Problematic Alcoholics Share 29 Distinct Genes That Explain Drinking Behaviors: Study

Understanding how genes work helps scientists uncover the mysteries of a person's physical appearance, behavior, way of thinking, and even diseases and disorders in the family. Genes contain the instructions for constructing and operating an organism.

As time passes, the knowledge humans have on genetics has grown from knowing that cell is the basic unit of life to understanding what specific part of a cell may cause someone to have a genetic disability or that could make a person more vulnerable to specific disorders.

According to Daily Mail, one recent study has found that problem drinkers share about 29 different genes that could possibly explain their behavior as alcoholics. Scientists from Yale University studied 435,000 people and discovered that the number of known genetic risk factors is three times higher for alcoholic dependency.

Their research also found that these genes are highly likely to be passed on to the next generation, which highlights their 'importance in biological function.'

How do Genes Influence Alcohol Consumption?

Environmental factors like stress and depression can play a role in alcohol abuse. But it has long been known that genetics also play an important factor.

The scientists examined the DNA of the participants who reported drinking more than 14 units in a week, which is considered to be alcohol abuse. Geneticists were looking at the large chunks of DNA found in a large proportion of the study participants.

Using the Mendelian randomization technique, they investigated how these genes may influence others. They found 19 new independent genetic risk factor for problematic alcohol use shared by these type of people and confirmed the ten risk factors which were identified by previous research studies.

According to Hang Zhou, an associate research scientist in psychiatry and lead author of the study, the results give ways of understanding the causal relations between problematic alcohol use traits, like psychiatric traits, risk-taking behavior, and cognitive performance.

'With these results, we are also in a better position to evaluate the individual-level risk for problematic alcohol use,' Zhang added.

Furthermore, genes were also examined whether they make an alcoholic predisposed to certain conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Dr. Richard Piper, the chief executive of Alcohol Change UK, said that understanding the relationship between alcohol and problem drinking could be complex since it mainly depends on the amount of alcohol consumed, the pattern of consumption, and many more pre-existing circumstances and conditions.

This research provides fascinating insights into the genetic risk factors of problem drinking. The more people know about it and other areas of alcohol harm, scientists could also form a better way to reduce that problem.

Determine your Own Risk

At this point, there is no way for an average person to know if they carry these genetic risk factors, Dr. Joel Gelernter, a professor of genetics and neuroscience at the Yale School of Medicine, told Yahoo! But he recommends looking the family's history of helping determine their own risk.

A person may be more predisposed to alcohol abuse if they have such family history. These people should be careful about drinking alcohol, but it is best if they can avoid it altogether.

Previous studies suggest that people turn to alcohol as it triggers a pleasurable sensation in the brain, making them want to repeat their behavior. Also, certain chemicals on the brain could make people more susceptible to drinking.