- Effects of cannabidiol on risky decision-making and autonomic function in alcohol use disorder. [Randomized Controlled Trial]
- CONCLUSIONS: CBD increased HF-HRV but did not significantly alter SCR, risky decision-making, or the relationship between autonomic responses and risky decision-making. These findings suggest that CBD influences autonomic responding during task performance, although the functional significance of this effect remains uncertain. The modest sample size and relatively healthy, non-treatment-seeking sample may have limited the ability to detect broader physiological and behavioural effects.
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- Alcohol-involved suicide mortality prevalence estimates and identification of co-occurring substance use from the National Violent Death Reporting System, 2022-2023. [Journal Article]Alcohol Alcohol. 2026 Sep 20; 61(6).AA
- Using National Violent Death Reporting System data (2022-2023), 14 909 suicide decedents (34%) tested positive for alcohol. The most common substances co-occurring with alcohol were marijuana, antidepressants, opioids, and benzodiazepines; polysubstance use was high, with 52% testing positive for alcohol and ≥1 other substance. Findings suggest an overall alcohol-involved suicide mortality rate o…
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- Physical activity reduces but does not fully counteract the detrimental associations between alcohol use and metabolic syndrome. [Journal Article]Alcohol Alcohol. 2026 Sep 20; 61(6).AA
- CONCLUSIONS: Adults should consider engaging in more PA and limiting their alcohol use to reduce risk factors and overall MetS risk.
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- Pharmacological interventions for alcohol use disorder on quality of life: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. [Systematic Review]Alcohol Alcohol. 2026 Sep 20; 61(6).AA
- CONCLUSIONS: Certain medications for AUD are linked with improved mental and physical QoL, but evidence remains limited. Future RCTs should assess QoL and establish whether improvements are clinically meaningful.
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- Polygenic risk scores as predictors of topiramate's effect in treating alcohol use disorder. [Randomized Controlled Trial]Alcohol Alcohol. 2026 Sep 20; 61(6).AA
- CONCLUSIONS: The "Time Until Relapse" PRS contributed meaningfully to estimating expected response, LR stratification, and observed topiramate treatment effects, although pre-treatment drinking measures remained the strongest predictors. These findings support incorporation of pharmacogenomic markers into machine-learning models to advance precision prescribing for AUD.
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- Training hepatologists in alcohol use disorder management: a pilot study. [Journal Article]
- CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the importance of tailored educational interventions in medical specialties such as hepatology, where practitioners frequently encounter patients with AUD. The significant improvements in practice, self-efficacy, and knowledge highlight the potential of targeted training programs to enhance patient care. Future studies could engage a more diverse group of hepatologists and evaluate patient outcomes.
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- Heartbeat counting task performance in alcohol use disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. [Systematic Review]Alcohol Alcohol. 2026 Sep 20; 61(6).AA
- CONCLUSIONS: Lower HCT performance appears to represent a preliminary but consistent task-level behavioral difference in AUD. These findings should not be interpreted as direct evidence of reduced cardiac interoceptive accuracy, but they support further investigation of whether HCT performance relates to clinically relevant AUD features.
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- Prevalence of fathers' alcohol consumption in Australia. [Journal Article]Alcohol Alcohol. 2026 Jul 20; 61(5).AA
- This study aims to provide population-based descriptive information about the prevalence of fathers' drinking in Australia and compare their drinking practices to non-fathers. Findings show that fatherhood is not protective when it comes to alcohol consumption, and fathers are more likely to drink at a level that places them at increased risk of short-term harm.
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- Weekend discharge, alcohol relapse, and graft survival post-transplant in alcohol-associated liver disease: cohort study. [Journal Article]Alcohol Alcohol. 2026 Jul 20; 61(5).AA
- CONCLUSIONS: Among ALD liver transplant recipients managed with standardized discharge education and protocolized relapse surveillance, weekend discharge was not independently associated with alcohol relapse or graft survival after adjustment, and unadjusted ACR incidence did not differ between discharge groups. However, both adjusted estimates remain compatible with clinically meaningful benefit or harm, and these findings therefore represent a failure to detect an association rather than evidence of equivalence. Protocolized discharge care may mitigate the impact of reduced weekend staffing, although discharge timing itself may simply exert little influence on these outcomes. Multicenter studies are needed to assess generalizability.
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- A meta-review of the evidence on addiction recovery mutual help organizations. [Review]
- CONCLUSIONS: Despite numerous reviews, the synthesis literature is limited in methodological rigor, with a narrow focus on 12-step MHOs. Reporting of outcomes and demographic data is inconsistent, but improves over time. Given variation in individuals' recovery pathways, future syntheses should examine newer, non-12-step MHOs, distinct populations, and outcomes beyond alcohol/substance use behaviors.
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- The limited predictive value of initial serum ethanol concentration for assessing risk of complicated alcohol withdrawal: a retrospective cohort analysis. [Journal Article]Alcohol Alcohol. 2026 Jul 20; 61(5).AA
- CONCLUSIONS: Initial serum ethanol concentration offers a measurable but limited predictive value for complicated alcohol withdrawal risk, and no utility when a reliable prior history is available.
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- Job stressors and the incidence of alcohol-related outcomes: prospective findings from the national French ESPS survey. [Journal Article]Alcohol Alcohol. 2026 Jul 20; 61(5).AA
- CONCLUSIONS: Job stressors, particularly those related to employment uncertainty, predicted the incidence of alcohol-related outcomes, especially binge drinking. Job stressors, including persistent exposures, may warrant more attention for preventing alcohol-related outcomes.
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- Experiences and expectations of people with alcohol use disorder and their families in general medical settings in Japan: a qualitative study. [Journal Article]Alcohol Alcohol. 2026 Jul 20; 61(5).AA
- CONCLUSIONS: To improve the transition of people with AUD from NPMIs to specialized treatment, healthcare providers should recognize the risks of offering inappropriate reassurance or general advice such as 'cut down' or 'have alcohol-free days,' which may reinforce existing harmful behaviours. Providers should understand how people with AUD and their families interpret medical interactions, work to enhance collaboration with families, cultivate a non-stigmatizing approach, and proactively share knowledge about alcohol-related harm and self-help group resources.
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- Linking five-factor personality model to alcohol consumption in adolescence: a systematic review and meta-analysis. [Systematic Review]
- CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis highlights contradictory findings regarding the associations between adolescent alcohol consumption and the FFM of personality traits. While extraversion and conscientiousness appear to be modestly related to alcohol use, evidence concerning agreeableness, openness, and neuroticism remains inconclusive. Accordingly, future research should investigate potential moderating factors, including peer influence and family environment, to further clarify how personality traits interact with contextual influences in the development of alcohol consumption during adolescence.
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- In healthy adults with low-level alcohol intake greater age and lifetime alcohol consumption are associated with poorer manual dexterity and higher lifetime consumption is related to worse postural stability. [Journal Article]Alcohol Alcohol. 2026 Jul 20; 61(5).AA
- CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicated higher lifetime alcohol consumption, at a level that has been historically regarded as low risk for adverse functional consequences, was associated with poorer performance on established clinical and research measures of manual dexterity, complex motor coordination and motor speed, and static postural stability. These results may have implications for current alcohol consumption public health guidelines and associated policies.
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