Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Also Included In: Eating Disorders;Genetics Article Date: 21 Aug 2013 - 8:00 PDT Current ratings for: Eating disorders and alcohol abuse 'share genetic factors' New research from the US suggests that having a genetic risk for alcohol dependence may also put people at higher risk for certain eating disorders, and vice versa. In the September issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report how they discovered that some of the genes that influence alcohol dependence also influence certain eating disorder symptoms in men and women. Their analysis suggests genes may explain 38-53% of the risk of developing these disorders. First author Dr. Melissa Munn-Chernoff, a postdoctoral research scholar in psychiatry, says: "In clinical practice, it's been observed that individuals with eating disorders also have high rates of alcohol abuse and dependence." She adds that previous research into genetic links between alcohol dependence and eating disorders have tended to study women only, and that their study is the first to include men. For their analysis, the team used data on nearly 6,000 adult twins in … Continue reading →

People who suffer from alcohol addiction may be more vulnerable to certain types of eating disorders and vice versa. Now, new research indicates this susceptibility may lie in their genetics. In a study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, researchers found that common genetic factors may underlie both alcoholism and specific symptoms of eating disorders most notably, the binge eating and purging habits associated with bulimia nervosa. Prior studies have shown that among people who had eating disorders, there were higher rates of alcohol abuse and dependence than those who didnt have these eating disorders, study author Melissa Munn-Chernoff, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, told FoxNews.com. Also, studies had found higher rates of alcohol dependence in bulimia nervosa than anorexia nervosa. Although past research has shown a connection between the two disorders, it was never clear whether genetics could explain the association. To better understand the underlying link, Munn-Chernoff and her team analyzed data from nearly 6,000 adult Australian twins both identical and fraternal. Identical twins share all of their same genes, while fraternal twins only share about half, making them genetically similar to siblings who arent twins. Munn-Chernoff explained that studying … Continue reading →

Using a computer drawing and video recording application, intern Neil Rens has helped create videos designed to educate doctors, patients, students and others about genomic medicine. Rapid advancements in DNA mapping have created new tools to personalize medical treatment, but many doctors remain ill-informed on how they should use genetic information to manage patient care. Thats the main reason the Scripps Translational Science Institute is trying to develop an online video program to educate physicians, students and others about genomic medicine. As genetic sequencing the mapping of the biological code that shapes each person expands from research labs into doctors offices, some are calling for better education about its growing role in medicine. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps institute and chief academic officer for Scripps Health, said genomics has an increasing impact on prescribing medicine and diagnosing diseases. The institute has worked on the education project since 2010, when it received a $300,000 grant from the Life Technologies Foundation to establish an online program that would credential doctors in genomics. The effort has since been broadened to include educational videos for a wider audience, including patients and high school and college students. Some of the videos might be presented … Continue reading →

Public release date: 21-Aug-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Elizabeth Streich eas2125@cumc.columbia.edu 212-305-3689 Columbia University Medical Center NEW YORK (August 21, 2013) Reproductive genetics researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) are leading a multicenter prospective clinical study investigating the effects of chromosomal abnormalities (duplicative or missing material) found prenatally through microarray analysis. The goal of the study is to gain further information on genetic variances previously not well reported in the medical literature and share it with parents during pregnancy. Led by principal investigator Ronald J. Wapner, MD, professor and vice chair for research at CUMC's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and director of reproductive genetics at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia, the research is the next phase of a project to advance clinicians' ability to diagnose in utero conditions such as developmental delays, structural abnormalities, and treatable or life-threatening diseases. "Parents of children found to have a genetic variance want a better understanding of what it means. Our goal is to give them as much information and support as possiblefrom detailed genetic counseling to ways to connect with other people expecting children with the same variance," said Dr. Wapner. In December 2012, Dr. Wapner and colleagues published in the … Continue reading →

Latest Mental Health News WEDNESDAY, Aug. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Alcoholism and certain types of eating disorders share common genetic risk factors, according to a new study. Researchers looked at nearly 6,000 adult fraternal and identical twins in Australia. Of those, nearly 25 percent of men and 6 percent of women were alcoholics, nearly 11 percent of men and 13 percent of women reported binge eating, and about 14 percent of women reported purging tactics such as self-induced vomiting or laxative abuse. Genes appeared to account for 38 percent to 53 percent of the risk of developing these conditions, and some of the same genetic risk factors that make people susceptible to alcoholism also make them vulnerable to binge eating or purging, according to the study in the September issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. The findings support "the idea that there are common genetic factors contributing to alcohol dependence and these eating disorder symptoms," lead researcher Melissa Munn-Chernoff, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said in a journal news release. Learning more about genetic and other risk factors may lead to better treatments for these disorders, she noted. Previous studies found that … Continue reading →

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Stem Cell Therapy Web Segment #3 | Stem Cell Treatment in Orlando Watch our 3 part segment for stem cell therapy available in Orlando at Eterna MD. To learn more, visit http://eternamdregenerativemedicine.com. By: Eterna MD Regenerative Medicine … Continue reading →