacists as part of their strategies to address this problem. Large-scale studies are needed to evaluate the short- and long-term effects and cost-effectiveness of community pharmacy-based interventions to reduce excessive alcohol consumption, as well as to explore the acceptability of the service to users. [source] A15. Public attitudes towards the healthiness of fruit juicesJOURNAL OF HUMAN NUTRITION & DIETETICS, Issue 5 2000K. I. France Background Fruit juice is a major part of children's diets and accounts for a large proportion of their fruit and vegetable servings. People may confuse fruit juice with fruit drinks. This can cause problems as people could possibly substituting a portion of fruit for a drink, which contains little or no fruit. Studies have shown that excessive consumption of fruit juice can lead to health problems in children, including short stature, obesity, nonorganic failure to thrive and carbohydrate malabsorption. An increase in dental erosion has also been noted which appears to correlate with an increase in fruit juice and carbonated beverage consumption. Aims The aim of this study was to find out what the general public's attitudes are towards the healthiness of fruit juice. Methods A mini focus group and a questionnaire were the methods used for data collection. The subjects were parents of children aged 12 or under in a local primary school. Results Overall, the study group had a poor knowledge of the difference between fruit juice and drinks, and knowledge of sugar content was poor. The group had a good knowledge of fruit content. Fruit juice was regarded as being a health drink. They were unsure if excessive consumption could damage children's health or not. Their main concern was regarding their children's teeth. The factor identified as being most influential when choosing a drink was flavour, followed closely by healthiness. Nutritional knowledge was generally poor. The average daily intake of juice was 650 mL (22.8 floz), considerably more than the value recommended by several experts. Conclusion There is a need for nutritional education regarding the consumption of fruit juice. The public should be made more aware of the potential problems associated with excessive fruit juice consumption without discouraging fruit juice intake altogether, as it is an important source of fruit in the diets of young children. [source] The Biological Responses to Resveratrol and Other Polyphenols From Alcoholic BeveragesALCOHOLISM, Issue 9 2009Lindsay Brown Although excessive consumption of ethanol in alcoholic beverages causes multi-organ damage, moderate consumption, particularly of red wine, is protective against all-cause mortality. These protective effects could be due to one or many components of the complex mixture of bioactive compounds present in red wine including flavonols, monomeric and polymeric flavan-3-ols, highly colored anthocyanins as well as phenolic acids and the stilbene polyphenol, resveratrol. The therapeutic potential of resveratrol, firstly in cancer chemoprevention and then later for cardioprotection, has stimulated many studies on the possible mechanisms of action. Further indications for resveratrol have been developed, including the prevention of age-related disorders such as neurodegenerative diseases, inflammation, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. These improvements are remarkably similar yet there is an important dichotomy: low doses improve cell survival as in cardio- and neuro-protection yet high doses increase cell death as in cancer treatment. Fewer studies have examined the responses to other components of red wine, but the results have, in general, been similar to resveratrol. If the nonalcoholic constitutents of red wine are to become therapeutic agents, their ability to get to the sites of action needs to be understood. This mini-review summarizes recent studies on the possible mechanisms of action, potential therapeutic uses, and bioavailability of the nonalcoholic constituents of alcoholic beverages, in particular resveratrol and other polyphenols. [source] Alcohol and Self-Rated Health in a Mediterranean Country: The Role of Average Volume, Drinking Pattern, and Alcohol DependenceALCOHOLISM, Issue 2 2009José Lorenzo Valencia-Martín Background:, The association between average alcohol consumption and self-rated ill-health is "J-shaped" in Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon countries, but it has shown an inverse linear relationship in the few studies conducted in Mediterranean countries, based on average volume solely. Objective:, To examine the relationship between alcohol and self-rated health in the general population of a Mediterranean country, by simultaneously taking into account average volume, drinking pattern, and alcohol abuse. Methods:, From 2000 to 2005, we conducted telephone interviews on 12,037 persons, representative of the population aged 18 to 64 years in Madrid, Spain. The drinking pattern encompassed binge drinking, beverage preference, and drinking at mealtimes. Alcohol abuse was estimated by the CAGE test. The association between each alcohol-related variable and self-rated suboptimal (fair, poor, or very poor) health was estimated from logistic regression, with adjustment for the remaining alcohol-related variables and other potential confounders. Results:, In comparison with never-drinkers, suboptimal health was less frequent among occasional drinkers [odds ratio (OR) 0.72; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.61 to 0.86], average moderate drinkers (OR 0.57; 95% CI: 0.48 to 0.69), and excessive drinkers (OR 0.51; 95% CI: 0.36 to 0.72), but more frequent among former drinkers with ,1 year of abstinence (OR 1.30; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.64). Frequency of suboptimal health was likewise higher in subjects with ,3 episodes of binge drinking (OR 1.55; 95% CI: 1.12 to 2.14) or alcohol abuse (OR 1.47; 95% CI: 1.22 to 1.76). No differences were observed in suboptimal health according to beverage preference or drinking at mealtimes. Results in each gender were similar to those for total study participants. Conclusions:, Occasional, moderate, and excessive consumption of alcohol are associated with better self-rated health, even after adjustment for drinking pattern and alcohol abuse. In contrast, former-drinking, frequent binge drinking, and alcohol abuse are all associated with suboptimal self-rated health. [source] Environment and profitability in the reprocessing of paper in Norway: contradictory research reports in the context of circulation economicsBUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 6 2006Stig Ingebrigtsen Abstract In this article we study three Norwegian reports concerning the environmental problems connected to use of natural resources and production of waste. The reports are responding to political initiatives in White Paper 58 (1996,97) and White Paper 8 (1999,2000). The reports describe, analyse and give reasons for various resolution strategies with regard to excessive consumption of virgin natural resources, inefficient economic processes and irresponsible waste management. The purpose of this article is threefold. First, we present a theoretical framework that enables an integrated analysis of economic problems. We have termed the theoretical context for our analysis circulation economics. Second, we illustrate the complexity of the problems through a discussion of the three different reports concerning waste management. Third, in the context of circulation economics the different reports elucidate various aspects of the phenomenon area and the new perspective can be used to synthesize the partial findings. In addition to this, we suggest where further work has to be done in the future. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] | ||||||||||