Research advances in risk factors for alcoholic liver disease / 中华肝脏病杂志

Only a small number of people may develop severe alcoholic liver disease after continuous or excessive drinking, which is different from the harm caused by smoking, and some people may even develop alcoholic liver disease associated with inflammation, liver cirrhosis, or primary liver cancer. There are complex risk factors for liver injury in these people; besides ethnic and genetic factors, drinking volume, and drinking duration, more important factors are involved in the pathophysiological changes of the liver, such as the type and quality of alcohol, drinking pattern, socioeconomic status, and government public policy, which may be the determining factors for the development of alcoholic liver disease. On the basis of literature review, this article proposes the concept that "liquor does not equal to alcohol" , which has important guiding significance for healthy drinking and the prevention of alcoholic liver disease.

Acute Alcohol Responses and Personality Traits by Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 2 Genotype Variances in Patients with Alcohol Dependence

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the pathophysiology of alcoholics by investigating the differences in frequency of Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 2(ALDH2) genotypes and ALDH2 alleles between patients with alcohol dependence and controls, and the differences of drinking and personality traits in Korean male alcoholics with ALDH2 genotype variances. METHODS: The authors selected 98 patients with alcohol dependence and 53 controls. Self-report questionnaires for acute reponses after alcohol ingestion, the AUI(Alcohol Use Inventory), and the NEO-PI-R(NEO Personality Inventory Revised) were given to all patients with alcohol dependence. ALDH2 genotypes were typed with Mbo II RFLP(Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) method in 53 controls and 98 patients with alcohol dependence. The authors divided alcoholic patients into two groups according to the presence of variant ALDH22 allele; normal ALDH2 alcoholics(N=87) and variant ALDH2 alcoholics(N=11). RESULTS: 1) The genotypic frequencies of subjects with ALDH21/1 were higher and those with ALDH21/2 and ALDH22/2 were lower in patients than in controls. 2) Alcohol dependence could be found in ALDH22/2 homozygote individuals. 3) Variant ALDH2 alcoholics had more family problems in the AUI than normal ALDH2 alcoholics. 4) Variant ALDH2 alcoholics experienced more flushing and cardiovascular responses after alcohol ingestion than normal ALDH2 alcoholics. 5) Variant ALDH2 alcoholics had less altruistic personality traits in the NEO-PI-R than normal ALDH2 alcoholics. 6) Variant ALDH2 alcoholics tended to have more tolerance to alcohol than normal ALDH2 alcoholics. CONCLUSION: Variant ALDH22 allele might play a protective role in the pathogenesis of alcohol dependence and there were several significant differences of drinking and personality traits in Korean male alcoholics with ALDH2 genotype variances.

The Alcohol Drinking Pattern and the Related Factors in Problem Drinking among Adolescent's Parents in Korea / 아동간호학회지

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify the alcohol drinking pattern of parents and to analyze drinking related factors in problem drinking among adolescent's parents. METHOD: This study was conducted through a structured questioning from November 5th to 22th in 2002. Those are 2,522 parents of the students of the 1st and 2nd grade who were selected randomly among 26 middle and high schools located in Socho-gu, Seoul. Data was analyzed using SAS program that included descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULT: 1. For frequency of drinking, 33.1% of the subjects responded to drink two-four times a month, 26.0% drink more than two times a week. 2. For the amount of drinking, 29.6% drink one or two glasses while 9.4% drink over ten glasses at a time. 3. The mean AUDIT score was 8.27+/-7.02(score of range: 0-40). 4. Based on AUDIT score, drinkers with less than eight point from AUDIT(normal group) were 55.1%, from more than eight point to less than twelve point from AUDIT(problematic drinker) were 16.3%, and more than twelve point from AUDIT(alcohol abuse and dependency) were 28.6%. 5. Based on more than twelve point from AUDIT, female(mother), high school and, have religion, housekeeper were the significantly higher score than counter parts. CONCLUSION: Alcohol drinking pattern and level of drinking of their parents links to their children's drinking and results in family, social, and national loss. Active prevention is needed. Specially, pertinent education about drinking and public education for mothers who are housekeepers should be carried out with concentrated intervention programs for the problematic drinker so alcohol abuse and dependency can be reduced.

The Effects of Personality on Drinking Patterns and Drinking-related Problems among Male University Students / 기본간호학회지

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of personality characteristics on drinking patterns and drinking-related problems. Subjects were selected through convenience sampling from the two universities in Kyung-Ki area. Data were collected from Nov. 1st to Dec. 20th 2000 using a structured questionnaire that including general characteristics, Q-F(Quantity-Frequency) Methods, Personality Scales and Drinking-related Problem Scales. The results of this study show 1. 50.8% of subjects were heavy drinkers. 2. Heavy drinker scores higher on drinking-related problems and amount of smoking than light drinkers. 3. The Drinking patterns and drinking-related problems of heavy drinkers were selected to the influence of a depressive-tendency in personality and the amount of smoking. The results of this study suggest that the drinking-related problems of male university students are selected to the influence of depressive and anti-social characteristics. Therefore, it is necessary that further study on various nursing interventions be done and that personality be taken into consideration in developing programs aimed of preventing drinking-related problems in heavy drinkers.

Correlates and Risk Factors of Probable Alcohol Dependence Group among Korean Adult Drinkers: Nationwide Probability Sample Survey / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were 1) to estimate prevalence rates of drinkers, two subtypes of drinkers-drinkers without dependence and drinkers with probable alcohol dependence(AD) using CAGE, and 2) to find out the correlates of sociodemographic variables and drinking patterns of the drinkers with probable AD by comparing those of the drinkers without dependence, 3) to analyse risk factors for the drinkers with probable AD. METHODS: Using data from face-to-face interviews conducted during 1995, we investigated the prevalence and characteristics of two subtypes of drinkers in a national probability sample of 1,695 drinkers 20 years of age and older. We defined drinkers with CAGE scores 2 and over as drinkers with probable AD, and scores less than 1 as drinkers without dependence. The comparisons of sociodemographic characteristics and drinking patterns between two subtypes of drinkers were examined through chi-square test using weighted data. Statistical analysis including multiple logistic regression analysis were done for each sex, respectively. Because of the large number of coefficients estimated, Bonferroni's method was used to compute p values. RESULTS: The results were as follows: 1) Prevalence of the drinkers was 33.7% in the total sample. Prevalence rate of male and female drinker were 26.3% and 7.40%, respectively. Prevalence of the drinkers with probable AD was 10.9%. For males the prevalence of the drinkers with probable AD was 9.99% and for females 0.94%. 2) According to sociodemographic variables between drinkers without dependence and drinkers with probable AD, males drinkers with probable AD were older, less educated, more depressive, married marital status and were more likely to have occupations of service section than male drinkers without dependence. Female drinkers with probable AD were less educated, more depressive and had less monthly income than drinkers without dependence. 3) As for the drinking patterns, male drinkers with probable AD drank more frequently, had more drinks, had more trying to quit drinking and preferred Soju. Female drinkers with probable AD drank more frequently, had more drinks, were more trying to quit drinking, too. 4) Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors for male drinkers with probable AD were lower education(< or =6 years) and depressive symptoms. For females, depressive symptoms and lower education(< or =6 years) were strongly indicative of risk factors though not reaching the statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of the drinkers with probable AD was 10.9%, and male to female ratio was 10.6:1, which was lower than previous results. Depressive symptoms and lower education proved to be strong predictors for alcohol dependence. This suggest that early detection and treatment of depression and public education for the lower education group should be important.