OBJECTIVES To investigate whether binge drinking pattern influences blood pressure independently from drinking volume or whether it modifies the effect of volume of drinking. METHODS We used cross-sectional data from population samples of 7559 men and 7471 women aged 45-69 years in 2002-05, not on antihypertensive medication, from Russia, Poland and Czech Republic. Annual alcohol intake, drin...

Purpose: Wine is an alcoholic beverage considered to have health benefits when consumed in moderation. Studies investigated the healthfulness of wine via various approaches; however, given that consumption behavior evolving, fresh data are needed. There a paucity evidence on perceived mental wine; hence, this study examined consumers’ perceptions separately for each physical and benefit compare...

THE “FRENCH PARADOX” is usually defined as a low rate of coronary artery disease (CAD) in France despite high prevalence of the usual CAD risk traits. In 1819 Dr. Samuel Black, an Irish physician interested in angina pectoris and perceptive about epidemiologic aspects, wrote what is probably the first relevant commentary (1). Noting much angina in his Irish medical practice but little discussio...

In academic years 2002/3-2004/5, the use of alcohol was investigated by anonymous questionnaire in 1,032 first and third year pharmacy students in the Czech Republic. Frequencies of beer, wine and spirits use, the age of the first contact with alcoholic beverages, the age of the first drunkenness and the frequency of drunkenness in the last month were ascertained. Average age of the first conta...

The purpose of this study was to explore the peptides that are related to acute reduction of blood pressure after alcohol drinking. Venous blood was collected from male healthy volunteers before and after drinking white wine (3 ml/kg weight) containing 13% of ethanol. Peptidome analysis for serum samples was performed using a new target plate, BLOTCHIP®. Alcohol caused significant decreases in ...

The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome is rising worldwide. Its association with alcohol intake, a major lifestyle factor, is unclear, particularly with respect to the influence of drinking with as opposed to outside of meals. We investigated the associations of different aspects of alcohol consumption with the metabolic syndrome and its components. In cross-sectional analyses of 14,375 activ...

Several foods have been shown to contain natural components (especially polyphenols) which display anti-adhesive properties against Streptococcus mutans, the aetiological agent responsible for dental crown caries, as well as inhibition of glucosyltransferases, which are the S. mutans enzymes involved in the synthesis of an adherent, water-insoluble glucan from sucrose. Other studies have demons...

BACKGROUND Middle-aged men who regularly drink a moderate amount of alcohol have lower mortality rates from all causes in comparison with abstainers and heavy drinkers. This cohort study looks at the relationship between alcohol consumption and long-term survival, adjusting for smoking habit and physical activity. METHODS In 1965, a total of 1536 Italian males aged 45-65 years underwent an ex...

Alcohol and drug use amongst 3rd level students in Ireland is a concern and has been reported previously in the CLAN Survey. The aim of our study was to determine the alcohol and drug use and any alcohol associated adverse consequences amongst students attending the health centre of University College Cork (UCC). 178 (98.3%) of the 181 students who replied reported having ever drunk alcohol. 15...

The ancient Greeks observed that men heavily exposed to lead became sterile. But this knowledge was not passed to the Romans, who stored their drinking water and their wine in lead-lined containers. Romans also added lead to some of their drinks as a sweetener. Based on examination of lead in Roman bones, some historians conclude that the Roman upper classes probably couldn't reproduce themselv...