Alcohol misuse is recognised as one of the major health care issues in the US. Specifically, alcohol misuse is ranked third in causes of preventable deaths (after tobacco and obesity) affecting 30% of the population. Alcohol dependence has 4% prevalence in the US, but hazardous drinking patterns are believed to be evident in 21% of [read the full story…]
A cohort study published in JAMA tried to answer the question what are the risk factors for suicide in the US military. This is a hot topic as the rate of suicide has increased in US military personnel from about 11/100,000 people in 2005 to about 18/100,000 so that now deaths from suicide outnumber deaths [read the full story…]
We have posted previously about increasing concerns about misuse of tobacco and alcohol amongst people with mild to moderate learning disabilities, with one review in the United States suggesting that people with learning disabilities were less likely to receive or remain in treatment. The authors of this systematic review were interested in looking at interventions [read the full story…]
Good oral health can be achieved and maintained by compliance with preventive and curative measures and effective self-care. However, adherence to positive behaviours such as toothbrushing, interdental cleaning, smoking cessation and good dietary habits can be variable. Traditional approaches of patient education revolve around disseminating information and normative advice. Increasingly the use of motivational interviewing [read the full story…]
Alcohol, together with tobacco and obesity, is one of the most important modifiable causes of morbidity and premature mortality, and is estimated to account for around 4% of deaths worldwide. This study attempted to clarify the number of alcohol-attributable cancer deaths in the United States, and the years of potential life lost in this way. [read the full story…]
Yesterday we posted about a U.S. review which identified the small number of studies on substance abuse and the lack of clear estimates of prevalence. Normally, here at Elf towers, we only identify studies that are reviews of literature, or single studies that report results. But given yesterday’s posting, we thought it might be interesting [read the full story…]
We have posted previously about substance abuse in people with learning disabilities. A study in the Netherlands found estimates of the occurrence of substance use varied greatly, but that alcohol was reported to be used most often, even though this was at lower rates than reported in the general population. We also identified a study [read the full story…]
This study from the Netherlands looked at the perspectives of staff to substance use and misuse among people with learning disabilities. The authors point out that the use of psychoactive substances is a growing problem among clients of learning disability services in the Netherlands. However, there are few official statistics and rates of use are [read the full story…]
The aim of this cross sectional study was to investigate the association between the frequency of alcohol consumption and periodontitis. A sample of 542 adults aged 35-55 underwent a complete periodontal examinations with alcohol consumption being measured using AUDIT (alcohol use disorders identification test) and CAGE (Cut-down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener) instruments. Patients were classified into [read the full story…]
