Biomed Grid

Phosphatidylethanol (PEth); the Superior Direct Alcohol Biomarker against Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Aspartate Amino Transferase (AST), Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase (GGT) and Carbohydrate-Deficient Transferrin (CDT) Editorial As ethanol itself is metabolised and excreted quickly from the body, assessing alcohol consumption with a blood test relies on other markers indicative of consumption. Traditional tests include Liver Function Testing (LFT), Carbohydrate Deficient Transferrin (CDT) Testing, and a Full Blood Count (FBC). Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) testing, on the other hand, is a direct biomarker of alcohol consumption, can only be detected when alcohol has been consumed, and is directly correlated with the level of alcohol consumed There are some difficulties when testing alcohol in blood to determine if alcohol had been abused. Due to these challenges in testing alcohol consumption behaviours across society, in the most recent decades, inten…

Alcohol Consumption Prevention Strategies

Opinion/Mini review The alcohol consumption affects an increasing number of people around the world, and an estimated 2.3 million over the age of 15 are consuming alcoholic beverages [1]. Binge drinking (BD) is a consumption over 60 gr or more of pure alcohol in one occasion at least one time in the last month, affects young people (15-19 years), with a peak at 20-24 years [1].
There are multiple factors of vulnerability associated with alcohol consumption. The choice of the drink and the age at which the consumptions occur result from the combination of both individual and social vulnerability. The Individual factors that condition alcohol consumption is age, gender, family conditions, religious affiliation, and socioeconomic status (WHO 2014; Collins, 2016). Other conditions, of society, such as the level of development, culture, context of consumption and production of alcohol, distribution and regulation, also have an influence in the c…

Thiamine Deficiency and Benfotiamine Therapy in Brain Diseases

Abstract Thiamine is hydrosoluble molecule from B vitamins family vitamin that is crucial for the metabolism of glucose and is essential for the normal growth and development of the organism, as well as for the normal function of body systems such as digestive, cardiovascular and nervous system, both central (CNS) and peripheral (PNS), and also stimulates the brain and improves the psycho-emotional state. Hypovitaminosis B1 is more common than it is thought, primarily due to the discrepancy in high intake of pure calories and the low intake of vitamins. The most frequent deficiencies of thiamine are Wernicke’s encephalopathy, Korsakoff’s psychosis, beriberi, Alzheimer’s disease, but many more cases are those of marginal deficit of thiamine. Benfotiamine is a synthetic vitamin B1 that is liposoluble than manifold increases his penetration in brain and peripheral nerves compared to thiamine. Benfotiamine is thia…