Alcohol in Health and Disease PDF

Preface

Alcohol use and abuse, alcohol intolerance, alcohol dependence, and other alcohol- related health effects are some of the most challenging public health problems facing our modern-day society. The biochemical and pathological disturbances observed in humans after acute and chronic intake of alcohol are exceedingly complex and many biological and environmental factors may influence their outcome. Both epidemiological and clinical studies have implicated the excessive use of alcohol in the risk of developing a variety of organ, neuropsychiatric, and metabolic disorders. Family, twin, and adoption studies suggest that alcoholism is familial, with a significant proportion attributable to genetic factors besides cultural and familial environmental factors. Recent investigations have shown that genetically determined variations in alcohol and acetaldehyde metabolism may be responsible for individual and racial differences in acute reactions to ethanol, alcohol drinking habits, and vulnerability to alcohol-related end-organ damage. Research on the biomedical effects of alcohol intake, particularly with respect to the putative benefits of moderate drinking on the cardiovascular system, has attracted considerable attention in recent decades. Epidemiological studies have consistently shown that light to moderate intake of alcoholic beverages is associated with a reduced incidence of, and mortality from, coronary heart disease.

Keeping in tradition of the past Titisee Conferences on relevant scientific issues, we organized an International Titisee Symposium on Health Effects of Alcohol Intake, in Titisee, Germany, from December 9 to 12, 1999. Based on issues covered at the symposium, this volume examines multidisciplinary topics (molecular biochemistry, genetics, epidemiology, pathophysiology, neurobiology, as well as cardiovascular aspects of alcohol use and abuse. The volume has been compiled into six main parts. Part I deals with alcohol metabolism, genes, and their possible role in alcohol sensitivity, alcohol drinking habits, and alcohol dependence. In Part II, genetic and epidemiological consumption-related morbidity are grouped. Part III deals with general health issues related to alcohol consumption. Part IV contains contributions related to hepatic, metabolic and nutritional disorders of alcoholism-in particular, alcoholic liver diseases. Part V covers topics related to alcohol and cancer. Finally, Part VI contains papers related to alcohol and cardiovascular disorders, including the French paradox.

We are convinced that this volume will prove useful not only to basic scientists and physicians interested in the area of alcoholism research but also to clinicians, geneticists, pharmacologists, toxicologists, psychiatrists, biochemists, and those involved in health-policy-making decisions.

We thank all the participants of the Titisee Symposium for making it a scientifically exciting and socially pleasant meeting. We also thank the Volkswagen- Stiftung, Hannover, Falk Foundation, Freiburg, and Merck AG, Darmstadt for their financial support for organizing the Titisee Symposium. Last, but not least, we thank the staff of Marcel Dekker, Inc., for their cooperation in bringing out this timely volume.