Study Links Home Births to Slightly Higher Infant Death Risk
By Randy Dotinga
HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Babies born outside of a hospital are more likely to be stillborn, or to die within a year of birth, a new Oregon study suggests.
However, the risk of death in both groups was small. The study found nearly four deaths for every 1,000 babies born outside of a hospital compared to approximately two deaths for every 1,000 deliveries that occurred in a hospital.
“There is a small risk of serious complications that are best dealt with in hospital. They’re rare but the risk is not zero,” said study co-author Dr. Aaron Caughey, chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine. “The tradeoff is, in the hospital, you lose control over your birth experience.”
It’s important to note, however, that the study wasn’t designed to prove a cause-and-effect relationship between infant deaths and out-of-hospital deliveries. The study only showed a link between these factors.
The study appears in the Dec. 31 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
The findings provide expectant parents with “numbers that give them a rational basis for planning about where they want to have their baby,” said Dr. Michael Greene, chief of obstetrics at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, who co-wrote a commentary accompanying the study.
Parents should consider “what’s important to them and how much risk they’re willing to tolerate,” he said.
While the extra likelihood of death in the study may seem high, Greene added, “risk is in the eyes of the beholder. There are people who will see those risks and perceive them as acceptable in order to avoid the interventions that they really don’t want to be subjected to.”
In the United States, births not in a hospital are still extremely rare, accounting for fewer than 1 percent of births, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. But the numbers have been growing amid more support for old-fashioned births outside a hospital, the study authors said.
The study examined statistics from nearly 80,000 births that occurred in Oregon from 2012 and 2013. Oregon requires extensive information to be included on birth certificates.
Just over 3,200 women planned to deliver at home or at a stand-alone birthing center. The researchers compared these women to those who had planned to give birth at a hospital — almost 76,000 women.
The investigators found that 94 percent of births outside a hospital were unassisted vaginal deliveries compared to 72 percent in a hospital. The researchers also noted a decreased use of obstetrical procedures — such as induction of labor and cesarean delivery — with home births.
“Maybe we’re using these interventions more frequently than we need to,” Caughey said.
Other research into the safety of home births has been mixed. Earlier this month, a study from Canada suggested that home birth is about as safe for babies as hospital birth. However, midwives are regulated more strictly in Canada than in the United States, and the study only looked at births that were attended by midwives and considered to be low-risk.
Greene pointed to another recent study — this one from the Netherlands — that suggested a similar increased risk for out-of-hospital births as the new American study.
What should mothers do if they want to give birth outside a hospital?
Both Greene and Caughey agreed that midwives are crucial, and they said it’s important to have good communication with a hospital in case an emergency occurs.
“In theory, one way of improving the safety of out-of-hospital births is to make sure the midwives have a formal backup structure with a designated physician at a nearby hospital so the mother can transfer if things start to go badly,” Greene said.
According to Caughey, better communication would also reduce friction that occurs when hospitals “only see the complications” and haven’t had a chance to develop a trusting relationship with midwives. “It’s about building those relationships so they’ll be welcomed when they come in with their patient,” he said.
More information
For more about home births, visit the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
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Here’s Why You Eat More When You Drink
Photo: Getty Images
Snacking after drinking is not an uncommon habit, and new research sheds light on why people may eat more after drinking alcohol.
Excess drinking and weight gain have been linked in the past. Some researchers speculate alcohol may influence cravings, but in a new study published in the journal Health Psychology, researchers suggest that alcohol impairs inhibitory control, which leads people to eat more.
The researchers randomly assigned 60 undergraduate women to either drink a mixed beverage of vodka and diet lemonade, or a diet lemonade that had a vodka mist sprayed on the top of the glass so the women would believe there was alcohol in their drink. After drinking their beverages, the women were asked to fill out a food craving questionnaire and complete a challenging task. In the task, the words blue, red, yellow and green appeared in a different color. For example, the word “red” was written in the color yellow. The women were asked to say out loud what color the words were printed in.
After that, the women were given chocolate chip cookies and were told they can eat as much or as little as they wanted.
The women who drank alcohol performed worse in the task compared to the women in the placebo group, and they ate more cookies. The researchers suggest that the reason the women ate more calories was because their inhibitory control was impaired (as measured by the color task).
Interestingly, the women in the study who were considered more restrained eaters (people limiting how much they eat to lose or maintain their weight) were not affected by the alcohol. “One explanation for this is that highly restrained eaters put considerably more effort into resisting food,” the authors write.
The study size was small and more research is needed, but the study authors conclude that alcohol may be linked with weight gain because the women’s self-control was lessened, not because they experienced heightened cravings. “These findings highlight the role of alcohol consumption as a contributor to weight gain and suggest that further research into the role of restraint in alcohol-induced food consumption is needed,” the study authors write.
Keep that in mind this New Year’s Eve.
This article originally appeared on Time.com.
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Drinking Water Pipes Full of ‘Good’ Bacteria
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Drinking water pipes and water treatment plants host an ecosystem of “good bacteria” that help purify the water, Swedish researchers say.
Thousands of species of beneficial bacteria form a thin coating called a biofilm in water treatment plants and on the inside of water pipes. These bacteria play a much greater role in providing clean drinking water than previously thought, the researchers explained.
“A previously completely unknown ecosystem has revealed itself to us. Formerly, you could hardly see any bacteria at all and now, thanks to techniques such as massive DNA sequencing and flow cytometry, we suddenly see eighty thousand bacteria per milliliter in drinking water,” said Catherine Paul, an applied microbiology and water resources engineering researcher at Lund University.
The presence of good bacteria in drinking water systems is “similar to what happens in our bodies. Our intestines are full of bacteria, and most the time when we are healthy, they help us digest our food and fight illness,” Paul said in a university news release.
The study, published recently in the journal Microbes and Environments, could prove useful when water systems are updated and improved.
“The hope is that we eventually may be able to control the composition and quality of water in the water supply to steer the growth of ‘good’ bacteria that can help purify the water even more efficiently than today,” Paul said.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about drinking water.
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Could High-Dose Vitamin D Help Fight Multiple Sclerosis?
By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — High-dose vitamin D appears safe for people with multiple sclerosis, and it may help quiet the immune system hyperactivity that marks the disease, a small clinical trial finds.
The study, published online Dec. 30 in Neurology, bolsters evidence that vitamin D might benefit people with MS.
But clinical trials are still underway to answer the big question: Does taking vitamin D improve MS symptoms and alter the course of the disease?
The current study shows only that high doses — 10,400 IU a day — reduce the proportion of certain immune-system cells that have been implicated in the MS disease process.
“I’m not going to make any claims beyond that,” said senior researcher Dr. Peter Calabresi, a professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
“We don’t have enough data here to guide clinical practice,” he stressed.
Bruce Bebo, executive vice president of research for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, echoed that caution.
“This study was not designed to look at efficacy against MS. It was too small and too short to do that,” said Bebo, whose group helped fund the research.
Still, Bebo added, the findings are important for other reasons. For one, he said, “they give us some hints about the mechanisms that explain the higher MS risk associated with low vitamin D.”
MS is caused by an abnormal immune system attack on the protective sheath surrounding nerve fibers in the brain and spine. That leads to symptoms such as muscle weakness, numbness, vision problems, and difficulty with balance and coordination.
Typically, MS symptoms flare up periodically, followed by periods of remission. Over time, the disease can cause worsening problems with walking and mobility.
The precise cause of MS is unknown, but researchers believe it involves a combination of genetic vulnerability and certain environmental triggers. Inadequate vitamin D — a nutrient needed for normal immune function — is considered one of the suspects.
That’s partly based on studies showing an association between blood levels of vitamin D and the risk of developing MS. But there is also more-direct evidence, Bebo said. For example, research has shown that vitamin D can reduce the effects of an MS-like disease in lab mice.
The new findings suggest it may alter immune system activity in people with MS, too, Bebo said.
According to Calabresi, the results underscore another point: High doses of vitamin D are probably necessary.
His team tested two doses in 40 adults with MS. Over six months, one group took 10,400 IU of vitamin D a day — about 17 times the amount that the U.S. government recommends for healthy adults (600 IU a day); the other group took 800 IU a day.
In the end, only the high-dose group showed changes in their immune system activity. The largest effect, Calabresi said, was a reduction in cells that produce an inflammatory protein called interleukin-17.
However, the study looked only at certain aspects of immune function. And MS is a “complicated disease immunologically,” Calabresi noted.
He said it will be interesting to see whether vitamin D has additional immune system effects in people with MS, or possibly other autoimmune diseases.
Several clinical trials are now testing vitamin D against MS, including a U.S. study that’s still recruiting patients. The trials are using doses ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 IU a day, Calabresi said.
Without those trial results, he said, it’s too early to recommend that people with MS take vitamin D.
But, he added, since adequate vitamin D is important for overall health, people may want to be tested for deficiency in the nutrient.
With vitamin D supplements readily available, Calabresi also recognized that some people with MS will probably start taking it even in the absence of proof.
He encouraged them to use vitamin D only under medical supervision.
In this study, high doses appeared safe over six months. But, Calabresi said, high blood levels of vitamin D can send blood calcium concentrations soaring, which can cause kidney stones or other problems, such as poor appetite, weakness and constipation.
Bebo agreed. “Always speak to your [doctor] about any medications or supplements that you’re thinking of taking,” he said.
More information
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has more on the possible causes of MS.
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How to Foam Roll Every Hard-to-Reach Muscle
We all love massages, right? In fact, I’d be willing to bet that most of us would be fully content if all we got was gift cards for massages this holiday season. So what if I told you that you could be getting massages every day, for free?
While it’s not quite the same as going and getting pampered—OK, sorry, it’s basically nothing like getting pampered. But foam rolling truly can have the same after-effect on your muscles.
A foam roller, when used appropriately, is one of the best ways to cool your muscles down after a workout. The technique (also known as self-myofascial release) can aid recovery and help keep your muscles healthy for the long run.
RELATED: 8 Best Foam Rollers to Ease Your Aches
You’ve probably seen these lying around the gym and maybe you’ve given one a whirl, only to find that you’re not really sure what you’re doing. Plus, it’s easy enough to get at those sore calf muscles, but what about those more awkward spots?
Here, I’ll go over how to correctly roll the most hard-to-reach yet commonly sore places. These moves can be done before or after a workout, but it’s also a good idea to foam roll on your off days as well to help with recovery. (Basically any time is a good time to do it!)
Roll out each of the following areas for about 15-30 seconds each. Repeat as much as needed.
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Inner Thighs
Photo: Jennifer Cohen
Place the foam roller underneath your left inner thigh and place your right knee on the floor. Roll back and forth so that the foam roller is pressing into your inner thigh. Make sure you roll through the entire length of your inner thigh. Spend about 15-30 seconds here before switching to your right leg.
Outer Thighs
Photo: Jennifer Cohen
Place the foam roller underneath your left outer thigh and cross your right leg in front of your left. Use your arms to help you roll back and forth. This will also allow you to control how much pressure is going into your leg. Roll all the way up to your hip and all the way back down to just above the knee.
If it hurts, that’s okay. As long as you’re breathing normally, you’re not hurting anything. Pain is usually a sign that you need to foam roll because the muscle fascia has built up. (However, if you feel sharp, jabbing pains, consult with a physician.)
Next, roll over so that you’re facing down and continue rolling up and down your leg to ensure you hit your quads (front of your thighs). Repeat on the other side.
RELATED: 4 Easy Knee Stretches to Help Beat Knee Pain
Glutes
Photo: Jennifer Cohen
Place the foam roller underneath your right glute with your hands behind you and your left leg straight out and off the floor. Roll back all the way up until you’re almost at your lower back and then roll forward until you’ve reached the top of your hamstring. You can also turn the foam roller parallel to your leg and roll side-to-side on your glute. Repeat this for 15-30 seconds before switching sides.
Hamstrings
Photo: Jennifer Cohen
Place the foam roller underneath your right leg with your hands behind your back. Keep your left leg off the floor if possible. Roll all the way to the top of the hamstring, just below the glute, and then all the way back down until just above the back of your knee. Repeat on the other side.
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Calves
Photo: Jennifer Cohen
Place the foam roller underneath your left calf. If you can tolerate it, you can roll both calves at the same time, but if that’s too much pressure, keep your right heel on the floor with your hands behind you. Roll all the way up and down your calf muscle and be sure to rotate your leg left and right so that you hit both sides of the calves as well. Repeat on the other side.
Lats
Photo: Jen Cohen
You ready for this one? Lie on your right side and place the foam roller just underneath your armpit. Keep your right arm elevated and hold the foam roller with your left arm. Your hips will stay on the floor as you roll up and down along the side of your body. Go up to just below your armpit and all the way down to the bottom of your ribs. Repeat on the other side.
Looking for more ways to stretch out after a workout? Check out The 5 Best Stretches to Finish A Workout (and Stop Soreness!)
Jennifer Cohen is a leading fitness authority, TV personality, entrepreneur, and best-selling author of the new book, Strong is the New Skinny. With her signature, straight-talking approach to wellness, Jennifer was the featured trainer on The CW’s Shedding for the Wedding, mentoring the contestants to lose hundreds of pounds before their big day, and she appears regularly on NBC’s Today, Extra, The Doctors, and Good Morning America. Connect with Jennifer on Facebook, Twitter, G+, and Pinterest.
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Colon Cancer Among Hispanics Varies by Birthplace
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The risk of colon cancer for Hispanics in California varies widely depending on their place of origin, a new study shows.
University of Southern California researchers looked at data from more than 36,000 Hispanics in the state who had been diagnosed with colon cancer between 1995 and 2011. They were further identified by their place of origin: Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Central or South America, or not specified.
People from Mexico have a lower risk of colon cancer than Hispanics from other areas, the researchers found. But people from Mexico, Central America or South America were more likely to be diagnosed with colon cancer before age 50 than other Hispanics, the study showed.
Cuban colon cancer patients had the highest death rate (63 percent), followed by Puerto Ricans (58 percent). Mexicans had the highest rate of rectal cancer (35 percent) compared to other Hispanic groups, the study said.
The authors of the study said they hope their findings will help lead to improved colon cancer care for Hispanics. The findings were published recently in the journal Cancer Causes & Control.
“Nowadays, most of the information we have on the molecular characteristics of colorectal cancer comes from the white population. There is little information specific to Latinos. Plus, they are typically clumped as a group,” said lead author Mariana Stern, a cancer epidemiologist and associate professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing minority ethnic group in the United States, the researchers noted.
“Hispanics are a very heterogeneous population, which is not really recognized in most cancer studies,” Stern said in a university news release.
“Their risk factors might be different; their clinical characteristics could be different. We have to zoom into these observations and understand these disparities because they may affect how patients are educated about the disease and how they are treated by doctors,” she explained.
The differences between Hispanic groups may be due to factors such as genetics and how much they have adopted American lifestyles, the researchers said.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about colon cancer.
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It’s Not Too Late to Get a Flu Shot
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Anyone who hasn’t had a flu shot this season should make a point to get vaccinated now, U.S. health officials advise.
Flu activity usually peaks in January or February, and flu can strike as late as May, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As long as the virus is circulating, it’s not too late to receive a flu shot and protect yourself and others against this seasonal misery.
So far, the flu season has been mild, but U.S. health officials expect activity to pick up in the next few weeks.
“Influenza seasons and severity are often unpredictable. Annual influenza vaccination is the best way to prevent influenza among people 6 months of age and older,” Marion Gruber, director of FDA’s Office of Vaccine Research and Review, said in an agency news release.
“However, taking such practical measures as washing hands, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when sick can also help to decrease the spread and minimize the effects of flu,” Gruber said.
Even healthy adults should be vaccinated every year, the agency said. Children and older people are typically at greatest risk for the flu and related complications, but flu viruses occasionally hit young and middle-aged adults hardest.
Last year, older Americans were hit particularly hard. Record numbers of seniors were hospitalized due to the flu, and by early March this age group accounted for the majority of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
Antiviral drugs — such as Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate), Relenza (zanamivir) and Rapivab (peramivir) — may help ease flu symptoms, but they are not a substitute for the seasonal flu vaccine, the agency said.
Virtually everyone older than 6 months of age is advised to get a flu shot. The exceptions are people with life-threatening allergies to flu vaccine or any ingredient in the vaccine. This might include gelatin, antibiotics, or other ingredients, according to the CDC.
And last year’s flu shot won’t help you now, experts cautioned. “Influenza viruses can change from year to year, due to different subtypes and strains that circulate each year,” said Gruber.
That’s why each year scientists produce a new flu vaccine that they predict will most closely match the viruses in circulation. Meanwhile, any protection provided by the previous year’s vaccine wanes over time.
Developing an effective vaccine is a year-round effort. Each February global public health experts collect and analyze data from around the world to identify the flu viruses likely to cause the most illnesses the following flu season. Based on this analysis and the recommendations of an FDA advisory committee, scientists select the virus strains for inclusion in the seasonal flu vaccines used in the United States.
“The closer the match between the circulating strains causing disease and the virus strains in the vaccine, the better the protection against influenza,” Gruber said.
The agency continuously monitors the safety of vaccines even after they are approved for use. This includes yearly surveillance for Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological condition associated with the 1976 flu vaccine.
In a typical season, flu complications — including pneumonia — send more than 200,000 Americans to the hospital. Death rates linked to flu vary annually, but have gone as high as 49,000 deaths in a year, the CDC says.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about the seasonal flu vaccine.
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5 Things That Can Make You Faint
During a live broadcast Monday morning, CNN anchor Poppy Harlow suddenly passed out on the air. While attempting to report on a new poll, Harlow started to slur her words before going totally silent. The show immediately cut to a commercial break, leaving viewers very concerned about the news anchor. After a barrage of worried tweets about her condition, Harlow reappeared on the air to voice that she was fine:
“For all of you on Twitter who are asking if I’m okay, thank you so much,” Harlow said. “I got a little hot, and I passed out for a moment. I am fine.”
The pregnant anchor also responded to the concerned messages on Twitter, ensuring everyone both she and the baby are safe.
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While Harlow brushed off the incident coolly, there’s no denying fainting can be pretty frightening (especially when it happens on live TV!). Getting a little too hot isn’t the only reason you might faint. Here’s what’s really going on, plus 5 reasons you might pass out.
Your blood pressure drops
Syncope is the technical term for fainting. “What’s happening, is for whatever reason, the oxygen or sugar supply to the brain has dropped off to the point that it shuts down,” explains Melisa Lai Becker, MD, site chief of emergency medicine at Cambridge Health Alliance. “Similar to when you fall asleep, your basic functions are preserved, your heart keeps beating, you keep breathing, but you lose consciousness.”
Vasovagal syncope is one of the most common reasons for fainting, making up approximately 25-40% of cases. It occurs when the part of your nervous system that’s in charge of heart rate and blood pressure stops working due to some kind of trigger such as standing for long periods of time, overheating, seeing blood, having blood drawn, or even fear.
Any of these scenarios can cause a chain reaction that starts with a slowed heart rate. This leads the blood vessels in your legs to widen, allowing excess blood to collect in your legs, which lowers your blood pressure. As a result, there’s a sudden drop in blood flow to your brain, and that’s what causes you to pass out.
This kind of fainting is normally not a sign of something serious.
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You might have an irregular heartbeat
According to the Mayo Clinic, one fourth of all fainting episodes are related to abnormal heart rhythms, aka arrhythmias. This is especially true in cases of arrhythmia where the heart beats too fast (over 150 beats per minute), says Dr. Becker. When that happens, you may have plenty of blood in the body, but the heart does not allow enough of a relaxation period to send blood through the rest of the body and up to the brain.
Arrythmias aren’t always serious, but they can signal an underlying problem that needs treatment. This is why it’s important to see your doctor to get checked out if you have an episode of fainting.
You’re hungry
At some point, you’ve probably experienced that awful light-headedness that comes when you’ve gone too long without eating, and this comes from a lack of fuel for your brain.
A drop in blood sugar can cause fainting because your brain has lost a major energy source, in this case, glucose. For diabetics and individuals with hypoglycemia (extremely low blood sugar), this can cause a reaction as extreme as a coma. “However, the average person who isn’t diabetic can still get shaky and sweaty [and even faint] if they haven’t eaten enough,” says Dr. Becker.
RELATED: Could You Have Type 2? 10 Diabetes Symptoms
You’re overcome by emotion
We’ve all seen the stereotypical fainting scene in movies—you know, where a character is so shocked or emotional that he or she suddenly collapses. But can extreme emotion really cause fainting? Actually, yes.
“One common scenario is where someone may faint after hearing terrible or over-joyous news,” explains Dr. Becker. “For example, some people faint at the point when we pronounce a loved one dead. It occurs when something comes over someone, emotionally and psychologically, and it’s too much to process.” Fainting due to emotion, or psychogenic syncope, is even more common for individuals with anxiety, hysteria, panic, or major depressive disorders.
With that said, Dr. Becker points out: “Many physicians wouldn’t agree these scenarios are simply a result of overwhelming emotion, but rather a combination of factors.” These other reasons may include anything from low blood pressure to hyperventilation brought on by extreme stress or anxiety.
RELATED: 4 Facts You Never Knew About Emotions
Standing up
When you stand up, gravity causes blood to pool in your legs, which can decrease your blood pressure. “In this case, gravity is literally working against you, keeping the heart from pumping blood fast enough up to your head,” says Dr. Becker. Normally, special cells in your body will sense the lower blood pressure and signal your brain to tell your heart to pump faster and your blood vessels to narrow; this process stabilizes your blood pressure so you don’t feel woozy or faint.
But sometimes dehydration or even eating a big meal can disrupt this process (the technical term for this interruption: orthostatic hypotension), so that your body doesn’t respond fast enough. This can cause you to faint if it’s severe enough. During these situations, it’s best to use gravity to your advantage rather than against you—put your head between your legs and allow the blood to flow back to your brain.
Feeling woozy or fainting after standing may also be a sign of a medical problem, so if it happens a lot or seems severe, see your doctor for a check-up, stat.
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Chronic Drinking Plus Binge Drinking Spurs Rapid Liver Damage in Mouse Study
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Chronic drinking combined with binge drinking quickly damages the liver, and is more destructive than previously thought, a new study with mice suggests.
“Heavy binge drinking by those who habitually consume alcohol is the most common cause of liver damage in chronic alcoholic liver disease,” lead author Shivendra Shukla, a professor of medical pharmacology and physiology at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, said in a university news release.
“We know that this behavior causes large fatty deposits in the liver that ultimately impair the organ’s ability to function properly. However, we wanted to understand the mechanism that causes this damage and the extent of the harm,” Shukla said.
“Our research focused on different forms of alcohol abuse and the results of those behaviors,” he explained.
Shukla and his colleagues looked at how chronic alcohol use, repeat binge-drinking episodes, and a combination of both affected the livers of mice over four weeks. Those with both types of alcohol exposure had the highest amounts of liver damage, the investigators found.
Individually, either chronic alcohol use or repeat binge-drinking episodes caused moderate liver damage when compared to mice not exposed to alcohol (the “control” group). “This outcome came as no surprise,” Shukla said.
“However, in the mice exposed to both chronic use and repeat binge episodes, liver damage increased tremendously. Even more shocking was the extent of fatty deposits in the livers of those exposed to chronic plus binge alcohol. It was approximately 13 times higher than the control group,” he said.
While the study found an association between those drinking behaviors and accelerated liver damage, it did not prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship. Also, effects of animal studies are not always replicated in humans.
Liver damage is not the only health threat associated with chronic and binge drinking, Shukla noted in the news release.
“Drinking alcohol excessively can create an inflammatory response to the liver and other organ systems in the body,” he said. “If those organs work at a lower level of function, then a whole host of physiological processes can be affected. It is important for us to understand the extent of damage caused by alcohol abuse, which also can lead to other health issues such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer.”
More information
The U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has more about alcohol and your health.
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