Influence of Hypertension, Lipometabolism Disorders,Obesity and Other Lifestyles on SpontaneousIntracerebral Hemorrhage

Objective To investigate whether hypertension, abnormal lipometabolism, obesity, cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking affect the intracerebral hemorrhagic volumes (IHV) in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SIHP), and to explore the roles of these factors in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SIH). Methods Five hundred patients with acute SIH and 200 healthy adult volunteers (HAV) were enrolled in a study of independently randomized controlled design, in which the levels of systolic pressure (SP) and diastolic pressure (DP), and total cholesterol (TCH), triacylglycerols (triglycerides, TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-CH), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-CH) in serum as well as the level of erythrocytic membrane cholesterol (EM-CH) were measured, and the body mass index (BMI), daily cigarette smoking consumption (DCSC) and daily pure alcohol consumption (DPAC) were calculated. Results Compared with the average parameters in the HAV group, those of SP, DP, TG, LDL-CH and BMI in the SIHP group were significantly increased (P<0.0001), while those of HDL-CH and EM-CH were significantly decreased (P<0.0001). The linear regression and correlation analysis showed that with increased SP, DP, LDL-CH, BMI, DCSC, DPAC and aging as well as decreased HDL-CH and EM-CH, the IHV levels in SIHP were increased gradually (P<0.0001-0.01). The linear stepwise regression analysis suggested that there existed a close correlation among the values of SP, DP, TCH, TG, HDL-CH, LDL-CH, EM-CH, BMI, DCSC, DPAC, age and fflV of the SIH patients, and that Y = - 12.4583 + 0.1127SP -1.1977EM-CH + 0.9788LDL-CH + 0.2477BMI + 0.0382DCSC + 0.0248DP,P<0.0001-0.05. Conclusions The findings in the present study suggest that significantly increased systolic and diastolic pressure, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, body mass index and daily cigarette smoking consumption, and significantly decreased erythrocytic membrane cholesterol may be likely the main factors affecting intracerebral hemorrhagic volumes in patients with acute spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage.

Associations of lifestyle and diet with the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Singapore:a case–control study

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC) is a commonly diagnosed cancer in Southeast Asia. Many studies have examined the risk factors for NPC, yet the roles of some risk factors remain inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between modifiable lifestyle factors and the risk of NPC in the Singaporean population.Methods: We conducted a case–control study in Singapore with 300 patients and 310 controls who were recruited between 2008 and 2012. Each control was selected and individually matched to each patient based on sex, ethnicity, and age(±5 years). A total of 290 pairs of cases and controls were matched successfully. We examined lifestyle factors such as tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, various salted and preserved food consumption, and weaning practices.Results: After adjusting for covariates, multivariate analysis showed that those participants who were current smokers and had ever smoked tobacco had a higher risk of NPC than participants who had never smoked, with odds ratios(ORs) of 4.50(95% confidence interval [CI] 2.58–7.86; P < 0.001) and 2.52(95% CI 1.54–4.12; P < 0.001), respectively. Those who consumed salted vegetables at least once a week also showed a significantly increased risk of NPC than those who never or rarely consumed salted vegetables, with an OR of 4.18(95% CI 1.69–10.38; P = 0.002).Conclusion: Smoking(currently and ever-smoked) and consuming salted vegetables once a week or more were lifestyle risk factors for NPC, and changes of these factors for the better may reduce the risk of NPC.

Cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking and esophageal cancer risk in Taiwan Residents women

AIM:To investigate the etiology of esophageal cancer among Taiwan Residents women.METHODS:This is a multi-center,hospital-based,case-control study.Case patients consisted of women who were newly diagnosed and pathology-proven to have esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC) from three large medical centers(one from Northern and two from Southern Taiwan,respectively)between August 2000 and December 2008.Each ESCC patient was matched with 4 healthy women based on age(within 3 years)and hospital of origin,from the Department of Preventive Medicine in each hospital.A total of 51 case patients and 204 controls,all women,were studied.RESULTS:Frequencies of smokers and drinkers among ESCC patients were 19.6%and 21.6%,respectively,which were significantly higher than smokers(4.4%) and drinkers(4.4%)among controls(OR=4.07,95%CI:1.36-12.16,P=0.01;OR=3.55,95%CI:1.03-12.27,P=0.04).Women who drank an amount of alcohol more than 158 g per week had a 20.58-fold greater risk(95%CI:1.72-245.62,P=0.02)of ESCC than those who never drank alcohol after adjusting for other covariates,although the sample size was small.CONCLUSION:Cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking,especially heavy drinking,are the major risks for developing ESCC in Taiwan Residents women.

Phosphodiesterases:novel targets for treatment of alcoholism

OBJECTIVE Alcoholism is one of the most damaging psychiatric disorders and causes serious social and health problems in the world. However,there are no ideal treatments for this disease in clinic.Phosphodiesterases(PDEs) are a superfamily of enzymes consisting of 11 PDE families that hydrolyze cyclicAMP(cA MP) and/or cyclicGMP(cGMP). Among them,PDE4 is critical in the control of intracellular cAMP levels and has been shown to play an important role in the regulation of ethanol consumption.However,the functional role of PDE4 in mediating alcoholism remains unclear. METHODS Ethanol drinking and preference were examined using the two-bottle choice and/or drinking-in-dark(DID) test in high alcohol preferring(HAP) animals,including C57,HAP,and PDE4-subtype knockout mice,and Fawn-Hooded(FH/Wjd) rats,treated with or without the PDE4 inhibitor rolipram or roflumilast. Ethanol withdrawal-induced anxiety-and depressive-like behaviors were examined using the elevated plusmaze,holeboard,forced-swim,and tail-suspension tests in C57 mice or FH rats in the presence of PDE4 inhibition. Levels of cAMP,CREB were determined in brain regions. RESULTS Treatment with rolipram or roflumilast decreased ethanol intake and preference in two-bottle choice and DID tests in C57 and HAP mice as well as FH rats. Mice deficient in PDE4 B,but not PDE4 D,displayed similar effects to general PDE4 inhibition. In addition,rolipram reversed ethanol withdrawal-induced anxietyand depressive-like behaviors 1 d and 14 d,respectively,following withdrawal from ethanol drinking in the two-bottle choice in C57 mice or FH rats. Locomotor activity was not changed in either mice or rats treated with the PDE4 inhibitors. Levels of cAMP,p CREB in the brain were increased by rolipram.CONCLUSION The results provide solid evidence for the important role of PDE4 in ethanol consumptionand ethanol withdrawal-induced symptoms. Inhibitors of PDE4,in particular the PDE4 B isoform,can be a novel class of treatment for alcoholism.

Alcohol Cessation in Late Life is Associated with Lower Risk of Cognitive Impairment among the Older Adults in China

Objective Evidence regarding alcohol consumption and cognitive impairment is controversial.Whether cessation of drinking alcohol by non-dependent drinkers alters the risk of cognitive impairment remains unknown.This study prospectively evaluated the potential association between the history of lifetime alcohol cessation and risk of cognitive impairment.Methods This study included 15,758 participants age 65 years or older,selected from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey(CLHLS)that covered 23 provinces in China.Current alcohol use status,duration of alcohol cessation,and alcohol consumption before abstinence were self-reported by participants;cognitive function was evaluated using Mini-mental State Examination(MMSE).Causespecific hazard models and restricted cubic splines were applied to estimate the effect of alcohol use on cognitive impairment.Results Among the 15,758 participants,mean(±SD)age was 82.8 years(±11.9 years),and 7,199(45.7%)were males.During a mean of 3.9 years of follow-up,3,404 cases were identified as cognitive impairment.Compared with current drinkers,alcohol cessation of five to nine years[adjusted HR,0.79(95%CI:0.66-0.96)]and more than nine years[adjusted HR,0.82(95%CI:0.69-0.98)]were associated with lower risk of cognitive impairment.Conclusion A longer duration of alcohol cessation was associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment assessed by MMSE.Alcohol cessation is never late for older adults to prevent cognitive impairment.

Association between drinking behavior and sleep duration in Chinese adults: findings from the China Health and Nutrition Survey

Background:To examine the association between alcohol drinking and short sleep duration among Chinese adults.Methods:Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria,28,167 records of 15,074 adults longitudinal data were obtained from the China Health and Nutrition Survey for the period from 2004 to 2011.A multilevel logistic regression model was employed to explore the association between alcohol drinking and sleep duration.Results:Compared with nondrinking participants,a high drinking frequency was positively correlated with a short sleep duration in both the males(odds ratio(OR)=1.33,95%confidence interval(CI)=1.20–1.48,P<0.001)and females(OR=1.60,95%CI=1.18–2.18,P=0.003)before the covariates were adjusted.After adjusting for age,residence area,education level,marital status,smoking,coffee consumption,tea consumption,and activity level,this association remained significant in the males(OR=1.31,95%CI=1.17–1.46,P<0.001)but not in the females(OR=1.16,95%CI=0.85–1.59,P=0.340).Conclusion:The present results suggest that a high drinking frequency was positively correlated with a short sleep duration in male population.Comprehensive measures therefore need to be implemented to improve sleep duration,especially to increase awareness of the dangers of drinking alcohol.

Age, alcohol, sex, and metabolic factors as risk factors for colonic diverticulosis

BACKGROUND The pathogenesis of colonic diverticulosis is not well understood.Moreover,only a few studies on colonic diverticulosis have been reported in China's Mainland.AIM To evaluate the prevalence of and risk factors for asymptomatic colorectal diverticulosis in Eastern China.METHODS From August 2016 to July 2020,6180 asymptomatic individuals were enrolled in this cross-sectional study.These individuals had undergone physical examinations,laboratory testing,and colonoscopy.Data regarding the baseline characteristics and their general health status were obtained through interviews.RESULTS The prevalence of colonic diverticulosis was 7.3%(449/6180).Colonic diverticulosis was detected predominantly on the right side of the colon(88.4%).Logistic regression analysis revealed that an age≥60 years(adjusted odds ratio[OR]2.149,95%confidence interval[CI]1.511-3.057,P<0.001),male sex(adjusted OR:1.878,95%CI:1.373-2.568,P<0.001),obesity(adjusted OR:1.446,95%CI:1.100-1.902,P=0.008),alcohol intake(adjusted OR:1.518,95%CI:1.213-1.901,P<0.001),hypertension(adjusted OR:1.454,95%CI:1.181-1.789,P<0.001),hypertriglyceridemia(adjusted OR:1.287,95%CI:1.032-1.607,P=0.025),and hyperuricemia(adjusted OR:1.570,95%CI:1.257-1.961,P<0.001)significantly increased the risk of colonic diverticulosis.CONCLUSION Advanced age,male sex,alcohol intake,obesity,and other metabolic-related factors,such as hypertension,hypertriglyceridemia,and hyperuricemia,were independent risk factors for colonic diverticulosis.Understanding the true prevalence of colonic diverticulosis and its associated risk factors will aid in its prevention and treatment.

The Influence of Gene Polymorphisms on Tobacco and Alcohol-Induced Oral Cancer Risk

Aims: This study examined whether genetic polymorphisms of tobacco and alcohol-related metabolic genes such as GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1, CYP1A1, CYP2E1 and DNA repair genes (XRCC1 194Trp, XRCC1 399Gln, and XRCC3 Met) contribute to the risk of developing OSCC. Methods: Patients eligible for inclusion were over 18 years, had pathologically confirmed OSCC and were followed prospectively for at least two years or until death, from December 2000 to December 2004. Ninety-two OSCC patients were included along with 244 subjects from the same hospital, evaluated in the same period as patients without cancer, as the control group. Results: GSTM1 null and XRCC1-194Trp alone increased the risk of OSCC (OR, 2.15;95% CI, 1.2 - 3.6 and OR, 2.02;95% CI, 1.01 - 4.03, respectively). The joint effect of GSTM1 null with CYP1A1 or CYP2E1 polymorphism increased the risk two to threefold. Similar results were observed when XRCC1-194Trp was combined with GSTM1 null or the CYP2E1 polymorphism. By contrast, XRCC1- 399Gln was associated with protection against OSCC. Gene-gene and gene-environmental interactions were mainly detected for CYP1A1 and GSTP1 associated with more than 20 p/y of tobacco and XRCC1-194Trp when more than 30 g/L/d of alcohol was consumed (OR, 8.8;95% CI;1.3 - 45.7). Conclusions: The drug metabolizing and DNA repair enzyme polymorphisms may be informative for clinicians in the preventive management of patients at risk, particularly those with strong smoking and drinking habits.

Feasibility of a Fully Automated Multiple Session Alcohol Intervention to University Students,Using Different Modes of Electronic Delivery—The TOPHAT 1 Study

Background: In recent years more and more electronic health behaviour interventions have been developed in order to reach individuals with an unhealthy behaviour such as risky drinking. This is especially relevant in university students who are among those who most frequently are risky drinkers. This study explored the acceptability and feasibility, in an unselected group of university students, of a fully automated multiple session alcohol intervention offering different modes of delivery such as email, SMS and Android. Material and Methods: A total of 11,283 students at Link?ping University in Sweden were invited to perform a single session alcohol intervention and among those accepting this (4916 students) a total of 24.7% accepted to further participate in the extended multiple intervention lasting 3 - 6 weeks. The students could choose mode of delivery, total length of the intervention (between 3 - 6 weeks) and number of messages per week (3, 5, or 7 per week). A follow-up questionnaire was applied after the intervention to which 82.7% responded. Results: most students wanted to receive the messages by email with the shortest intervention length (3 weeks) and as few messages as possible per week (3 messages). However, no major difference was seen regarding satisfaction with the length and frequency of the intervention despite chosen length and frequency. Most students also expressed satisfaction with the content of the messages and would recommend the intervention to a fellow student in need of reducing drinking. Discussion and Conclusion: Based upon feedback from the students, a multiple push-based intervention appears to be feasible to offer students interested in additional support after a single session alcohol intervention. In a forthcoming study we will further explore the optimal mode of delivery and length of intervention and number of messages per week.

Npy deletion in an alcohol non-preferring rat model elicits differential effects on alcohol consumption and body weight

Neuropeptide Y（NPY） is widely expressed in the central nervous system and influences many physiological processes.It is located within the rat quantitative trait locus（QTL） for alcohol preference on chromosome 4.Alcohol-nonpreferring（NP） rats consume very little alcohol,but have significantly higher NPY expression in the brain than alcohol-preferring（P） rats.We capitalized on this phenotypic difference by creating an Npy knockout（KO） rat using the inbred NP background to evaluate NPY effects on alcohol consumption.Zinc finger nuclease（ZNF） technology was applied,resulting in a 26-bp deletion in the Npy gene.RT-PCR,Western blotting and immunohistochemistry confirmed the absence of Npy mRNA and protein in KO rats.Alcohol consumption was increased in Npy＋/- but not Npy-/- rats,while Npy-/- rats displayed significantly lower body weight when compared to Npy^（＋/＋） rats.In whole brain tissue,expression levels of Npy-related and other alcohol-associated genes,Npy1 r,Npy2r,Npy5 r,Agrp,Mc3 r,Mc4r,Crh and CrMr,were significantly greater in Npy-/- rats,whereas Pome and Crhr2 expressions were highest in Npy＋/- rats.These findings suggest that the NPY-system works in close coordination with the melanocortin（MC） and corticotropin-releasing hormone（CRH） systems to modulate alcohol intake and body weight.

Polymorphism study of nine SNPs associated with subjective response to alcohol in Chinese Han, Hui, Tibetan, Mongolian and Uygur populations

Heavy alcohol drinking is a major public health problem,causing a large disease,social and economic burden in societies.Subjective response (SR) to alcohol is an intermediate characteristic of heavy drinking.A variety of candidate genes have been reported to be associated with SR to alcohol.In this study,we investigated nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to SR to alcohol in healthy individuals from five Chinese ethnic groups,the Han,Hui,Tibetan,Mongolian and Uygur populations,and a total of 584 bloodstain samples were collected.The nine SNPs included four SNPs in alcohol-metabolizing genes (ADH1B,ADH1C,ALDH2 and CYP2E1*5B) and five SNPs in genes of neurobiological pathways (GABRA2,OPRM1,CHRNA3,HYKK and SLC6A4).A SNaPshot analysis method was developed to type these SNPs simultaneously,and all samples were typed successfully.Statistical analyses of the allele frequencies indicated that the frequencies of all SNPs,except for ADH1C,showed varying degrees of difference in the five studied ethnic groups.Tibetans showed the highest frequencies of risk alleles for heavy drinking at most loci.The genetic polymorphic differences found in this study revealed the variation in genetic susceptibility to heavy drinking in the studied populations.

Ion Chromatographic Determination of Organic Acids and Cations via Exchange Columns Connected in Parallel

A column switching technique has been developed for the sequential determination of organic acids and cations in alcoholic drinks. An anion exchange column and a cation exchange column were connected in parallel for the measurement. Oxalic acid was employed as a common eluent for both the anion and cation exchange columns. Under the same chromatographic conditions, the organic acids and cations can be separated sequentially by a switching operation selecting the path way through the anion and cation exchange columns. This method is simple to operate and is very sensitive with detection limits of 0 1～ 1 0 mg/L for organic acids and 10～ 20 μg/L for cations.