28. Sleep disorders, smoking & drinking, anorexia...and more

By Tom O'Connell

The Journal published by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto includes some fascinating research in its May/June 2000 issue. The information is thought-provoking, and the following excerpts from the Journal of Addiction and Mental Health are included for your consideration:

*DELAYED SLEEP TAKES PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TOLL: "New evidence suggests that delayed sleep impairs quality of life even more than previously thought....The authors of a Dutch study noted that insomnia has generally been found to increase mortality rates due to ischemic heart disease, cancer and stroke. Treatment with melatonin significantly improved the scores of patients on most measures of health and dysfunction." --Journal of Psychosomatic Research, Jan 25, 2000

*WHY SMOKERS DRINK: "A recent study has now shown that the nicotine in cigarettes can in fact stimulate drinking. Laboratory rats given the opportunity to self-administer alcohol increased their consumption when given high doses of nicotine....the authors of the study speculate that these effects may be due to the fact that both nicotine and alcohol stimulate the release of dopamine in the brain."

--Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, Feb. 2000

*BRAIN ABNORMALITIES ASSOCIATED WITH ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY: "There is increasing evidence that violent, antisocial people tend to have structural brain abnormalities, particularly in the prefrontal cortex. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has now shown that men with antisocial personality disorder (APD) have reduced volumes of grey matter in their prefrontal cortices....The prefrontal cortex plays an important role in the development of conscience and the ability to control impulsive and reckless behaviour, attributes that are noticeably absent in people with APD."

--Archives of General Psychiatry, Feb. 2000

*ANOREXIC DAUGHTERS TEND TO HAVE OVERPROTECTIVE MOTHERS: "A British study has found that mothers of daughters with anorexia nervosa are more likely than other mothers to be anxious about their daughters' well-being....The authors see these results as confirming previous findings that the mothers of anorexic children tend to exhibit overprotective parenting behaviour, often in response to a prior loss."

--British Journal of Psychiatry, Feb 2000

*ALCOHOL'S SIEGE ON WOMEN'S HEALTH: "Women are as likely as men to develop alcohol-related disease (such as alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis), and are twice as likely to die from these conditions, even though women's lifetime alcohol intake is 60 percent lower than men....Women who consume 14 or more drinks a week run a 70 to 80 percent higher risk of developing breast cancer than non-drinkers, according to a study published in the journal Epidemiology.  With seven to 10 drinks per week, their risk increases 10 percent....Aside from these insidious diseases, alcohol can also wreak havoc on a woman's menstrual cycle. Women who drink heavily can fall prey to irregular menstrual cycles, missed periods, stopped ovulation, early menopause and increased risk of spontaneous abortions."

--The Journal, Addiction Research Foundation, May/June 2000

*HOW DOES SMOKING AFFECT WOMEN DIFFERENTLY? "Smoking is the leading preventable cause of premature death and disability in Canadian women," according to a recent article in The Journal of Gender-Specific Medicine. Smoking increases the risk of death from lung cancer, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive lung disease and stroke, according to the authors. Women who smoke also suffer more adverse effects on lung functioning, and are more at risk of lung cancer than are male smokers. As well, women smokers may suffer menstrual disorders, impaired fertility and earlier menopause, thereby increasing their risk of coronary heart disease and osteoporosis."

--The Journal, Addiction Research Foundation, May/June 2000

NOTE: The Journal's Website is www.camh.net/journal. Also, you may explore the Internet resource provided by the Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT). You'll find useful information at www.canmat.org.

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