The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.
The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.
Alcohol, HMGB1, and Innate Immune Signaling in the Brain
Alcohol intoxication alters neuronal networks that markedly impact impulsiveness, balance, and other important brain functions. Although acute intoxication has immediate dangers, alcohol use disorder (AUD) has a lasting impact on individuals and families. AUD is considered a chronic relapsing disease linked to cycles of intoxication often initiated in adolescence that change neuronal...
Alcohol Use Disorder and Dementia: A Review
In 2020, an estimated 17% of the U.S. population was older than age 65; this proportion is projected to rise to about 23% by 2060.1,2 This prompts an urgent need for identifying potential and modifiable risk factors contributing to health decline.3,4 After tobacco, alcohol is the most misused substance in the United States and abroad.5 Even prior to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID...
Abundant cross-sectional data indicate that alcohol use and related problems are accompanied by disruptions to sleep and circadian rhythms.1 Alcohol's negative impacts on sleep are well established, especially in adults, and a smaller body of literature also reports alcohol's disruption of circadian rhythms.2-4 Growing evidence supports sleep and circadian factors as influencing...
Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in people with alcohol use disorder (AUD).1 Alcohol exerts its effect on the liver through both direct and indirect pathways and can eventually lead to steatosis, steatohepatitis, fibrosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and cirrhosis.2 However, only approximately 10% to 20% of patients with ALD develop...
Alcohol and Skeletal Muscle in Health and Disease
Alcohol misuse is the most common form of substance misuse and is associated with liver, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases as well as with infections and cancers.1 Although an estimated 20% to 25% of people who drink heavily develop alcohol-related liver disease,2 40% to 60% of people with alcohol misuse have alcohol-related myopathy.3 Evidence that alcohol use leads to skeletal...
Although the awareness of the negative impact of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) was already alluded to in ancient writings1 and the impact of ethanol embryopathy in animal models was studied as early as 1910,2 the conceptualization of a syndrome associated with PAE was not recognized within modern medicine until the mid-20th century.3,4 The syndrome or disorder was not uniformly...
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is a necessary cause of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), a group of alcohol-related conditions characterized by neurodevelopmental problems. Although PAE is associated with many adverse physical, neurodevelopmental, and social outcomes, the most commonly studied are neurodevelopmental—primarily behavioral and cognitive—outcomes. Associations...
NIAAA 50th Anniversary Festschrift: From the Editor
NIAAA’s 50th anniversary is truly a highlight in the history of public health. More than 5 decades ago, a group of researchers, advocates, and elected officials made a farsighted decision when they pushed for the creation of a federal institution dedicated to research that improves the lives of millions of Americans and their families devastated by alcohol misuse. As a result, on...
Alcohol’s Negative Emotional Side: The Role of Stress Neurobiology in Alcohol Use Disorder
The word “alcohol” often conjures up positive feelings and associations with fun, socializing, relaxing, and partying. Yet there is another side to drinking alcohol, especially with risky, hazardous levels of consumption. This side is associated with distress and may include anxiety, loneliness, pain, and depressive symptoms.1 This has been labeled the “dark side,” or “negative...
According to national surveys, more than 85% of U.S. adults have consumed alcohol at some point in their lifetime, and about 70% did so in the last year.1 Most individuals drink responsibly and without adverse effects. However, a substantial proportion of people misuse alcohol.1,2 Drinking patterns associated with alcohol misuse include binge drinking, heavy drinking, and high...
