Immediate effects of a brief intervention to prevent alcohol and medication interactions among older adults

Drug interactions in patients with alcohol use disorder: results from a real-world study on an addiction-specific ward

Background

The majority of patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) regularly take medication. Alcohol interacts negatively with many commonly prescribed drugs. However, little is known about the characteristics and frequency of potential alcohol-medication and drug-drug interactions in patients with AUD.

Objectives

This study aimed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of drug interactions in patients with AUD during withdrawal therapy on an addiction-specific ward.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Methods

Medication charts were analyzed and screened for potential alcohol-medication and drug-drug interactions. For the screening of potential alcohol-medication interactions, the drugs.com classification was utilized and potential drug-drug interactions were identified using the mediQ electronic interaction program.

Results

In our study, almost two-thirds (66.3%; 1089/1643) of all patient cases were prescribed at least one drug that could potentially interact with alcohol. Four percent of all alcohol-medication interactions were classified as severe, 91.8% as moderate, and 4.3% as mild. Drug classes commonly involved in serious interactions with alcohol were analgesics and drugs used in diabetes. A total of 811 potential drug-drug interactions were identified, of which 3.3% were classified as severe and 96.5% as moderate. Psychoanaleptics (ATC N06) and psycholeptics (ATC N05) were most frequently associated with moderate to severe interactions.

Conclusion

Potential alcohol-medication and drug-drug interactions are common in hospitalized patients with AUD. Improvements in the quality of prescribing should focus on the use of psychotropic drugs.

Misinformation in nutrition through the case of coconut oil: An online before-and-after study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Despite recent scientific evidence indicating absence of cardiometabolic benefit resulting from coconut oil intake, its consumption has increased in recent years, which can be attributed to a promotion of its use on social networks. We evaluated the patterns, reasons and beliefs related to coconut oil consumption and its perceived benefits in an online survey of a population in southern Brazil.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We conducted a before-and-after study using an 11-item online questionnaire that evaluated coconut oil consumption. In the same survey, participants who consumed coconut oil received an intervention to increase literacy about the health effects of coconut oil intake. We obtained 3160 valid responses. Among participants who consumed coconut oil (59.1%), 82.5% considered it healthy and 65.4% used it at least once a month. 81.2% coconut oil consumers did not observe any health improvements. After being exposed to the conclusions of a meta-analysis showing that coconut oil does not show superior health benefits when compared to other oils and fats, 73.5% of those who considered coconut oil healthy did not change their opinion. Among individuals who did not consume coconut oil, 47.6% considered it expensive and 11.6% deemed it unhealthy.

CONCLUSIONS

Coconut oil consumption is motivated by the responders' own beliefs in its supposed health benefits, despite what scientific research demonstrates. This highlights the difficulty in deconstructing inappropriate concepts of healthy diets that are disseminated in society.

Reducing Medication Risks in Older Adult Drinkers

Objectives: Prevalent concomitant alcohol and medication use among older adults is placing this group at risk for adverse health events. Given limited existing interventions to address concomitant alcohol and medication risk (AMR), a brief educational intervention was demonstrated. The purpose of the current study was to examine change in AMR behaviors 3 months post-education among older adult drinkers. Methods: A convenience sample of 58 older adult drinkers (mean age = 72) was recruited and followed (n = 40; 70% at follow-up), from four pharmacies in rural Virginia. Results: Findings indicated decreased alcohol consumption in high-risk drinkers. Conclusion: Future research should explore methods to sustain reduced AMR.