Summary: Alcohol use disorder is a significant problem in the US and is associated with significant mortality. However, there are very few medications to treat alcohol use disorder. Now a new study suggests that one of the commonly available medications used to treat hypertension may help reduce alcohol cravings. A recent study found that those who used this medication to manage heart issues or hypertension reported significantly reduced alcohol intake. The drug was especially good for reducing alcohol intake in those with the highest alcohol intake.

Excessive alcohol consumption is a significant problem in the US. It causes 380 deaths a day or 140,000 deaths each year. Yes, these numbers are massive. Moreover, many of those who die due to excessive alcohol use are relatively young adults. Additionally, millions of lives are affected by excessive alcohol consumption. 

Though most are able to drink alcohol responsibly, nonetheless, alcohol use disorder is a significant issue in the US and globally. Alcohol is readily and legally available, and more than 80% of adults use alcohol now and then. Thus, no surprise that many use alcohol excessively.

Despite alcohol use disorder being an age-old problem, it has received relatively little attention. However, many people living with the condition require medical treatment for painkiller addiction help. Regretfully, very few drugs are moderately effective in the condition. Thus, doctors may use medications affecting alcohol metabolism, making alcohol consumption unpleasant. Or they might use drugs that reduce alcohol cravings. However, most medicines used to treat alcohol use disorders are moderately effective. Unfortunately, some of them have unpleasant side effects. Thus, researchers are looking for safer and more effective remedies, and it appears that one such remedy may be one of the popular heart medicine.

This popular heart medicine is called spironolactone. It is a diuretic used to manage hypertension. It has been in clinical use for a long, and thus it has a proven safety track record. However, now animal studies and clinical trials suggest that it may be quite good for treating alcohol use disorder, as it reduces alcohol cravings. The findings of the latest study were published in Molecular psychiatry2.

Spironolactone is an exciting drug in many ways, and studies have shown that it has many other health effects. That is why doctors are also exploring it for other brain disorders. It is even used to manage hair loss and many other health issues.

Researchers found that when mice were given spironolactone, they had a reduced urge to drink alcohol. Similarly, studies show that when spironolactone is prescribed for treating high blood pressure, people also report reduced alcohol intake due to a reduced urge to use alcohol.

Studies suggest that this may have something to do with its influence on mineralocorticoid receptors. These receptors are located throughout the brain and other organs that play an important role in fluid and electrolyte balance. It appears that expression or, rather, overexpression of these receptors in the brain has something to do with alcohol use disorder. Consequently, blocking these receptors appears to reduce alcohol urges or cravings in those living with alcohol use disorder.

In the study, researchers analyzed US Veterans Affairs healthcare system data and found that those taking spironolactone reported reduced alcohol intake. Interestingly, researchers found that those with the highest alcohol intake were more likely to reduce their intake after treatment with spironolactone.

Researchers say that these findings are highly encouraging. It is well-known that spironolactone is a nonselective mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonist. Furthermore, it appears to modulate alcohol-seeking behavior by acting on these receptors in the brain.

Investigators also found that spironolactone independently reduced alcohol intake. In addition, its dose-dependently reduced alcohol self-administration. 

Researchers say that there is strong evidence from studies in rodents and clinical trials that it works. Thus, there is an urgent need to further test this drug for treating alcohol use disorder. Since the drug is already approved for treating other health conditions, it can be readily introduced for alcohol use disorder management. Repurposing a drug already in clinical use is much easier than developing some new treatment.

Summary: More than 85% of US adults report drinking alcohol, and data suggests that about 25% of the population engages in binge drinking. Additionally, it appears that about 6% of adults are addicted to alcohol. Prolonged alcohol abuse causes premature death due to many causes like a motor vehicle accident or liver disease. The new study suggests that Covid-19 intake has increased alcohol-related deaths. This may be due to increased mental stress, work-from-home culture, and other reasons.

Alcohol consumption is pretty common and is a part of western culture. Thus, no surprise that all reputed localities are laced with pubs, bars, and more. It is common for people to have a drink after a hard working day. A drink helps relax and communicate and is an enjoyable activity. Though most people know that excessive alcohol can harm health, many do not realize the scale of the problem. This may explain the rate of increasing deaths due to alcohol addiction.

US data shows that about 85% of all adults drink alcohol. However, casual alcohol drinking is not an issue. But US statistics are alarming as they show that one-fourth of US adults engage in binge drinking. As a result, one-fourth of the population is at the risk of developing excessive alcohol consumption-related disorders and premature death.

Studies also suggest that about 7% of adults in the US are living with alcohol addiction. An estimated 14.5 million people older than 12 years of age have alcohol abuse disorder (AUD). AUD or alcohol addiction is a disease that must be treated; else, it may harm health severely. But, regretfully, only about 10% of those living with AUD or alcohol addiction seek treatment for the condition. Instead of seeking for their alcohol addiction treatment, people are more likely to seek treatment for health disorders caused by excessive drinking.

Alcohol addiction or excessive drinking may cause premature death for many reasons, like motor vehicle accidents, homicides, alcohol overdose, suicides, liver disease, kidney failure, and cancer. What is worrisome is that people of working age are more likely to consume alcohol excessively. Excessive alcohol use now causes more than 140,000 deaths in the US annually. It means about one in ten deaths among working-age adults is due to excessive alcohol use.

What the new studies add to the current understanding of alcohol addiction is that excessive alcohol use-related deaths are rising. It confirms the worrisome trend. Although in the last few decades, there is not much change in the rate of alcohol consumption, but more people are engaging in binge drinking.

The study was especially done by keeping in mind the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic on alcohol consumption habits. Covid-19 caused significant stress. Additionally, more people started working from home. The study confirmed that this resulted in excessive alcohol intake. This resulted in a slight increase in alcohol-related deaths in the US from 2.8% in 2019 to 3% in 2020.

Although data may show only a minor increase in alcohol-related deaths, nonetheless, the numbers are significant. Moreover, it shows an upward trend, something that cannot be neglected.

Alcohol consumption in moderation does pose many health threats. However, binge drinking (four or more drinks) or heavy drinking (eight or more drinks) can significantly harm health. To prevent deaths associated with excessive alcohol consumption, people should seek attention for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and not for health complications arising from alcohol addiction.

Treating alcohol addiction or AUD is different from treating drug addiction. AUD is often the result of years of alcohol use. Quite often, a person may not even realize that he or she is living with the condition. Most such individuals start by drinking alcohol in moderate amounts. However, with time or due to stress, they might begin abusing alcohol.

Summary: Heave drinking, binge drinking, and AUD are significant social and health problems. Many people struggle to say no to alcohol despite realizing the ill effects of heavy drinking. Psychotherapy is one of the effective and safe ways to manage the condition, as it helps rewire the brain and alter the thinking pattern. Now a new study shows that using psilocybin along with psychotherapy may have much higher benefits. After such a treatment, people are almost twice more likely to abstain from alcohol and report a significant decline in cravings.

Alcohol is widely consumed in the US. About 80% of all adults drink alcohol now and then, and some of them consume it quite frequently. However, some people start engaging in excessive alcohol consumption, which is harmful to health.

According to the CDC, binge drinking is having four or more drinks on a single occasion. And heavy drinking means having eight or more drinks.

Excessive and irresponsible alcohol use is a significant problem in the US. Moreover, this problem is quite common in young adults. It is among the leading cause of death in young adults. AUD causes 140,000 deaths each year, and it also causes significant disability and economic harm.

Psilocybin is a psychedelic compound from magic mushrooms widely used for its trippy effect. It causes hallucinations. Yes, it remains a controversial compound for clinical use. It is still a substance of abuse, and FDA does not allow its clinical use. However, FDA allows its use for clinical studies.

Researchers have been experimenting with psychedelics for more than half a century to treat various mental health issues.

However, they have recently discovered how to use these agents safely and effectively. They understood that these agents are only suitable for use under medical supervision and for the short term. They work at lower dosages and are more effective when combined with psychotherapy.

When combined the psychotherapy, they help rewire the brain quickly. Their effect is unlike other medical drugs that take a long time to start acting and have a short-lasting action. Instead, psychedelics work fast and may provide long-lasting relief due to improved brain rewiring. They are especially good for managing mood disorders like depression.

However, now a new study confirms that they can be pretty good for managing substance abuse disorders like AUD.

In a new study published in the journal JAMA, researchers compared the effectiveness of psilocybin with diphenhydramine, a kind of antihistamine with a sedative effect and known to lower cravings. The study found that when combined with psychotherapy, psilocybin is much better and has a long-lasting effect.

Researchers say that what has amazed them is the persistent effect of psilocybin. Though the study was small and had a sample size of only 100, the findings were quite surprising. They found that psilocybin was almost twice more effective compared to diphenhydramine.

In the study, researchers divided participants into two equal groups. Both groups received 12 psychotherapy sessions over 12 weeks. However, one group received two dosages of psilocybin and the other group, diphenhydramine, as a placebo. They tracked the patients for six months.

At the end of the study, they found that just by adding two doses of psilocybin, the effect of psychotherapy increased considerably. Thus, after six months, about 10% still reported drinking heavily. However, these numbers were almost 25% in the diphenhydramine group.

What is impressive is that in the psilocybin group, twice as many participants stopped drinking altogether, 48% vs. 24%. They said that they had reduced cravings for alcohol after a psilocybin treatment. Those who stopped drinking said they did not consider themselves alcoholics anymore.

Researchers then went further and offered a third dose of psilocybin to study participants at the end of the six-month study. They said that after this dosage, many more reported benefits.
Researchers say they are very encouraged by their findings, and study results surpass their expectations. Moreover, psilocybin did not cause any side effects, and yet it had a prolonged benefit.
Researchers say that they are now planning more extensive study. They are planning a 3-year study with more than 200 participants. And they also plan to have participants from diverse backgrounds. Nevertheless, researchers think that psilocybin appears to be a real breakthrough in managing AUD.

Summary: Alcohol consumption is common, but only a few people are prone to alcohol addiction or alcohol use disorder (AUD). These are often people with some emotional deficit and struggle to control their alcohol intake. It appears that altered gut microbiota can also alter emotional responses and thus increase the risk of AUD. These alterations may occur due to various reasons. New studies confirm that gut microbiota is altered in those living with AUD. Hence, normalizing gut microbiota along with telehealth treatment can be one way to manage alcohol addiction.

In the last few decades, researchers have given significant attention to billions of bacteria and fungi living in the human body, particularly in the gut. These beneficial bacteria and fungi in the gut are called microbiota. There are more of these tiny organisms in our body than the total number of body cells. It means that these billions of microbes must be playing some essential role in human health.

 

When it comes to the role of microbiota, science has still only scratched the surface. However, researchers know that humans have evolved in a way that they cannot live a healthy life if the population of microbiota is disrupted. Microbiota produces nutrients, vitamins, hormones, and other biologically active compounds.

 

Further, it seems that the gut plays a vital role in the brain’s health and microbiota in the gut’s health. For example, the gut produces 90% of serotonin, an important neurotransmitter, which plays a significant role in brain functioning and mental health. However, the gut also produces other neuropeptides. Thus, researchers call this gut and brain relation “the gut-brain axis.” Since microbiota can significantly influence this axis, the researchers have coined a new term, “microbiota-gut-brain axis.”

 

It seems that microbiota play a vital role in the production of many bioactive compounds that can influence the working of the brain. Thus, changes in microbiota may increase the risk of mood disorders and various mental health issues and may even play a role in alcohol addiction.

 

In one of the recent events, The FENS Forum 2022, some of the leading neurologists discussed their findings regarding how gut microbiota alterations may promote alcohol addiction. They presented their findings in the panel session – “Unravelling the role of the gut microbiome in addiction.”

 

The gut and the binge drinking

 

The studies show that one is more likely to see changes in gut microbiota in those who engage in binge drinking. It seems that altered gut microbiota can affect emotional responses and promote impulsivity.

 

Stress, microbiota, and alcohol dependency

Another opinion shared by Dr. Benjamin Boutrel was that stress causes changes in the gut microbiota in some individuals. And animal experiments suggest that these people often suffer from severe alcohol dependency.

 

Gut microbiota, hormones, and alcohol dependency

Dr. Lorenzo Leggio presented the findings in which he outlined the role of altered levels of the “hunger hormone,” ghrelin, in developing alcohol dependence. In addition, it appears that changes in gut microbiota may also alter ghrelin levels in the body.

 

Transplanting gut bacteria to explore their role in alcohol use disorder (AUD)

In yet another presentation, Pr. Nathalie Delzenne presented the findings from the research done by her team at UC Louvain. Science knows that people living with alcohol use disorders (AUD) have some emotional issues or deficits. By planting the bacteria from people living with AUD to lab mice, she could demonstrate the role of altered microbiota in changed emotional responses and AUD.

 

There are exciting times as researchers are exploring an entirely new way to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD), that is, by focusing on normalizing the gut microbiota. However, this also highlights the importance of diet and nutrition, particularly dietary fiber, in managing AUD.

Summary: About 5% of US adults are living with alcohol use disorder (AUD). However, only one-fifth of them ever seek treatment for the condition. People do not seek treatment as they dislike treatment modalities, hence the need to find new treatments for AUD. The new study shows that yoga and aerobic exercises can control cravings and reduce alcohol intake.

Alcohol consumption is pretty common in the US and globally. In the US, 70-80% of adults drink alcohol quite regularly. In addition, about 5% of adults in the US are living with alcohol use disorder (AUD). It means that they are addicted to alcohol, frequently abuse alcohol, and engage in binge drinking.

As one can see that only a small fraction of those who consume alcohol are living with AUD, a kind of mental health disease. Though researchers are unsure of why some develop this condition, they think it is due to some intrinsic differences.

AUD is associated with significant mortality. It is among the leading causes of death in young adults. Not only that, but AUD also causes numerous other health issues. Those living with AUD are also more likely to be living with anxiety and depression. In addition, AUD often occurs with other issues like tobacco abuse.

Barriers to seeking help

Though there are many effective ways to treat AUD, like psychological therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medical drugs, but many do not seek AUD treatment. Studies show that no more than 20% of those living with AUD will ever seek medical help.

It appears that there are many reasons why people do not seek medical help, like the stigma attached to the condition. Some are dissatisfied with the existing therapies. Many people will not like to spend time in opioid addiction treatment centers. Others are discouraged by the side effects of medical drugs. All this means there is a need to find treatments with greater acceptability. A kind of treatment that is more readily accessible to millions of adults living with AUD.

Yoga and aerobic exercise may help reduce alcohol consumption

In the new study, researchers tested the role of aerobic exercise and yoga in reducing alcohol intake. They carried out a study on 140 adults living with AUD. They divided them into three groups: one group doing yoga, the second group doing aerobic exercise, and the third group were given standard treatment. They were asked to engage in exercise a minimum of three times a week, and the study continued for 12 weeks.

To monitor their patients, doctors used various blood tests and accelerometers. They found that alcohol consumption was reduced significantly in all three groups. However, they found the most significant reduction in the yoga group. In addition, they found that yoga was not inferior to usual AUD treatment, and aerobic exercise of just slightly less effective.

However, it is worth understanding that the benefits of yoga and aerobic training were not limited to reduced alcohol intake. These interventions also resulted in reduced anxiety and improved mood. They also found that exercise was good for reducing alcohol cravings. The impact of exercise was especially high for the next few hours.

Thus, researchers think that the best time to engage in yoga and exercise is at times when the craving is maximum. Hence, it would be good to engage in exercise in the afternoon or in the evening. This will help counter cravings and thus reduce alcohol use.

Researchers say that there could be many ways in which exercise helps. For example, exercise appears to make people feel good and thus can modulate dopaminergic or reward pathways. Exercise can also help by boosting self-esteem.