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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Prevalence of alcohol consumption, abuse and dependence in a country with high per capita consumption: findings from the German TACOS study. Transitions in Alcohol Consumption and Smoking.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the Transitions in Alcohol Consumption and Smoking (TACOS) project is to investigate substance use and use disorders in the adult general population in a region of the under-researched north of Germany, focussing on smoking and alcohol consumption. In this study, the design and quality assurance provisions of the baseline cross-section of the longitudinal project are described. Prevalence rates of alcohol use disorders, consumption pattern, and the nature of their association are also analysed with regard to preventive strategies. METHOD: A random sample of 4075 participants, aged 18 to 64 and drawn from residents registration office files, was interviewed with a DSM-IV adapted version of WHO CIDI. Fieldwork resulted in a response rate of 70.2% and an unbiased database with regard to demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Low lifetime prevalence of alcohol use disorders (4.5% abuse, 3.8% dependence) and hazardous consumption (13.2% lifetime; 6.0% 12-month) was found compared to southern regions of Germany and US American data. In contrast, we found a comparatively high percentage of moderate alcohol uses. Male subjects are more affected by lifetime alcohol use disorders (abuse OR 8.3, 95% CI 5.3-13.2; dependence OR 4.3, 95% CI 2.8-6.4). The association between alcohol use disorders and alcohol consumption pattern revealed a weaker relation for alcohol abuse compared to dependence. CONCLUSION: National and regional drinking habits and norms have to be considered as a significant source of variance, supporting the need for European epidemiological research on substance use in addition to US American activities, and emphasising the advantages of community-based preventive measures. An evaluation of public recommendations for safe limits of alcohol consumption and prevention targets referring to average consumption is indicated. There is also a need for a clear distinction between alcohol abuse and dependence.

Adult↗

Alcohol, tobacco and oesophageal cancer: effects of the duration of consumption, mean intake and current and former consumption.

Numerous epidemiological studies have shown that alcohol and tobacco consumption are the main risk factors for oesophageal cancer in Western countries. In these studies, the consumption of both alcohol and tobacco has almost always been measured as current mean intake. The present case-control study investigates the association between alcohol and tobacco consumption and the risk of oesophageal cancer by assessing exposure as total lifetime intake, mean weekly intake, duration of consumption and former and current consumption. Between 1991 and 1994, 208 cases and 399 control subjects were selected from three French university hospitals (Caen, Dijon and Toulouse). Eligible cases were men aged less than 85 years admitted to one of these hospitals with histologically proven squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus. During the interview, complete tobacco and alcohol consumption histories were recorded. Our findings suggest that alcohol consumption and tobacco consumption influence the risk of oesophageal cancer in different ways. In the case of alcohol, the relationship between the odds ratio and mean weekly intake was linear, the risk depending solely on mean weekly intake, with former and current consumption having similar effects. With regard to tobacco, the relationship between the odds ratio and mean weekly intake was log-linear; the risk depended mainly on the duration of consumption and former consumption had a lesser effect than current consumption. Our study suggests that total lifetime intake is not a correct measure of exposure for either alcohol or tobacco: for a given lifetime consumption of tobacco, a moderate intake during a long period carries a higher risk than a high intake during a shorter period and, conversely, for a given lifetime consumption of alcohol, a high intake during a shorter period carries a higher risk than a moderate intake during a longer period. Our results confirm the very low risk associated with a low alcohol intake, even over long periods. In contrast, there is a steep increase in the risk associated with smoking at even low mean intakes if these are continued over long periods. Our findings also suggest that even heavy smokers may benefit from quitting.

Adolescent↗

Cerebral blood flow and oxygen consumption in acute brain injury with acute anemia: an alternative for the cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption?

OBJECTIVE: To comparatively evaluate cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption and a modification of it, cerebral consumption of oxygen, in patients with acute brain injury with acute anemia. DESIGN: Prospective, observational study. SETTING: Neuroscience intensive care unit (ICU) of a university hospital. PATIENTS: Adults (n = 62) with acute brain trauma, undergoing serial 133xenon studies of regional cerebral blood flow and global cerebral oxygen metabolism, along with other routine monitoring techniques. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: In 173 combined studies of blood flow and oxygen metabolism, in the presence of spontaneous decreases in hemoglobin, cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption and cerebral consumption of oxygen were comparatively evaluated in three groups with different hemoglobin levels. Cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption was calculated as the product of averaged regional cerebral blood flow and arterio-jugular oxygen content difference, while cerebral consumption of oxygen was calculated as the product of averaged regional cerebral blood flow and the arterio-jugular oxyhemoglobin saturation difference, i.e., cerebral extraction of oxygen. Results indicated that a decrease of hemoglobin content is paralleled by a decrease in cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption, even though the level of consciousness (coma score) is essentially unchanged across three hemoglobin groups. On the other hand, cerebral consumption of oxygen does not follow the decrease in hemoglobin and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption, thus demonstrating better stability to changing hemoglobin content. The low cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption is due to a decrease in arterio-jugular oxygen content difference in anemia, while the cerebral extraction of oxygen does not follow the trend of the arterio-jugular oxygen content difference. CONCLUSIONS: In acute brain trauma with acute anemia, calculated arterio-jugular oxygen content difference and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption tend to be progressively lower, depending on the extent of anemia, which is in disagreement with coma scores. These changes in hemoglobin tend to have an inverse influence on cerebral consumption of oxygen, which, therefore, constitutes an alternative and independent measure of cerebral oxygen and independent measure of cerebral oxygen consumption under these limiting circumstances.

Acute Disease↗

Is percentage of predicted maximal exercise oxygen consumption a better predictor of survival than peak exercise oxygen consumption for patients with severe heart failure?

BACKGROUND: Peak exercise oxygen consumption provides valuable short-term prognostic information in patients with heart failure. However, peak exercise oxygen consumption is determined not only by the cardiac output response to exercise but also by age, gender, and muscle mass. We investigated whether percentage of predicted maximal exercise oxygen consumption rather than an absolute value may be a better predictor of survival. METHODS: Peak exercise oxygen consumption was measured and percentage of predicted maximal exercise oxygen consumption was derived from two standard formulas (Wasserman and Astrand) in 272 ambulatory patients referred for transplant evaluation. The predictive ability of these variables was determined by comparison of Kaplan-Meier curves, univariable proportional-hazards models, and receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: Neither method of determining percentage of predicted maximal exercise oxygen consumption significantly improved the prediction of survival over peak exercise oxygen consumption alone. Overall model discrimination, as assessed by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, was not significantly improved with percentage of predicted maximal exercise oxygen consumption (Wasserman) rather than weight-normalized peak exercise oxygen consumption (0.71 +/- 0.04 versus 0.66 +/- 0.04; Z = 1.60, p = 0.11). All of the difference between percentage of predicted maximal exercise oxygen consumption-Wasserman and peak exercise oxygen consumption resulted from differences in women (areas under receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.68 +/- 0.09 and 0.74 +/- 0.09; p = 0.14); results for men were the same (both areas = 0.68 +/- 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Normalization of peak exercise oxygen consumption for predicted values adds only minimal prognostic information. A peak exercise oxygen consumption < 14 ml/kg/min remains a reasonable guideline by which to time heart transplantation.

Adult↗

Explaining school children's fruit and vegetable consumption: the contributions of availability, accessibility, exposure, parental consumption and habit in addition to psychosocial factors.

We studied the contributions of parental fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption, availability and accessibility of F&V in the home, exposure to F&V, and habit, in addition to psychosocial factors, in explaining F&V consumption in 4-12-year-old children. Furthermore, we looked for effect modification by ethnicity and gender. Children's parents (n = 1739) completed a questionnaire assessing psychosocial and additional factors regarding their children's F&V consumption. Consumption was assessed by a food-frequency questionnaire. The model explained the children's F&V consumption better when the additional factors were included (R2 = .49 and R2 = .50 for fruit consumption, and R2 = .33 and R2 = .33 for vegetable consumption). Stepwise multi-level regression analyses revealed that habit was the most influential correlate of F&V consumption. It is concluded that nutrition education interventions aimed at stimulating F&V consumption among children should take into account that the consumption of fruit and that of vegetables are clearly different behaviors, with different influencing factors for boys and girls and children of native or non-native background. Furthermore, interventions to increase F&V consumption should include strategies aimed at making these behaviors habitual.

Adult↗

Quantification of energy consumption in platelets during thrombin-induced aggregation and secretion. Tight coupling between platelet responses and the increment in energy consumption.

The involvement of metabolic energy in platelet responses was investigated by measuring the energy consumption during aggregation and secretion from dense, alpha- and acid-hydrolase-containing granules. Gel-filtered human platelets were stimulated with different amounts of thrombin (0.05-5.0 units X ml-1). At various stages during aggregation and secretion the energy consumption was measured from the changes in metabolic ATP and ADP following abrupt arrest of ATP resynthesis. Stimulation with 5 units of thrombin X ml-1 increased the energy consumption from 6.2 +/- 0.9 to 17.8 +/- 0.4 mumol of ATPeq. X min-1 X (10(11) platelets)-1 during the first 15 s. It decreased thereafter and returned to values found in resting cells after about 30 s. With 0.05 unit of thrombin X ml-1, the energy consumption accelerated more slowly and took at least 3 min before it normalized. A strong positive correlation was found between the velocities of the three secretion responses and the concurrent energy consumption (a) at different stages of the responses induced by a given dose of thrombin, and (b) at different secretion velocities initiated by different amounts of thrombin. When, at different stages of the responses, the extent of secretion was compared with the amount of energy that had been consumed, a strong linear correlation was found with the increment in energy consumption but not with the total energy consumption. This correlation was independent of the concentration of thrombin and indicated that complete secretion from dense, alpha- and acid-hydrolase-containing granules was paralleled by an increment of 4.0, 6.5 and 6.7 mumol of ATPeq. X (10(11) platelets)-1, respectively. An energy cost of 0.7 mumol of ATPeq. X (10(11) platelets)-1 was calculated for separate dense-granule secretion, whereas the combined alpha- and acid-hydrolase granule secretion required 5.3 mumol of ATPeq. X (10(11) platelets)-1. There was no correlation between energy consumption and optical aggregation. In contrast, the rate of single platelet disappearance, which is a measure for the early formation of small aggregates, correlated closely with the rate of energy consumption. Compared with secretion, however, the energy requirement of single platelet disappearance was minor, since 2mM-EDTA completely prevented this response but decreased the energy consumption only slightly. An increase of 0.5-1.0 mumol of ATPeq. X (10(11) platelets)-1 was seen before single platelet disappearance and the three secretion responses were initiated, indicating an increase in energy consuming processes that preceded these responses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Acetylglucosaminidase↗

Fish consumption is inversely associated with male lung cancer mortality in countries with high levels of cigarette smoking or animal fat consumption.

BACKGROUND: A striking difference in fish consumption and lung cancer mortality (LCM) exists among populations worldwide. This study investigated the relation between fish consumption and LCM at the population level. METHODS: Sex-specific LCM data, mostly around 1993 and fish consumption data for 10 periods 1961-1994 in 36 countries were obtained from WHO and FAO, respectively. RESULTS: A significant inverse correlation exists between log fish consumption and LCM rate in 9 out of the 10 time periods (r = -0.34 to r = -0.46, P = 0.044 to P = 0.005). After adjusting for smoking and other confounders, log fish consumption (% of total energy [% E]) was inversely and significantly associated with LCM rate (per 100 000 per year) in all 10 time periods (beta = -26.3 to beta = -36.7; P = 0.0039 to P < 0.0001). The stratified analysis showed that this inverse relation was significant only in countries with above median level of smoking (>2437 cigarettes/adult/year) or animal fat minus fish fat consumption (22.4% E). An increase in fish consumption by 1% E was calculated to reduce mean male LCM rate of the populations examined in the age class of 45-74 years by 8.4%. In women, no significant relation between fish consumption and LCM could be established. CONCLUSIONS: Fish consumption is associated with a reduced risk from LCM, but this possible protective effect is clear-cut only in men and in countries with high levels of cigarette smoking or animal fat consumption.

Aged↗

Oxygen consumption by portal-drained viscera of cattle: comparison of analytical methods and relationship to whole body oxygen consumption.

Two experiments were conducted to compare methods of determining oxygen consumption by portal-drained viscera and to relate this consumption to total oxygen consumption by lactating dairy cows. Oxygen consumption was the product of portal blood flow (determined by dilution of dye infused into a mesenteric vein) and portal-arterial concentration differences of oxygen. In Experiment 1, portal-arterial concentrations of oxygen were determined in samples from three cows using equations based on blood pH, hemoglobin, partial pressure of carbon dioxide, and partial pressure of oxygen (method 1) or by direct oxygen determination with an oximeter (method 2). Overall, there were no differences in oxygen concentrations or oxygen consumption by portal-drained viscera between methods. In Experiment 2, oxygen consumption by portal-drained viscera (method 2) and total oxygen consumption were measured in two lactating cows. Oxygen consumption by portal-drained viscera accounted for 18% of total oxygen consumption.

Abdomen↗

Change in alcohol, tobacco and coffee consumption in pregnant women: evolution between 1988 and 1992 in an area of high consumption.

OBJECTIVE: Analyse the evolution of alcohol, tobacco and coffee consumption during pregnancy in a population characterized by a high level of consumption and a low socioeconomic situation. STUDY DESIGN: Data were obtained from two studies done with the same protocol and questionnaire in the Roubaix Public Maternity Hospital in 1988 (176 women) and 1992 (235 women); the two periods were compared using univariate tests and multiple logistic regression to control for social factors. RESULTS: Between 1988 and 1992, there was a clear decrease in alcohol consumption, a slight decrease in coffee consumption and an increase in tobacco use. These changes affected usual consumption as well as consumption during pregnancy. The increase in tobacco use was no longer significant after controlling for social factors. However, the decrease in alcohol consumption affected all women regardless of sociodemographic characteristics, and remained significant after controlling for these characteristics. CONCLUSION: Several factors support the hypothesis that the decrease in the reported alcohol consumption is real, for consumptions in the low to moderate range. However, it is difficult to identify the role of the several factors involved in this evolution: behaviour of the general population, attitude among pregnant women, information and sensitization of prenatal care providers. Besides, one negative aspect needs to be considered: the stability of the incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome, probably reflecting the stability of the proportion of very heavy consumers.

Alcohol Drinking↗

Food consumption and nutrient intakes with a special focus on milk product consumption in early pubertal girls in Central Finland.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the current status of dietary intakes in early pubertal girls with a special focus on milk products. DESIGN: Cross-sectional data using 3-day food records. SUBJECTS: Eight hundred and sixty girls, aged 10-12 years, at Tanner maturation stage I-III. RESULTS: The mean consumption of milk products (620 g day(-1)) was similar to that of a Finnish study in the 1980s, while the consumption of non-milk drinks (403 g day(-1)) had increased. Twelve per cent of the girls had a dairy-restricted diet and consumed significantly less milk products than girls with a non-restricted diet (465 vs. 644 g day(-1), P<0.001). Girls with low milk product consumption had the highest non-milk drinks consumption (P<0.001). The mean energy intake was 7.1 MJ day(-1). No major changes were found in the sources of nutrients. The shares of energy for nutrients were close to recommendations except for saturated fat (13.9 vs. 10% of energy) and carbohydrates (51.5 vs. 55-60% of energy). The mean calcium intake (1117 mg day(-1)) was above the recommendation, while the vitamin D intake (3.1 microg day(-1)) of 88% of the girls was below the recommendation. CONCLUSIONS: The diet quality of early pubertal girls is close to the recommendations and has improved with respect to fat compared with the 1980s. Consumption of milk products is high although the consumption of non-milk drinks has increased. We found a subgroup of girls who compensate their low milk product consumption with a higher consumption of non-milk drinks. Following a dairy-restricted diet is the main reason for low consumption of milk products.

Analysis of Variance↗

A nonhuman primate model of type II excessive alcohol consumption? Part 1. Low cerebrospinal fluid 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid concentrations and diminished social competence correlate with excessive alcohol consumption.

Developmental, biochemical, and behavioral concomitants of excessive alcohol consumption were investigated using a nonhuman primate model. The variables of interest were: (1) interindividual stability of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) from infancy to adulthood, (2) effect of parental deprivation early in life on adult CSF 5-HIAA concentrations; (3) correlations between CSF 5-HIAA and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) concentrations and alcohol consumption; and (4) correlation between the frequency of competent social behaviors and alcohol consumption. Twenty-nine rhesus macaques were reared for their first 6 months either with their mothers or without adults in peer-only conditions. At 6 and 50 months of age, each subject underwent a series of four, 4-day social separations. Cisternal CSF was sampled before and during the first and last separations; concomitantly, observational data were collected on social dominance behavior in the home-cage. When they reached 50 months of age, the monkeys were provided free access to a palatable alcohol solution daily for 1-hr periods before, during, and after the social separations. Before and after the 50-month separations, data were collected on all types of social behavior in the home-cage. Results showed that peer-reared subjects consumed more alcohol than mother-reared subjects during baseline conditions. Mother-reared subjects, however, increased their rates of consumption to equal peer-reared subjects' rates of consumption during the conditions of a social separation stressor. Peer-reared subjects also exhibited lower CSF 5-HIAA concentrations in infancy and adulthood than their mother-reared counterparts. With rearing condition held constant, interindividual differences in CSF 5-HIAA, MHPG, and homovanillic acid were stable from infancy to adulthood, and high rates of alcohol were consumed by the young adult monkeys with low CSF 5-HIAA and MHPG concentrations, particularly when the CSF was obtained during the social separations. High rates of alcohol consumption were also observed in subjects with infrequent social interactions and less competent social behaviors. In contrast to the human data, we found no gender differences in rates of alcohol consumption, nor in the correlations between alcohol consumption and the other variables. With some exceptions, findings from the study are generally consistent with predictions from Cloninger's type II model of excessive alcohol consumption in men with low CSF 5-HIAA, who also exhibit impaired impulse control and violent and antisocial behaviors.

Adult↗

Lower consumption of cow milk protein A1 beta-casein at 2 years of age, rather than consumption among 11- to 14-year-old adolescents, may explain the lower incidence of type 1 diabetes in Iceland than in Scandinavia.

AIM: To compare the consumption of the cow milk proteins A1 and B beta-casein among children and adolescents in Iceland and Scandinavia (Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland) as this might explain the lower incidence of type 1 diabetes (per 100,000/year, 0-14 years) in Iceland. METHODS: The consumption of A1 beta-casein in each country among 2- and 11- to 14-year-old children was calculated from results on food intake and on cow milk protein concentration. The consumption values were then compared and evaluated against the incidence of type 1 diabetes. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between the consumption of A1 (p = 0.034) as well as the sum of A1 and B (p = 0.021) beta-casein in Iceland and Scandinavia for 2-year-old children. In the same age group, consumption of A1 beta-casein correlated with the incidence of type 1 diabetes in the countries (r = 0.9; p = 0.037). No significant difference in consumption of A1 or the sum of A1 and B beta-casein was found for 11- to 14-year-old adolescents. CONCLUSION: This study supports that lower consumption of A1 beta-casein might be related to the lower incidence of type 1 diabetes in Iceland than in Scandinavia. Additionally it indicates that consumption in young childhood might be of more importance for the development of the disease incidence than consumption in adolescence.

Adolescent↗

Increases in sucrose consumption, but not ethanol consumption, following ICV NPY administration.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a centrally acting neuromodulator that influences both consummatory behaviors and anxiety. NPY's effects on feeding are primarily regulated through Y5 receptors in hypothalamic sites, whereas NPY-induced anxiolysis appears to be mediated by Y1 receptors in the amygdala. Recently, NPY has been postulated to play a role in the regulation of ethanol consumption. The present study assessed the influence of intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of NPY on the consumption of 10% ethanol or 2% sucrose in rats. Male Wistar rats were trained to self-administer 10% ethanol using the sucrose-substitution procedure and then implanted with an intracerebroventricular (ICV) cannula. The effects of NPY (0-15 microg) on ethanol consumption and sucrose consumption were then examined. ICV NPY infusion had no significant effects on the consumption of 10% ethanol, however, NPY significantly increased the consumption of 2% sucrose, [F(1, 11) = 6.18, p = 0.03]. These data suggest that ethanol intake and sucrose intake are differentially regulated by NPY. It is hypothesized that ICV infusion of NPY may be affecting both Y1 and Y5 receptors producing increased consummatory drive and anxiolysis, two factors that have opposing effects on subsequent ethanol consumption. Therefore, additional studies including site specific injection of NPY will be necessary to provide further insight into the role of NPY on ethanol consumption.

Alcohol Drinking↗

[Consumption of psychoactive substances by school-age adolescents of Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil). II--Distribution of consumption by social levels].

INTRODUCTION: Many of the epidemiological studies on the consumption of legal and illegal psychoactive substances have included the evaluation of the influence of social context on the levels of prevalence of this consumption using indirect social indicators such as family income, and educational and housing levels in an attempt to identify individuals or groups in different social contexts. The present study investigates the distribution of consumption of psychoactive substances according to social class in a sample of teenage pupils in Ribeirão Preto, SP, Southeastern Brazil. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A self-applicable questionnaire duly adapted and submitted to a reliability test was applied to a proportional sample of 1,025 teenagers enrolled in the 8th, 9th, 10th and 12th grades in public and private city schools. The questionnaires contained questions about the use of ten classes of psychoactive substances, demographic questions and validation information, as well as questions about the perception and intrinsic behavior related to drug consumption. The adaptation of a model that identifies 5 social class strata (business middle class, managerial middle class, lower middle class, proletariat and subproletariat) on the basis of indicators that situate the individuals within the social relations of production, was used. RESULTS: The 3 middle class strata were more often represented, whereas the proletariat and subproletariat were less frequently represented in this teenage pupil population than in the population in general. There was no difference in alcohol or tobacco consumption according to social class, although prevalence tended to be higher at the two extremes of the social ladder. In contrast, the consumption of illegal substances was higher in the middle class and lower in the proletariat. CONCLUSION: Although the consumption of legal substances did not differ among social classes, the higher consumption of illegal substances by the wealthier teenagers was probably due to the higher cost of these products as compared those of alcohol and tobacco.

Adolescent↗

[Drug consumption in diabetes mellitus (III). Trends of hypoglycemic agents use and consumption in Tarragona, Catalonia, and Spain (1988- 1991). Group for the Study of Diabetes in Tarragona].

BACKGROUND: To analyze the evolution of the use of drugs in diabetes, the consumption of hypoglycemic medication in the province of Tarragona, the autonomic community of Catalonia and Spain as a whole, was studied. A qualitative evaluation of the tendencies of prescription, as an indirect index of quality in the health care to diabetics was performed. METHODS: The sales of oral hypoglycemic medication (OH) and insulin (INS) were accounted for in the study environment between 1988-1991. To make consumption uniform a standardized unit of measure was used with defined daily doses (DDD)/1,000 inhabitants/day (Drug Utilization Research Group) of the different groups of drugs. Total consumption was obtained by a primary data source (Intercontinental Medical Statistics), and periodically compared with a secondary source (registry of public prescriptions within Tarragona). RESULTS: A progressive increase in the consumption of hypoglycemic drugs was observed: 16.1 to 21.2 DDD/1,000 inhabitants/day (31%) in Spain; 17.7 to 19.8 (12%) in Catalonia and 19 to 23 (21%) in Tarragona. The increase in consumption of INS in Tarragona (43%) was greater than that of OH (12%). In Catalonia, it was much greater (INS: 23%, OH: 7%) and was parallel in Spain (36% and 30%, respectively). The OH/INS index decreased in Catalonia and Tarragona (1.3 and 1.9 in 1991) and remained practically constant (2.3-2.4) in Spain. A global decrease was produced in the consumption of slow insulins with a significant increase in intermediate, premixed and fast insulins. A growing increase in glibenclamide much greater than the remaining sulphonylureas was seen, in addition there was a persistent and low use (less than 1 DDD/100 inhabitants/day) of biguanides. Significative variations of medication consumption were registered according to the territory analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: From 1988 to 1991 there has been an increase in the use of hypoglycemic drugs. The use of oral hypoglycemics has remained constant in relation to insulins in Spain and in Catalonia and, more so in Tarragona, there is a progressive inclination to the use of insulin. The evolution of consumption suggests important asymmetry in the quality of health care and denotes progression in the global educative offer to diabetics.

Diabetes Mellitus↗

The sweet tooth hypothesis: how fruit consumption relates to snack consumption.

Building on prior work related to taste preferences of fruit lovers, we investigate the "sweet tooth" hypothesis. First, using CSFII survey data, we show that fruit consumption is more highly related to sweet snack consumption than it is to salty snack consumption. Second, a follow-up study with a different population supports the relationship by showing that sweet snack consumption is more related to fruit consumption than it is to vegetable consumption. Knowing that people who frequently eat sweet snacks may be predisposed to increasing their fruit consumption will enable better targeting and tailoring of educational efforts, such as those used in the 5-a-Day for Better Health campaign.

Adult↗

Alcohol consumption in France: production, consumption, morbidity and mortality, prevention and education in the last three decades.

This paper examines trends in the French consumption of alcohol over the last three decades, and includes data on the production of alcoholic beverages, the consumption of different types of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, morbidity and mortality related to the consumption of alcohol, and a brief description of French preventive and educational measures in this area. In the last 15 years, the average alcohol consumption has ceased growing and even began to decrease. Data are given comparing consumption trends in several European countries, as well as more detailed data of alcohol consumption and related phenomena in France by region, by sex, by age and by socio-economic status (the last two categories for men only). Finally, a schema of the social dynamics of alcohol consumption is presented.

Alcohol Drinking↗

Alcohol consumption in relation to food intake and smoking habits in the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey.

The interrelationships between alcohol consumption, energy and food intake and smoking habits were studied in 1145 men and 1171 women, aged 22-49 years, in the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey, in which a 48-h dietary record method was used. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of alcohol consumption on dietary habits and smoking. A strong relationship between alcohol consumption and energy intake was found. The energy derived from alcohol was not compensated for by lower intake of other nutrients. There was no increase in Quetelet's index with increasing alcohol consumption, except for non-smoking men who were heavy drinking on midweek days. Possible explanations for this apparent lack of an overall effect of alcohol calories are discussed. Alcohol consumption was much higher on weekend days than on midweek days. No differences in nutrient intake were found between non-drinkers, moderate drinkers and heavy drinkers on midweek days. On weekend days, however, there was a slightly higher total fat and saturated fat intake in moderately drinking men. For women cholesterol intake was found to be higher in moderate and heavy drinkers. Finally, a strong positive relationship between alcohol consumption and smoking was observed. It is concluded that the observations with respect to energy and nutrient intake and smoking habits are not indicative of a healthier lifestyle in moderate alcohol users between 22 and 49 years of age. Consequently, the more favourable prognosis of moderate drinkers cannot be ascribed to a more healthy lifestyle.

Adult↗