XML Feed for RxPG News   Add RxPG News Headlines to My Yahoo!   Javascript Syndication for RxPG News

Research Health World General
 
  Home
 
 Latest Research
 Cancer
 Psychiatry
  Depression
  Neuropsychiatry
  Personality Disorders
  Bulimia
  Anxiety
  Substance Abuse
   Alcohol
   Smoking
   Amphetamine
   Opiates
   Cannabis
   Cocaine
  Suicide
  CFS
  Psychoses
  Child Psychiatry
  Learning-Disabilities
  Psychology
  Forensic Psychiatry
  Mood Disorders
  Sleep Disorders
  Peri-Natal Psychiatry
  Psychotherapy
  Anorexia Nervosa
 Genetics
 Surgery
 Aging
 Ophthalmology
 Gynaecology
 Neurosciences
 Pharmacology
 Cardiology
 Obstetrics
 Infectious Diseases
 Respiratory Medicine
 Pathology
 Endocrinology
 Immunology
 Nephrology
 Gastroenterology
 Biotechnology
 Radiology
 Dermatology
 Microbiology
 Haematology
 Dental
 ENT
 Environment
 Embryology
 Orthopedics
 Metabolism
 Anaethesia
 Paediatrics
 Public Health
 Urology
 Musculoskeletal
 Clinical Trials
 Physiology
 Biochemistry
 Cytology
 Traumatology
 Rheumatology
 
 Medical News
 Health
 Opinion
 Healthcare
 Professionals
 Launch
 Awards & Prizes
 
 Careers
 Medical
 Nursing
 Dental
 
 Special Topics
 Euthanasia
 Ethics
 Evolution
 Odd Medical News
 Feature
 
 World News
 Tsunami
 Epidemics
 Climate
 Business
 
 India
Search

Last Updated: Nov 18, 2006 - 12:32:53 PM

Alcohol Channel
subscribe to Alcohol newsletter

Latest Research : Psychiatry : Substance Abuse : Alcohol

   DISCUSS   |   EMAIL   |   PRINT
The Role of Genes in Alcohol Dependence
Jul 22, 2005 - 12:32:00 AM, Reviewed by: Dr.

Three primary findings support the importance of genetics and alcoholism. First, the risk for alcohol dependence in the sons and daughters of alcoholics is four times higher than in the general population. Second, the rate of increased risk for alcoholism persists in children of alcoholics even if they are adopted at birth and raised by non-alcoholics. Finally, identical twins have a much higher rate of both becoming dependent on alcohol if one is--compared to the same rate for fraternal twins.

 
Clues looking into the root causes of alcoholism are emerging from new findings that center on the genetic patterns of young drinkers, with particular focus on why adolescents are more likely to drink large quantities of alcohol even if they need more alcohol to get the effects they desire.

"The study offers a unique perspective on the beginnings of the alcohol experience and usage patterns of 12-year-olds," explained principal investigator Marc Schuckit, M.D., professor of psychiatry at the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System. "This is the first study correlating the intensity of reaction to alcohol with the amount of alcohol consumed at an early age."

Dr. Schuckit, who also is distinguished professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego Medical School, spoke today at the American Medical Association media briefing, Alcohol Dependence: From Science to Solutions, held in New York City. He also released his study "Performance of a self-reported measure of the level of response to alcohol in 12- to 13-year-olds" published in the July issue of The Journal of Studies on Alcohol.

In the study, 80 children in Bristol, England, who had some experience with alcohol responded to a questionnaire regarding their drinking habits. On average, the respondents reported drinking alcohol about five times in the previous six months. While most of them only consumed one or two drinks at a time, a significant number reported having four to six drinks at a time.

A low response to alcohol is a risk factor for alcohol dependence and a predictor of future alcoholism. "When children with a family history of alcohol dependence begin drinking, about half of them experience little or no intoxication at blood alcohol levels where others would be feeling moderately tipsy," said Dr. Schuckit. "Consequently, these adolescents have a propensity to drink more heavily when they drink because higher blood alcohol levels are required to produce the effects they want."

For the last 20 years, Dr. Schuckit has been researching the importance of a person's intensity of response to alcohol as one of several inheritable traits that may increase the propensity for alcohol dependence. His research team is searching for genes that may be related to this low alcohol response.

Three primary findings support the importance of genetics and alcoholism. First, the risk for alcohol dependence in the sons and daughters of alcoholics is four times higher than in the general population. Second, the rate of increased risk for alcoholism persists in children of alcoholics even if they are adopted at birth and raised by non-alcoholics. Finally, identical twins have a much higher rate of both becoming dependent on alcohol if one is--compared to the same rate for fraternal twins.

Genes can influence alcohol dependence, but they are not entirely responsible, according to Dr. Schuckit. "The same things that can be said about alcohol dependence can also be said about many medical and psychiatric conditions," he commented. "Let's use heart attacks as an example. They run in families, they appear to be genetically influenced, but it's unlikely there is a heart attack gene. What is likely is that in some families what is being passed down is another condition, such as high blood pressure or high blood fats, which then increases the risk for heart attack. For many genetically influenced disorders or conditions, people are more likely to inherit a gene for an intermediate characteristic than a gene for the condition itself. The characteristic, such as the intensity of response to alcohol, then interacts with environment to increase or decrease risk."

There also are genetic characteristics other than the level of response to alcohol that may affect the risk of alcohol dependence. For example, a series of genes that impact alcohol metabolism can cause a more intense response to this drug and a subsequent lower alcoholism risk.

Also, some families pass along a characteristic called impulsivity, which is influenced by genes as well as environment. "If a family carries a high risk of impulsivity and it is passed on to a child, that child is at high risk for alcoholism, drug dependence, gambling and violence," said Dr. Schuckit. He estimates that 20 percent of alcoholics carry their risk through the impulsivity characteristic.

Dr. Schuckit concluded, "The more we understand about the causes of alcohol dependence and the contributing genes, the more likely we will be able to identify tailored preventions and better evaluate treatments once alcoholism develops."
 

- American Medical Association
 

http://www.ama-assn.org/

 
Subscribe to Alcohol Newsletter
E-mail Address:

 



Related Alcohol News

DNA highly-promising predictor for successful treatment of alcoholics
Nicotine may actually reduce blood alcohol concentrations
Alcoholics' deficits in smell are linked to frontal lobe dysfunction
Asp carriers of the OPRM1 gene taking naltrexone have increased urge to drink
Early Drinking Linked to Risk of Alcohol Dependence
Inattentional blindness more likely under influence of alcohol
Moderate alcohol intake associated with better mental function
Medical management with naltrexone or behavioral therapy can effectively treat alcohol dependence
Underage drinkers account for about 17 percent of consumer expenditures for alcohol
Alcohol could make you more depressed: study


For any corrections of factual information, to contact the editors or to send any medical news or health news press releases, use feedback form

Top of Page

 

© Copyright 2004 onwards by RxPG Medical Solutions Private Limited
Contact Us