Body mass index and effects of refeeding on liver tests in drug-dependent adults in a residential research unit

Unhealthy weight gain during treatment for alcohol and drug use in four residential programs for Latina and African American women

Weight gain in women (n = 52) in four alcohol and drug user residential treatment programs in Boston, Massachusetts, was studied in 2004 through focus groups (n = 52) and weekly weights (n = 10). Focus group theme analyses revealed that weight gain was primarily attributed to availability of food and lack of exercise. Participants were very interested in improving nutrition, diet, and exercise in the programs. Weight gain (mean = 6.4 pounds) occurred in nine women (n = 10) in the first 12 weeks of treatment. The two-dimensional Food Model Chart and the Yale Physical Activity Survey were used. Limitations are noted and future research is suggested.

Prevalence of abnormal liver-associated enzymes in cocaine experienced adults versus healthy volunteers during phase 1 clinical trials

The frequency and nature of elevation of liver-associated enzymes (LAE) are important safety endpoints in Phase 1 clinical trials of new anti-cocaine agents, yet very little information is available on the prevalence of abnormal LAE in cocaine experienced adults. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the alterations of liver-associated enzymes (LAE) aspartate- (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), and bilirubin in healthy "normal" (HN) and cocaine experienced (actively using cocaine preadmission (CE)) adults participating in long term inpatient clinical trials. We examined LAE values collected from 3 inpatient Phase 1 trials of anti-cocaine agents. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to determine the significance of various factors on LAE alterations. Gender, baseline BMI, treatment did not demonstrate significant group differences in LAE levels. CE study volunteers were found to have significantly higher AST and ALT values than HN volunteers (P<0.05) during their respective inpatient stays. 94.1% of the 17 subjects with abnormal LAE were CE, and 37.5% of these CE received placebo. In conclusion, despite normal baseline values, most subjects demonstrated an increase in the ALT level even on placebo. For CE subjects, differences (Delta ALT and Delta AST) between baseline and the maximum observed values were significantly higher than that observed for HN subjects. The potential to obscure important signals for hepatotoxicity during Phase 1 research may be higher in the CE study population.