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For folks who have battled alcohol dependency for years, any treatment that could curb or block alcohol cravings would be a huge advance.

Now, research in mice is giving a glimmer of hope that just such a therapy might be possible.

A compound -- so far dubbed LY2444296 -- appears to block a key brain cell receptor called the kappa opioid receptor (KOP), a team at the Scripps Researc...

Telehealth might be a more effective way of treating alcoholism than in-person therapy sessions, a new study reports.

Alcoholics who receive treatment through telehealth were more likely to engage in more therapy visits and stick to anti-alcohol medication longer than those who venture out for alcohol use disorder therapy, researchers found.

These results are "particularly important...

Imbibing more than a drink per day significantly raises heart risks for all, but binge drinking is especially harmful, particularly for women, new research shows.

"When it comes to binge drinking, both men and women with excess alcohol consumption had a higher risk of heart disease,"said study lead author Dr. Jamal R...

Deaths where alcohol played a key role climbed sharply in recent years, hitting women even harder than men, new government data shows.

Between 2016 and 2021 (the latest numbers available), "the average number of U.S. deaths from excessive alcohol use increased by more than 40,000 [29%], to 178,000 per year," reported a team from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

P...

American teenagers cite stress as the leading reason they might get drunk or high, a new report reveals.

That only underscores the need for better adolescent mental health care, according to the research team behind the study.

Better "access to treatment and support for mental health concerns and stress could reduce some of the reported motivations for substance use," concluded inve...

High school students who smoke, drink or use weed are more likely to be emotionally troubled and have suicidal thoughts, a new study finds.

Teens who turn to nicotine, alcohol or marijuana are more likely to think about suicide, feel depressed or anxious, have psychotic episodes and exhibit inattention or hyperactivity, researchers report Jan. 29 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

Fatty liver disease can cause liver damage and can be one health effect of long-term heavy drinking.

Now, research shows that the illness can prove even more deadly for women who drink than for men.

Also called steatotic liver disease, the condition involves the steady accumulation of excess fat in the body's major blood-cleansing organ.

An impaired liver can have a major down...

Alcoholics Anonymous is a key means by which millions of Americans deal with drinking problems.

However, white Americans are much more likely to engage in the trusted "12-step"program than Black of Hispanic drinkers, a new study finds.

Black and Hispanic alcoholics are about 40% less likely to have ever attended an AA meeting, compared to white drinkers, according to analysis of dat...

Heart disease deaths linked with alcohol or drug use have been steadily increasing in the United States, a new study has found.

Deaths from heart disease in which substance use was cited as contributor rose an average of 4% per year between 1999 and 2019, researchers report.

Further, the death rate accelerated in recent years, rising more than 6% from 2012 to 2019, according to find...

A hot shower, a glass of wine, a good book and sex are a few of Americans' favorite ways to unwind at bedtime, a new survey shows.

"What defines a comfortable night's sleep varies from person to person, but developing a consistent sleep routine that removes distraction is a big first step in building a habit of good sleep health," said Dr. ...

Millions of revelers hit the road after New Year's Eve celebrations and the inevitability of impaired drivers make the holiday one of the nation's deadliest.

High blood-alcohol levels are a factor in more than 50% of crashes on New Year's Day, the American Safety Council warns. Law enforcement officers will be on alert, with checkpoints and roadblocks in many places to check drivers for s...

Rum-laced eggnog, mulled wine, or a hot toddy all sound good around the holidays, but too much imbibing can increase your risk of "holiday heart syndrome,"doctors warn.

Holiday heart syndrome is the unofficial name for a notable increase in patients seeking treatment in ERs for heart rhythm problems caused by too much booze around December, said