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The effects of alcoholism and decision-making
Since alcohol is a psychoactive substance, people who are alcohol-dependent rely on instant gratification of events but ignore the negative long-term effects that come with abusing the substance. Based on a recent article published in October of 2012, one of the long term effects is the impairment of decision-making abilities both in long-term abstinent people and others who were alcohol-dependent but had gone through a detoxification process. The test used to assess the patient's decision-making skills is called the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), which yields a decision-making measure of how people respond to risky behavior under ambiguous conditions. Patients who were alcohol-dependent performed poorly on the IGT test because they chose events that led to instant gratification but had severe delayed consequences. Since alcohol is a depressant, emotions are skewed by depression, but the patient does not lose intellectual ability. Therefore, it was concluded that emotions influence decision-making. However, the whole decision-making process is an orchestrated event between the impulsive system, which is controlled by the amygdala, and the reflective system, which is controlled by the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). These two systems work on generating a signal that creates a feeling about the overall emotional state as well as influencing the striatum, the anterior cingular cortex and the adjacent supplementary motor area (SMA), which helps the person choose and implement the appropriate behavior that goes along with the person's emotion. Damage to any of those parts of the brain can hinder the person's ability of decision-making. Also, the study investigated if alcoholism resulted in the shrinkage of gray matter in the brain. To do this, the alcohol-dependent group along with controls were put through a scenario in which they had four decks of cards they could choose from. Each time they chose a card, they could either lose or win money and change decks at anytime. Decks A and B had a long-term net losses and decks C and D had long-term net gain. As predicted, the alcohol-dependent group performed poorly in the decision-making aspect of the situation compared to the controls. To see if there was any shrinkage in gray matter in the brain, an MRI was taken from both groups. The alcoholic patients did present a lower volume in gray matter compared to the control, especially in the areas known to be involved with the decision-making process ("somatic marker hypothesis" network in the brain). Due to this, it was explicitly shown that chronic alcoholism not only affects the decision-making process of the brain, but it also impairs the person's learning skills and decreases their gray matter volume (Le Berre, 2012).
BENEFITS OF MODERATE DRINKING
Although drinking heavily can harm your health, consuming alcohol moderately can actually be beneficial to your health. There is evidence that moderate drinkers tend to live longer than than those who drink heavily or do not drink. They are also less likely to suffer from strokes, diabetes, arthritis, dementia, and several major cancers. Moderate drinkers are also shown to have higher bone density and have better heart health. Specifically, research shows that moderate alcohol consumption is beneficial to heart health and reduces the chances of contracting cardiovascular disease (Moore, 1986). It also improves blood lipid profile, decreases thrombosis, increases coronary blood flow, reduces blood pressure, reduces blood insulin levels.
GENERAL HEALTH
Studies have shown that moderate drinkers tend to live longer than heavy drinkers or non-drinkers. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) stated that "The lowest mortality occurs in those who consume one or two drinks per day" (Pearson, 1996). A study conducted at the University of Texas in Austin followed over 1800 individuals (ages between 55-65) over a twenty year period. It correlates their deaths and their drinking habits. The study showed that the mortality rates for heavy drinkers were 70% higher than moderate drinkers, and more than two times greater for non-drinkers, and 23% higher for light drinkers. Even taking all the confounding factors into account, moderate alcohol consumption still had a significant and beneficial effect on decreasing mortality rates (Holahan, 2010). Many studies have shown similar results.
Studies and surveys have shown that moderate drinking is linked to a better overall health, lower levels of long-term illness and disability (Power, 1998). When compared to heavy drinkers and abstainers, both physical and mental health showed superiority in favor of moderate drinkers (Green, 2001). They also show reduced risks of many cancers and diseases, discussed further below.
Studies and surveys have shown that moderate drinking is linked to a better overall health, lower levels of long-term illness and disability (Power, 1998). When compared to heavy drinkers and abstainers, both physical and mental health showed superiority in favor of moderate drinkers (Green, 2001). They also show reduced risks of many cancers and diseases, discussed further below.
HEART HEALTH
The NIAAA reported that moderate drinking reduces the risk of heart disease, which is crucial in the medical industry since cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. There is a 40-60% reduction rate for moderate drinkers and numerous studies have shown that it is associated with improved cardiovascular health.
Moderate drinkers have a reduced risk of suffering from coronary heart disease (CHD) and heart attacks than heavy drinkers or abstainers. In a NIAAA review of research studies conducted from more than twenty countries, it was found that there is a 20-40% lower CHD incidence for drinkers when compared to abstainers (Zakhari, 1997). One doctor, Dr. Curtis Ellison, even went as far as to say that "abstinence from alcohol is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease."
According to studies, moderate consumption of alcohol can also decrease the mortality rate after experiencing a heart attack. In a study of 353 male heart attack survivors, it was found that those that consume about two drinks a day are 59% less likely to have another heart attack when compared to abstainers (de Lorgeril, 2002). The University of Missouri-Columbia conducted research and found that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol every day actually reduces the damage to tissue that is affected during a heart attack (Dayton, 2010).
Moderate drinking is good for heart health because it:
Moderate drinkers have a reduced risk of suffering from coronary heart disease (CHD) and heart attacks than heavy drinkers or abstainers. In a NIAAA review of research studies conducted from more than twenty countries, it was found that there is a 20-40% lower CHD incidence for drinkers when compared to abstainers (Zakhari, 1997). One doctor, Dr. Curtis Ellison, even went as far as to say that "abstinence from alcohol is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease."
According to studies, moderate consumption of alcohol can also decrease the mortality rate after experiencing a heart attack. In a study of 353 male heart attack survivors, it was found that those that consume about two drinks a day are 59% less likely to have another heart attack when compared to abstainers (de Lorgeril, 2002). The University of Missouri-Columbia conducted research and found that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol every day actually reduces the damage to tissue that is affected during a heart attack (Dayton, 2010).
Moderate drinking is good for heart health because it:
- Improves blood lipid profile by increase HDL cholesterol and decreasing LDL cholesterol (Thun, 1997; Ernst, 1980).
- Decreases thrombosis by reducing fibrinogen (clogs blood) and increases fibrinolysis (process through which blood clots dissolve) (Wang, 2006).
- Reduces blood pressure and insulin level (MacMahon, 1987).
CANCERS
Moderate alcohol consumption can also reduce the risks for developing many types of cancers. It was found from the data collected from twelve different studies of over 760,000 people over a 7-20 year period that moderate drinkers had 30% reduced chance of developing kidney cancer than non-drinkers (Lee, 2007). Another review of 9 studies conducted across the world found that alcohol consumption reduces the risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) by about 27% (Morton, 2005). The risk of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is also reduced by 53% for men by alcohol consumption according to a study performed in Germany (Nieters, 2005). Many studies also suggest that the risk of thyroid cancer is decreased from increased alcohol consumption (Meinhold, 2009).
DIABETES
It was found from 15 different studies conducted across the world that moderate drinking decreases your chances of developing type 2 diabetes by 30% compared to non-drinkers or heavy drinkers. (Koppes, 2005) The American Diabetes Association reported that this is probably due to an increase in HDL cholesterol (Wheeler, 2003). The University of Padova Medical School in Italy found that alcohol actually improves insulin action and fatty acid levels (Avogaro, 2004).
OSTEOPOROSIS
In a study conducted in 2005 on a pairs of identical female twins, it was found that the twins that drank moderately had significantly denser bones than the twins that were light drinkers (Williams, 2005). In an article written in the American Journal of Medicine, researchers looked at results from 33 different studies and concluded that alcohol consumption not only increased neck bone density, but also reduced the risk of a hip fracture when compared to abstaining from alcohol (Berg, 2008).
ARTHRITIS
Alcohol consumption also could help reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). According to a study conducted by Rotherham Hospital of 1,877 men and women, it was concluded that abstainers were about four times more likely to develop RA when compared to drinkers who consumed alcohol for more than ten days a month. They found that alcohol consumption and the risk and severity of RA were inversely related (Maxwell, 2010).
DEMENTIA
According to research conducted at the University of Texas at Austin in 2004 on older women, it was concluded that moderate alcohol consumption can result in strong memory, better attention span and concentration when compared to abstainers (Zimmerman, 2004). A study of over 6,000 people (ages 65 and up) also showed that moderate drinkers have a 54% less likely chance of developing dementia than non-drinkers (Mukamal, 2004).
STROKES
The American Stroke Association says that according to studies, moderate drinking (2 drinks per day) can reduce the risk of a stroke by half compared to abstainers. This is because drinking alcohol increases HDL cholesterol (which is "good cholesterol), which is protective against strokes (Sacco, 2001).
Percentage Risk of Stroke