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Blood pressure drug may help control addictions
October 27, 1997
Web posted at: 3:21 p.m. EST (2021 GMT)From Correspondent Al Hinman
NEW ORLEANS (CNN) -- A common type of high blood pressure medicine has promise as a treatment for alcoholics and drug addicts, according to research presented here.
Isradipine, also sold under the brand name DynaCirc, is a so-called "calcium channel blocker."
Such drugs "interfere with the positive reinforcement you get from drinking alcohol," says Edward DeMet of the University of California at Irvine. Isradipine may also help control addictions to cocaine and amphetamines, researchers say.
The study into more effective ways to fight drug and alcohol abuse was presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. Alcohol abuse alone contributes to an estimated 100,000 deaths in the United States each year, making it the nation's third leading cause of preventable death.
CNN's Al Hinman brings us good news from the alcohol and drug abuse front
1 min. 30 sec. VXtreme video
Whatever the addiction, there is no simple cure-all, says DeMet.
(131K/12 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)
But, doctors say, anything that helps break the cycle of addiction might to a long way toward reducing the physical and financial toll of drug and alcohol abuse.
Related stories:
- Drugs and alcohol heighten chances of violent death - August 19, 1997
- Study supports biological tendency toward drug addiction - August 2, 1996
- Researchers find link between cigarette cravings and alcohol - June 13, 1997
Related sites:
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- Society for Neuroscience - world's largest organization of scientists and physicians dedicated to understanding the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nervous system
- The Journal of Neuroscience Online - official journal of the Society of Neuroscience
- DynaCirc CR Once-Daily Calcium Channel Blocker Launched - news release from the Doctor's Guide to the Internet
- NIAAA - National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism - supports and conducts biomedical and behavioral research on the causes, consequences, treatment, and prevention of alcoholism and alcohol-related problems
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
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