Influence of Genetic Background in Alcohol Dependency

Those who have mental illnesses, especially anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia are very likely to struggle with co-occurring alcohol use disorder. Women are at risk of developing AUD faster than men due to differences in body mass, hormones, and metabolism. Moving forward, continued efforts to integrate large GWAS datasets examining alcohol use remain critical to the detection and replication of genome-wide significant associations.

Additionally, researchers like Edenberg and Gelernter have explored how genetic variations might influence neurotransmitters like GABA, providing insights into the complex interplay between our genes, our brain, and our behaviors. Research has illuminated that genetics is a significant factor in the risk of developing Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), but it’s not the only one. A comprehensive review by the University of Cambridge, which analyzed 12 studies involving twins and adopted children, found that genetics accounts for about half of the risk for alcoholism. Recent research from Indiana University has shed light on the significant role genes play in the development of alcohol use disorders (AUDs). The study, led by Feng Zhou, Ph.D., professor emeritus of anatomy, cell biology, and physiology at IU School of Medicine, discovered that altering a group of genes known to influence neuronal plasticity and pain perceptions is linked to AUDs.

Environmental Factors in Alcoholism Risk

As the field of genetics is rapidly developing, whole genome sequencing could soon become the new standard of interrogation of the genes and neurobiological pathways which contribute to the complex phenotype of AUD. While you cannot inherit alcoholism in the same way you inherit physical traits like eye color, there is a genetic component that can influence your susceptibility to developing alcohol use disorder. If your parents or close family members have a history of alcoholism, you might have a higher risk due to shared genetic vulnerabilities. However, inheriting alcoholism is not as straightforward as inheriting a specific trait.

• Mental disorders can be hereditary (and environmental), which partially illuminates the complex link between genetics and addiction.
• The National Institute on Drug Abuse highlights a potential overlap between genes related to alcoholism and opioid misuse.
• As we’ve learned more about how genes play a role in our health, researchers have discovered that different factors can affect the expression of our genes.

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Does Alcoholism Run in Families?

“Hereditary” refers specifically to the passing down of traits or conditions from one generation to the next through genetic material. In the context of alcoholism, hereditary alcoholism would imply a direct transmission of alcoholism from parents to their offspring due to genetic factors alone. While there is evidence that genetics can influence alcoholism risk, it’s important to note that alcoholism is a complex condition influenced by multiple factors, including genetics, environment, upbringing, personal choices, and more. Resurgence Behavioral Health emphasizes that while genetics contribute to alcoholism risk, environmental factors also play a significant role. Family attitudes towards drinking, exposure to alcohol during upbringing, and other external influences interact with genetic predispositions.

“Heredity” refers to a mutation in a person’s genes that is passed from generation to generation. Common hereditary mental illnesses include autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and depression. NIAAA distributes COGA’s data and biomaterials to qualified investigators is alcoholism hereditary to help promote rapid progress in identifying genes that influence vulnerability to alcoholism. See Access to Data and Biomaterials to learn more about accessing these materials. Research shows that genes are responsible for about half of the risk for AUD.

Recent advances in genetic studies of alcohol use disorders

They are essential in influencing the brain’s function and response to addictive substances like alcohol. Certain genetic variations, such as cytochrome enzymes in the liver, can also influence how quickly a person metabolizes drugs. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) often seems to run in families, and we may hear about scientific studies of an “alcoholism gene.” Genetics certainly influence our likelihood of developing AUD, but the story isn’t so simple. The family environment you were raised in also has an important impact on alcohol consumption.

• Recent efforts in the search for AUD susceptibility genes will be reviewed in this article.
• The unpleasant symptoms of drinking “protect” them from consuming too much alcohol.
• In collaboration with a co-author from the University of Texas, the researchers took brain samples of deceased people who suffered from alcohol use disorder.
• “These genes are for risk, not for destiny,” stressed Dr. Enoch Gordis, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
• Alcohol use disorder can include periods of being drunk (alcohol intoxication) and symptoms of withdrawal.
• Get professional help from an online addiction and mental health counselor from BetterHelp.

Children deprived of consistent parental guidance or those subjected to abusive households are at an increased risk of turning to alcohol, potentially leading to substance abuse later in life. Hereditary predisposition to AUD is one of the risk factors identified by these results. It’s essential to note that while fraternal twins have distinct genetic profiles, identical twins share the exact genome. Given this genetic similarity, if heredity plays a significant role in alcoholism, identical twins should exhibit a pronounced concordance rate.

Alcoholism’s Genetic Component

Recent attempts to address this issue have used pathway analysis and polygenic risk score approaches (Gelernter et al., 2014) but have not been widely applied to AUD genetic analyses. Based on previous linkage studies, the strongest associations have been identified in the alcohol metabolism genes, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). Alcohol metabolism is a two-step process where ethanol is first oxidized to acetaldehyde by ADH and then further oxidized to acetate by ALDH. Accumulation of the toxic intermediate acetaldehyde can cause adverse physiological symptoms, including flushing syndrome, tachycardia, and nausea.