Researchers try to pinpoint risks of alcoholism relapse German researchers say they're closer to inventing a diagnostic method for determining the odds that sober alcoholics will begin drinking again. German researchers say they're closer to inventing a diagnostic method for determining the odds that sober alcoholics will begin drinking again, according to an article published in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry. The Mayo Clinic associates alcoholism with numerous health problems, including bone thinning due to osteoporosis, while a study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information draws a link between alcohol consumption and gastric reflux. Individuals struggling with either ailment can buy Fosamax or buy Prevacid from a Canadian internet pharmacy. The brains of 46 recovering problem drinkers were studied directly using magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) to observe certain chemical stimuli signals relating to alcohol. Many individuals who displayed the strongest signals had relapsed when studied again three months later. In addition, the 16 subjects who had remained abstinent from alcohol had displayed more grey matter in areas of their forebrain during their initial scanning. According to the researchers, the forebrain is the area responsible for keeping behaviors and emotions in check. "This characteristic in patients who remained abstinent possibly acts as a warning signal and prevents potential relapse when confronted with alcohol," and Anne Beck, the study's lead author. More findings regarding brain matter and alcoholism recently came from Italian scientists at the Scripps Research Institute. According to their findings, culled from experimenting on laboratory rats, the peptide ghrelin could be used in future drug treatments for alcoholism. Normally, this hormone is responsible for stimulating hunger. "There is increasing evidence that the peptide systems regulating food consumption are also critical players in excessive alcohol consumption. These peptide systems have the potential to serve as targets for new therapies aimed at treating alcoholism," said Marisa Roberto, an expert in the field of alcoholism research.

See also ...

• AAP statement: Recess key for healthy kids
• Study finds cancer screening rates lower than U_S_ goal
• Study shows keeping emotions bottled up can be unhealthy
• CDC study looks at cardio health of states and healthy participants
• Governor Brown being treated for prostate cancer
• High blood pressure may speed up cognitive aging
• New associations found between depression and heart failure
• Testosterone low in young men with obesity
• This red fruit may boost your health
• Loss of smell linked to neurological conditions
• Science unveils the wandering mind
• Insulin-blocking protein unraveled
• New biomarkers could result in better prevention and treatment for type 2 diabetes
• The battle over BPA wages on
• New research links cell death during cardiac events to calcium overload
• "The Biggest Loser" helps science understand weight loss extremes
• Study finds increased risk of cardiovascular disease with poor diabetes care
• Small amounts of exercise can improve morale of overweight adolescents
• Doctors put heads together to tackle difficult-to-treat depression
• Too much glucose control for diabetes patients may cause aspirin resistance
• Apples could improve heart health by lowering "bad" cholesterol
• Dark chocolate improves memory in snails
• African spiny mice regenerate skin without any scars
• International study bolsters understanding of heart disease and stroke
• Lack of sleep may increase diabetes risk, study finds
• Retired military leaders say many Americans are 'Too Fat to Fight'
• Knee replacement revision procedures on the rise, research shows
• High schoolers protest healthy lunches
• Combat-related PTSD may improve with integrated treatments
• Aging population could have ongoing impact on economy
• Yogurt consumption linked to low blood pressure
• New study says ginkgo biloba does not enhance memory or thinking
• Sugary beverages linked to weight gain
• Sibling-less children are more prone to obesity, study says
• Alcohol abuse is a better indicator than dependence for hereditary risk, according to study
• Working out reduces stress and anxiety, study says
• Lives of women preserved by breast cancer screening, Australian research says
• Insomnia is rampant in the UK
• Heart attack care and outcomes are notably bad for women under 45, says study
• Scientists say brain stimulation could combat obesity
• Teens who have oral sex are likely to engage in other risky sexual behavior
• New Alzheimer's treatment is proven ineffective
• Pumping iron could reduce one's risk of type 2 diabetes
• Scientists work on a cure for type 1 diabetes
• Olympians are not immune to osteoarthritis
• New drug therapy approved for breast cancer
• Researchers alter behavior in monkey using optogenetics
• No difference in metabolic rates found between hunter-gatherers and desk workers
• HIV funding is critical despite economic crisis
• Air pollution linked to depression