The contributions of alcohol addiction to malnutrition

June 28, 2015

The contributions of alcohol addiction to malnutrition: Primary and secondary malnutrition

The contributions of alcohol addiction to malnutrition is realistically here with us, the sooner we approach it soberly the better for everyone.

Malnutrition is an avoidable problem but some of our habits make it very difficult to do so. It is interesting to note that no one would want to be put in the category of malnourished people yet our actions does not really conform with the things that will prevent us from being malnourished. From the previous article, we have just established that alcoholic beverages are only rich in water and ethanol with very negligible patches of come nutrients. I do not know what you do with your life but one thing I do know is that if you are misusing alcohol consistently, then you need to stay on the link and follow keenly on the contributions of alcohol addiction to malnutrition. Experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center will be sharing with us on some of the things we need to know to be safe from both the problems of alcohol addiction as well as being malnourished out of our thirst for alcohol.

In general doctor Akoury the MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center states that from the observation made in various scientific studies, there are clear evidence that many alcoholics do not consume a balanced diet; moreover, as had been mentioned earlier, excessive alcohol consumption may interfere with these alcoholics’ ability to absorb and use the nutrients they do consume productively. Accordingly, many alcoholics suffer from various degrees of both primary and secondary malnutrition. Primary malnutrition occurs when alcohol replaces other nutrients in the diet, resulting in overall reduced nutrient intake. Secondary malnutrition occurs when the drinker consumes adequate nutrients but alcohol interferes with the absorption of those nutrients from the intestine so they are not available to the body.

The most severe malnutrition, which is accompanied by a significant reduction in muscle mass, generally is found in those alcoholics who are hospitalized for medical complications of alcoholism (e.g., alcohol–related liver disease or other organ damage). If these patients continue to drink, they will lose additional weight; conversely, if they abstain from drinking, they will gain weight. This pattern applies to patients with and without liver disease.

The contributions of alcohol addiction to malnutrition: Alcohol’s effects on digestion and absorption of essential nutrients

Alcohol consumption, particularly at heavy drinking levels, not only influences the drinker’s diet but also affects the metabolism of those nutrients that are consumed. Thus, even if the drinker ingests sufficient proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals, deficiencies may develop if those nutrients are not adequately absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract into the blood, are not broken down properly or are not used effectively by the body’s cells. Two classes of nutrients for which such problems occur are proteins and vitamins.

The contributions of alcohol addiction to malnutrition: Amino acids and proteins

Proteins are essential components of all cells. They help maintain the cell’s structure, transport certain substances in and out of cells, and act as enzymes that mediate almost all biochemical reactions occurring in the cells. Proteins are composed of approximately 20 different building blocks called amino acids. Many of these amino acids can be produced by the body itself from various precursors or are recycled when proteins that are damaged or are no longer needed are broken down or degraded. Other amino acids however, must be acquired through diet. Alcohol can interfere with the uptake of these essential amino acids.

Patients with chronic liver failure also exhibit a number of defects in protein metabolism. These include decreased production of proteins in the liver that are secreted into the blood decreased urea synthesis, and decreased metabolism of a group of amino acids called aromatic amino acids. These defects have important clinical consequences:

The contributions of alcohol addiction to malnutrition: Vitamins

Vitamins are molecules that are present in small amounts in various foods and are essential for normal metabolism; insufficient vitamin levels in the body can lead to serious diseases. Alcoholics, even without liver disease, tend to have clinical or laboratory signs of deficiencies in certain vitamins, particularly vitamins B₁ (thiamine), B₂ (riboflavin), B₆ (pyridoxine), and C (ascorbic acid), as well as folic acid. The severity of these deficiencies correlates with the amount of alcohol consumed and with the corresponding decrease in vitamin intake.

The contributions of alcohol addiction to malnutrition: A person’s nutrition affects liver function

Malnutrition, regardless of its causes, can lead to liver damage and impaired liver function. For example, children in underdeveloped countries whose diets do not contain enough protein can develop a disease called kwashiorkor. One symptom of this disorder is the accumulation of fat in the liver, a condition known as fatty liver. Studies performed during and after World War II indicated that severe malnutrition also could lead to liver injury in adults. However, in these cases other factors, including exposure to certain toxins or parasites that are prevalent in war–ravaged or underdeveloped countries, may have exacerbated the relationship between liver injury and poor nutrition.

Because malnutrition also is common in alcoholics, clinicians initially thought that malnutrition, rather than alcohol itself, was responsible for alcohol–induced liver injury. Over the past 40 years, however, a more balanced view has evolved. Studies in humans, primates, and rodents have established that alcohol can cause liver damage even in well–nourished people.

It is becoming clear that nutritional effects and the toxic effects of alcohol often are intertwined at the biochemical level. For example, alcohol induces the MEOS to break down alcohol. Similarly, alcohol promotes the breakdown of nutrients such as vitamin A, of which alcoholics may already consume too little with their diet. All these addiction related complications can be corrected with the right professional’s involvement. You may want to consult with the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury. Talking to doctor Akoury should be your starting point and you can do this by scheduling for an appointment with her to day for the commencement of your much desired breakthrough and comfort in life.

The contributions of alcohol addiction to malnutrition: Primary and secondary malnutrition

Alcohol addiction role in malnutrition and liver intoxication

June 28, 2015

Alcohol addiction role in malnutrition and liver intoxication: The pain of substance abuse

Alcohol addiction role in malnutrition and liver intoxication. This kind of addiction if not addressed will bring serious health complications in human life.

Do you know the content of alcohol you take? Of what nutritional value are you getting from the consumption of alcohol? Ideally when we eat, we expect to be well nourished by the kinds of food we take. Such food needs to be rich in all the valuable nutrients the body requires to function normally. However this is not always the case. In many occasions we have violated out body by feeding it with toxic elements and other foods that add nothing of importance to the well-being of our health. This is what this article is all about and we want to unlock all the hidden information about alcohol addiction role in malnutrition and live intoxication so that we are aware of the next cause of action. When dealing with any form of addiction, it is important to involve the various experts in the line of addiction from the very beginning. And that is why in our case study, we are going to be talking to doctor Dalal Akoury MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. It is not advisable that when you are struggling with addiction, you self-medicate. This is not right and the services of a physician are very vital from the onset.

Now to the topic of discussion, alcohol consumption is never beneficial to human health. This is not any secrete but a common fact to both the producers, consumers and the licensing authorities of alcohol use. Being a legal drink, its usage is not prohibited by law and so people can drink at will so long as they keep to the limit. And talking about limit, this is where the problem begins, being highly addictive in nature, it is often very difficult to adhere to the required ceiling and so the abuse continues followed by all the effects that are associated with drug use.

Alcohol addiction role in malnutrition and liver intoxication: The nutrition content

Doctor Dalal Akoury says that the effects of alcohol abuse is actually felt in all homes either directly and indirectly and that is causing many alcoholics malnourished, either because they ingest too little of essential nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins or because alcohol and its metabolism prevented their body from properly absorbing, digesting and making good use of those nutrients. The consequences of this is that many alcohol users particularly the alcoholics, they suffer frequent deficiencies of vital nutrients including proteins and vitamins, and more so vitamin A, which may contribute to liver disease and other serious alcohol–related disorders.

Nevertheless doctor Akoury acknowledges that a complex relationship do exists between an individual’s alcohol consumption and his or her nutritional status. Majority of users of alcohol whether those abusing it or those taking in moderation or light drinkers who consume one to two glasses or less of an alcoholic beverage per day, consider those beverages a part of their normal diet and acquire a certain number of calories from them. When consumed in excess, however, alcohol can cause diseases by interfering with the nutritional status of the user. For example, alcohol can alter the intake, absorption into the body, and utilization of various nutrients. In addition, alcohol exerts some harmful effects through its breakdown (i.e., metabolism) and the resulting toxic compounds, particularly in the liver, where most of the alcohol metabolism occurs.

Alcohol addiction role in malnutrition and liver intoxication: Nutritional value of alcohol

When pointing out at alcohol addiction role in malnutrition and liver intoxication, the main reason behind it would be the nutritional value of alcohol if any. Experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are in agreement that the water forms the greatest content of alcohol, followed by pure alcohol also known as ethanol and inconstant quantities of sugar (carbohydrates). The other content of alcohol like proteins, vitamin, and minerals are usually very negligible. And since these nutrients are considered negligible leaving water and ethanol as the main factors, alcoholic beverages are often considered as empty calories. This therefore means that, any calories provided by alcoholic beverages are derived from the carbohydrates and alcohol they contain. And remember that the carbohydrate content usually varies greatly among beverage types.

At least under certain conditions, however, alcohol–derived calories when consumed in substantial amounts can have less biologic value than carbohydrate–derived calories, as shown in a study in the weights of two groups of participants who received balanced diets containing equal numbers of calories. In one of the groups, 50 percent of total calories were derived from carbohydrates, whereas in the other group the calories were derived from alcohol. The study participants were observed on the metabolic ward of a hospital during the experiments. The quantity of alcohol administered did not exceed the amount routinely consumed by these volunteers.

Although all participants received the same number of calories, those in the alcohol group exhibited a decline in body weight compared with those in the carbohydrate group. Moreover, when the participants received additional calories in the form of alcohol, they did not experience any corresponding weight gain. This suggests that some of the energy contained in alcohol is “lost” or “wasted” meaning, it is not valuable to the body for producing or maintaining body mass.

Finally it is now evident that alcoholic beverages are not nutritious as users would want us to believe. Couple with that, users of alcohol often abuses the drink to the extent that they forget to take care of themselves by way of even feeding themselves. This practice is very dangerous and has landed many into the state of serious malnutrition. If this habit is not dealt with, we will be losing many of these people to alcohol. Therefore having read about alcohol addiction role in malnutrition and liver intoxication, you need to evaluate yourself and see if this article is describing any of your situations or that of a loved one. If the answer is yes, then you need to seek for help immediately today by scheduling for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury to take you through the healing process in the most healthy and professional way. As you consider doing that, we are not done with this discussion, and therefore join us in the next article as we continue unlocking all the facts about alcohol addiction role in malnutrition and liver intoxication.

Alcohol addiction role in malnutrition and liver intoxication: The pain of substance abuse

Effects of Alcoholism in breast feeding mothers

May 30, 2015

Effects of Alcoholism in breast feeding mothers: Does Mom’s Drinking Harm Breastfed Babies?

Effects of Alcoholism in breast feeding mothers. In this case both the mother and the baby are negatively affected

Children are not just gifts but are blessings that everyone would desire to have. When we are privileged to get them the laws of the land tasks us with their care, protection and well upbringing. Those who don’t have them live in great hopes of getting at least one in the near future. What surprises many is the way some parents fail to appreciate the priceless value of children they have more so to those parents who are intoxicating their lives with alcohol. If alcohol can cause one to neglect her own children, then to such a person of what benefit is alcohol? Surely the effects of alcoholism in breast feeding mothers cannot be this cruel. The purpose of this article is to dig deep into the injustices that we cause our young ones all in the name of misuse of alcohol. If you have been with us on this link, you must have come a cross from our previous posting where doctor Akoury in total disbelief could not understand why in a town the number of bars outnumbered the combined total of schools, churches, hospitals and mosque. This is a worrying trend because young children and the unborn children become the grater losers. Unborn children get hooked up in alcohol direct from their mothers’ wombs and young growing children suffer neglect. If all these are blamed on alcohol abuse, then what is good in alcohol if it is used like a sweeping broom to clear a whole generation!

Now let me bring it more closer to you for better understanding. Supposing you were walking along the way and you meet a young lady drunk disorderly with her seated next to her not knowing what is going on what would that register in your mind? And let say after that unbelievable sight you proceeded with your journey and decided to branch at you usual joint for one or two before finally leaving for home. Then when you get to the joint you see a breast feeding mother drinking one after the other and at the same time trying to pay attention to her young baby what would ring in your mind? I don’t know what is in your mind but ordinarily the sight of a mother breastfeeding while drinking a glass of wine no doubt has garnered disapproving stares and maybe some choice words from passersby.

These are some of the reasons that guided doctor Dalal Akoury’s decision into to creating a medical center (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Because knowledge is power doctor Akoury is using this platform to spread the message of hope to all addicts male and female. It is through informing people that those in the dark may get to the light and opt for assistance. I know that denial is a very big threat in this journey and so even if you want to bring everybody on board it may not possible, but if just one person take the heed and accepts to be rehabilitated, and this individual goes through the treatment program successfully, that would be an achievement. Remember that when one is affected the whole household grief’s and in the same way when one has been successfully rehabilitated the benefits extends to the whole family and the community as well. Your health is our command and that is why Dr. Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms what an opportunity you have to start all over again. It is never too late nor is it too early to seek for help schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury today and be the next beneficiary of comfortable and healthy life that is free from any traces of addiction.

Doctor Akoury further explains that it is not recommended to drink excessively while nursing because of the passage of the alcohol into the mummery breast milk. It is important to note that excessive alcohol while breastfeeding is not only harmful to a baby who is breastfeeding but also life threatening. However at the moment it is not very easy to conclusively tell the extent of how much harm, because many of the women who drink excessively after [delivery] are those who have already been drinking excessively while they were nursing pregnancy.

Effects of Alcoholism in breast feeding mothers: Drink in moderation

It is one thing that has not been achieved by many more so when making reference to substances which are this addictive. I am talking about the policy of moderate drinking. It is very easy to say moderate and it is all a different ball game to have it implemented. It is no wonder that when you listen to the media content these days you can only scratch your head. All that is in the news is that Madam X or Y was charged with child neglect because they were extremely intoxicated with alcoholic substances. Such news makes you wonder whether it’s OK for a nursing mother to be subjected to such penalties of jail terms. Are they candidates for jails or for a rehab centre? It would be appropriate for such mothers to be first molded into moderate drinking and progressively clear off their intoxication.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Breastfeeding mothers should avoid the use of alcoholic beverages, because alcohol is concentrated in breast milk and its use can inhibit milk production. An occasional celebratory single, small alcoholic drink is acceptable, but breastfeeding should be avoided for 2 hours after the drink.”

Large amounts of alcohol via mother’s milk can cause drowsiness, weakness, and decreases in growth and other health issues in babies.

In terms of long-term effects on infants, limited information is available, according to guidelines developed by the Sonoma County Breastfeeding Coalition and the Sonoma County Perinatal Alcohol and Other Drug Action Team in 2008. The guidelines highlight a 1989 study that showed chronic exposure to alcohol via a lactating mom (even if she has as little as one drink daily) can have detrimental effects on the infant’s motor development.

Effects of Alcoholism in breast feeding mothers: Keep breastfeeding

Alcohol levels in breast milk peak about 30 minutes to an hour after drinking alcohol (on an empty stomach). And as mom’s blood alcohol level drops, so does that of breast milk because the alcohol is diffusing back into the bloodstream that is according to research published in 1995 in the Journal of Human Lactation. Therefore “pumping and dumping,” in which nursing mothers use a breast pump to suck out some milk and proceed to ditch it before letting infants latch on, might not do the trick.

More than 75 percent of U.S. mothers today breastfeed either exclusively or in combination with infant formula for a period of up to six weeks. But after that the numbers drop off, and when infants reach six months, only 15 percent to 16 percent of mother’s breastfeed exclusively. The good news is that most people who breastfeed choose to breastfeed because they are concerned and interested in the health and well-being of their child, so the overwhelming majority of women who breastfeed, and if they do drink any alcohol they do so in moderation, so there’s no problem.

Effects of Alcoholism in breast feeding mothers: Does Mom’s Drinking Harm Breastfed Babies?

Topamax and Alcoholism Treatment

May 22, 2015

Role of Topamax in Alcoholism Treatment

Topamax Alcoholism is serious problem that many people are still battling with today. After consuming alcohol for a long time, the brain chemistry becomes altered and there the brain becomes dependent on alcohol to function properly. Any person who is trapped in alcoholism may find it very hard to creep out of it, courtesy of cravings. for a person to be treated effectively of alcoholism he needs to have these cravings brought down without which all the possible positive outcomes during the treatment will all be in vain as very few people will be able to resist the craving for alcohol. Today almost a third of Americans who drink wine, spirits, beer and other alcoholic beverages are considered problem drinkers, meaning that they are at risk of becoming alcohol dependent, according to a 2005 study in the American Family Physician journal. Alcoholism is the final stage of alcohol addiction and it affects about 12 percent of the population. However alcoholism is not a problem of the Americans alone, it is a problem of the world, even in Middle East which was once considered an alcohol free territory has alcohol addicts.

Some of symptoms of alcoholism include;

Intense craving for alcohol
Inability to stop taking alcohol
Binge drinking
Other symptoms include; Nausea, sweating, shakiness, restlessness, or anxiety after drinking has stopped

The need for alcoholism treatment has led to rise of certain drugs that have been in use for some time. Alcohol dependence is a serious problem and FDA approved certain drugs like disulfiram (Antabuse and generic), naltrexone (ReVia, Vivitrol, and generic), and acamprosate (Campral). However these drugs haven’t been very successful in treating alcoholism as most of them had to be effective only when the patient has abstained from alcohol. This is surely a problem for alcohol cravings can never allow an addict to abstain before the problem is addressed. Therefore the need for a drug that could work even when the patient is still drinking rose. Topamax is the drug that was found to be effective in treatment of alcoholism as it could work without the need of the addict stopping the use of alcohol; Topamax was found to be very successful in treating volunteers who were still drinking heavily, according to a new analysis by the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists. However effective it is, topiramate is not approved by the FDA to treat alcohol dependence.

The drug is approved for treatment of certain types of seizures and as remedy for some conditions like migraine headaches. topiramate is also used as an off-label to combat alcoholism because it does not only not only quell other effects of alcohol but also appears to correct the brain chemistry imbalance caused by chronic drinking which includes a decrease in rewarding effects in the brain from continued alcohol consumption.

Speaking about the effectiveness of topiramate in treatment of alcoholism, Henry R. Kranzler, M.D., associate scientific director of the Alcohol Research Center at the University of Connecticut had this to say, “The advantages of topiramate are that it works well and can be used in people who are actively drinking,” however Kranzler emphasized the negative effects of using the drug to treat alcoholism, “But it causes troublesome side effects, especially memory and thinking problems and sedation. To minimize them, the dosage must be increased slowly over as long as eight weeks, which requires multiple doctor visits and means patients, may not achieve results as quickly as they would with another medication.” therefore it must be administered by a qualified doctor who’ll know the right dosage.

How effective is topiramate in treatment of alcoholism?

There have been some researchers that have been done to show the effectiveness of topiramate in treating alcoholism. In two double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials, topiramate was found effective as it did not only decrease drinking but also increased abstinence in alcohol-dependent adults. The craving for alcohol was also decreased in one of the two studies and it also improved the quality of life of the addicts. Other problems that are always associated with excessive drinking like blood pressure issues, liver enzyme and increasing cholesterol levels were also remedied. However these two studies were only conducted for 12 to 14 weeks, therefore the long-term effectiveness of the drug could not be determined. Another reason that made these results doubtable was the fact that Topamax manufacturers partly or fully funded these trials.

Topamax In another study that was not blinded, Spanish researchers randomly assigned alcohol-dependent patients to treatment with either topiramate or naltrexone for six months. The patients knew that they were taking the medication and which drug they took. In this study topiramate was found to be very effective in reducing the cravings for alcohol. In another observational study in Spain it was found that topiramate was effective in treating alcoholics who had failed to respond to other standard treatments for alcoholism. It helped reduce craving and drinking in these patients.

The results of these researches are very positive on the use of topiramate in treatment of alcoholism however there is still need to come up with other long term research to help determine whether the use of topiramate for treatment of alcoholism can be beneficial, also the need for accurate dosing should be looked into to minimize chances of the patients suffering gross side effects.

Alcoholism is a menace that should be fought by all means that is why we at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are committed to availing help to addicts and offering them a place to call home. It does not matter what kind of addiction you are wrestling with right now, just call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) today and begin your journey to victory against addiction.

Role of Topamax in Alcoholism Treatment

Alcohol Abuse Escalates Liver Cancer Risk

January 19, 2015

Alcohol Abuse and Liver Cancer

Liver cancer is a problem that has affected many people and lots is being done to help alleviate its effects on the world’s population. According to the American cancer society about 24,550 people (17,030 men and 7,520 women) will die of liver cancer. The number of people dying of liver cancer has increased greatly over the past decades. However, this disease has been found to affect men more than it affects women. On average a man’s lifetime risk of getting liver or intrahepatic bile duct cancer is about 1 in 81, while an average woman’s risk is about 1 in 196. On average people who are diagnosed with liver cancer are aged 63 with most of them being 45 years of age or older, the statistics state that more than 95 percent of those affected are aged 45 and above. About 3% are between 35 and 44 years of age and about 2% are younger than 35.

Liver cancer can affects anybody anywhere but researchers have found that it is more common in countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia than in the US. In fact in most of the countries in these regions it has become the most common type of cancer. In the entire world it is reported that more than 700,000 people are diagnosed with liver cancer each year throughout the world. Liver cancer is also a leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, accounting for more than 600,000 deaths each year.

Basing on the statistics above, it is therefore safe to say that liver cancer is a cause for alarm, with the risk of liver cancer growing everyday bearing on the toxins that are present in our environments, it is important to eliminate all the possible risk factors to liver cancer. Alcohol drinking has been linked to liver cancer. It is therefore reasonable to reduce the rate of alcohol you take or better quit it completely, of course you will need professional help to quit it but all the effort will be worth it.

Despite these statistics that have shown that liver cancer is a serious disease that ought to be fought at all costs, there has been controversy on the subject of liver cancer being linked to alcohol use. Past researchers established that drinking alcohol moderately has very many health benefits. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines moderate drinking as consumption of 14 drinks per week for men and 7 drinks per week for women. Exceeding these limits increases your risk to other diseases, liver cancer included.

There has been controversy on this topic and this may be because of the fact that alcohol itself doesn’t cause liver cancer but when consumed beyond healthy limits and hence abused for many years it will cause liver cirrhosis. Liver cirrhosis is a major cause of liver cancer and so if alcohol abuse causes liver cirrhosis then it will cause cancer in the long run.

Liver Cirrhosis to Liver cancer

Usually, a person who is addicted to alcohol will drink up to a point that he gets to suffer liver cirrhosis after stopping drinking he will develop liver cancer. Researchers opine that it is somewhat unusual for an actively drinking alcoholic to develop liver cancer. What happens is that when the drinking is stopped, the liver cells try to heal by regenerating. It is during this active regeneration that a cancer-producing genetic change (gene mutation) can occur, which explains the occurrence of liver cancer after the drinking has been stopped.

Alcohol abuse has far more ways to contribute to cancer however its links to liver cancer can majorly be apportioned to development from liver cirrhosis. The fact that alcohol is converted into a toxic chemical called acetaldehyde in our bodies may be considered though it hasn’t been linked specifically to liver cancer. Acetaldehyde can cause cancer by damaging DNA and stopping our cells from repairing this damage. The International Agency for Research on Cancer have classified acetaldehyde formed as a result of drinking alcohol as being a cause of cancer, along with alcohol itself. It also causes liver cells to grow faster than normal. These regenerating cells are more likely to pick up changes in their genes that could lead to cancer.

Alcohol is made up of other carcinogens and these carcinogens interacts with the liver, the liver being a vital filter organ through which every pint of alcohol consumed passes through. When these toxins overburden the liver, it becomes easier for infections that may later escalate into liver cancer to be initiated.

Drug addiction is a vice that should be fought by all means that is why we at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are committed to availing help to addicts and offering them a place to call home. We offer NER Treatment and Amino acid therapy that are the most effective approaches to addiction treatment and recovery. You call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) today and begin your journey to victory against addiction.

Alcohol Abuse and Liver Cancer

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