Less Inflammation Seen In Patients With NAFLD, A Common Liver Disease, Who Consume Modest Amounts Of Alcohol published on May 17th, 2012 at 12:31 PM NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) is the most common type of liver disease in the developed world, affecting up to one-third of the US population. NAFLD is often associated with obesity and other parameters of the so-called "metabolic syndrome," which is a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease...
Food Cravings Reduced By Lizard Saliva published on May 17th, 2012 at 12:31 PM A drug made from the saliva of the Gila monster lizard is effective in reducing the craving for food. Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, have tested the drug on rats, who after treatment ceased their cravings for both food and chocolate...
Resiliency During Early Years Can Protect Against Later Alcohol/Drug Use published on May 17th, 2012 at 12:31 PM Resiliency is a measure of a person's ability to flexibly adapt their behaviors to fit the surroundings in which they find themselves. Low resiliency during childhood has been linked to later alcohol/drug problems during the teenage years...
Comparison Of On-Premises and Off-Premises Alcohol Outlets and Links To Crime published on May 17th, 2012 at 12:31 PM Prior research has shown that neighborhoods with higher densities of alcohol outlets are more likely to have higher rates of violent crimes. This study examined the effects of different types of alcohol outlets - on-premises such as bars and restaurants, and off-premises such as liquor and convenience stories - on four different categories of crime in urban neighborhoods...
21.8% Of Pregnant White Women Smoke published on May 13th, 2012 at 12:31 PM According to a study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 21.8% of pregnant white women between the ages of 15 to 44 years smoked cigarettes within the past 30 days, which is considerably higher compared with the smoking levels amongst pregnant Black women (14.2%) and pregnant Hispanic women (6.5%) within the same age range...
Changes Triggered In Brain's Neuron Structure By Chronic Cocaine Use published on May 11th, 2012 at 12:31 PM Chronic exposure to cocaine reduces the expression of a protein known to regulate brain plasticity, according to new, in vivo research on the molecular basis of cocaine addiction. That reduction drives structural changes in the brain, which produce greater sensitivity to the rewarding effects of cocaine...
Facebook Addiction - New Psychological Scale published on May 11th, 2012 at 12:31 PM Researchers in Norway have published a new psychological scale to measure Facebook addiction, the first of its kind worldwide. They write about their work in the April 2012 issue of the journal Psychological Reports. They hope that researchers will find the new psychometric tool useful in investigating problem behavior linked to Facebook use...