SBIRT Has Broad Impact on Adolescent Health

Over the last two decades, numerous research studies have firmly established the effectiveness of screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) in pediatric practices for alcohol and other substances in reducing underage drinking and its harmful consequences. More recently, investigators have hypothesized that SBIRT might have broader effects on adolescent health. Alcohol and other … Read more

Alcohol Rehabilitation Can Reduce Hospital Readmission, Relapse, and Mortality in Patients with Alcoholic Hepatitis

Early alcohol rehabilitation can reduce the risk of hospital readmission, alcohol relapse, and mortality among patients hospitalized for alcoholic hepatitis (AH), according to a recent National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) supported study. AH is a potentially life-threatening alcohol-associated liver disease; many patients who are hospitalized with severe cases of AH die within … Read more

Reduction in Drinking Associated with Improvements in Health and Quality of Life

In clinical trials for alcohol use disorder (AUD), abstinence and no heavy drinking days are currently the only end points approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. However, many individuals who do not achieve these end points may still reduce their drinking to less harmful levels during treatment. A recent study published in Alcoholism: … Read more

Improving Treatment by Measuring Neuroscience Domains

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a common, heterogeneous disorder, and this heterogeneity drives the need for precision treatment. In a recent study, investigators at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) led by Laura E. Kwako, Ph.D., a Clinical Psychologist in NIAAA’s Office of the Clinical Director, tested the hypothesis that neurofunctional domains … Read more

A New Treatment Strategy for Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease

Alcohol is involved in nearly half of all liver disease deaths in the United States each year. Alcohol-associated liver disease (AALD) now replaces hepatitis C viral infection as the lead cause of liver transplantation due to chronic liver disease. Consequently, there is an urgent need for effective interventions for AALD, a complex disease with multiple … Read more

Prenatal Choline May Ameliorate Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

Prenatal supplements with the nutrient choline may help protect against alcohol-related deficits in children born to women who drink alcohol during pregnancy, according to a small clinical trial supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The new findings were reported in the July 2018 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Choline … Read more