Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a diagnosis once referred to as “alcoholism.” It’s a condition characterized by patterns of excessive alcohol misuse despite negative consequences and major distress in important areas of daily function. †Note that the official names of several ADH genes have been changed, and theliterature has been confused by some groups using non-standard names for some ofthe genes29. But people in high-stress work environments are more likely to consume alcohol heavily than those who don’t. Scientific American is part of Springer Nature, which owns or has commercial relations with thousands of scientific publications (many of them can be found at /us). Scientific American maintains a strict policy of editorial independence in reporting developments in science to our readers.
Alcoholism’s Genetic Component
According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, children of alcoholics are four times more likely than other children to become alcoholics. Your genetic risk refers to the likelihood that specific genes or genetic variants passed down to you will lead to a particular condition. Our understanding of the protein-coding function of the genome is still limited, and we have even less understanding of non-protein coding transcripts and genome elements regulating gene expression. Recognizing the genetic component, Resurgence Behavioral Health offers a holistic approach to alcoholism treatment. Combining evidence-based therapies, counseling, and support systems, the center addresses the full spectrum of an individual’s well-being.
- This may reflect boththe limited sample sizes and the clinical and genetic heterogeneity of thedisease.
- When these individuals ingested alcohol, the acetaldehyde–which may be toxic in high doses–was building up in their bodies.
- Scientists have learned through studies of identical and non-identical twins that alcohol use disorder is heritable, with genetic factors accounting for about half of the risk of alcohol dependence.
Genetics of Alcohol Use Disorder: A Review
While the terms “genetic” and “hereditary” are sometimes used interchangeably, Resurgence Behavioral Health clarifies the distinction. Hereditary alcoholism specifically refers to the passing down of alcoholism from one generation to another through genes. Genetic alcoholism, on the other hand, encompasses the broader influence of genetic factors on addiction susceptibility. Recognizing the genetic drinking when bored influence, the center combines evidence-based therapies, counseling, and support systems to address all aspects of an individual’s well-being. Research has suggested that it’s a combination of the above risk factors as well as genetics that could determine whether or not you develop alcohol use disorder. Alcohol use disorder used to be referred to as alcoholism, alcohol addiction, or alcohol abuse.
Strategies for Identifying Genes Associated With Alcoholism Risk
Alcoholism is genetically complex, meaning that multiple genes are likely to be involved, and their interactions with one another and with an individual’s environment also have to be examined before a complete picture of the processes that can lead to the disorder is assembled. People are also complex and manifest problems with alcohol in diverse ways, especially in the early stages of disease, although cases come to resemble one another clinically in the later stages of illness. Thus, when investigating the biology of alcoholism, researchers must carefully define the problem–for example, distinguishing between true dependence on alcohol and alcohol abuse, which is a less medically severe syndrome. This ALDH1 gene variant has since been found to be common in Asian populations–seen in 44 percent of Japanese, 53 percent of Vietnamese, 27 percent of Koreans and 30 percent of Chinese (including 45 percent of Han Chinese)–yet it is rare in people of European descent. As might be expected, people with this slow-metabolizing gene variant also have a decreased risk, by up to sixfold, for alcoholism, so it is an example of a genetic variation that can protect against developing the disorder.
Excessive alcohol consumption negatively impacts many health conditions, such as:
A failure to replicate the initial findings may not always disprove the association but may result from differences in the genetic background of the study participants, the environment, or the study design (e.g., differences in the definition of alcohol dependence). Beyond replication, the exploration of which specific aspects of the alcoholism phenotype each involved gene affects and which other diseases or traits may be influenced by it is essential. Moreover, it will be equally important to determine the potential underlying mechanisms through functional studies, including the use of animal models, particularly those in which candidate genes or alleles are introduced into the organism (i.e., knocked-in). Although much work remains to be done, researchers already have made substantial progress. New technological developments that allow for faster and more complete genotyping and sequencing will accelerate progress, as will technical developments allowing targeted overproduction or inactivation of genes in animal models. Alcohol is widely consumed, but excessive use creates serious physical,psychological and social problems and contributes to many diseases.
Drinking Is a Choice
This may reflect boththe limited sample sizes and the clinical and genetic heterogeneity of thedisease. As noted above, the functional ADH1B polymorphism isnot represented on GWAS platforms; GABA-receptor genes are often nominallysignificant but well below genome-wide significance in these studies. Thus, thegenes and SNPs found through GWAS have had little overlap with previous findingsbased on candidate genes/pathways and linkage analyses. The implicated chromosomal regions are usually broad, for example greater than 10 megabases. Therefore, a more refined search for candidate genes within the region of interest is subsequently conducted.
To perform whole-genome linkage analysis for alcoholism, several large family-based data sets have been collected. Such isolated populations, and large families within them, are likely to confer the advantage of reduced genetic heterogeneity. A non-exhaustive list of convergent findings across studies includes a region on chromosome 4q, that contains the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) gene cluster [96,97,99,100], and a chromosome 4p region near the centromere containing a γ-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABAA) gene cluster [96,99].
Compared to other genetic predictors, the genomic pattern identified here was also a more sensitive predictor of having two or more substance use disorders at once. The genomic pattern linked to general addiction risk also predicted higher risk of mental and physical illness, including psychiatric disorders, suicidal behavior, respiratory disease, heart disease, and chronic pain conditions. In children liberty caps identification aged 9 or 10 years without any experience of substance use, these genes correlated with parental substance use and externalizing behavior. As we have learned more about the role genes play in our health, researchers have discovered that different factors can alter the expression of our genes. Scientists are learning more and more about how epigenetics can affect our risk for developing AUD.
While many studies have been done, and experts agree that there is a hereditary connection, genetics is not the only factor, and we don’t quite know the full impact it has on alcoholism. While genetics can account for up to 60% of AUD risk, not everyone with a family history of AUD will develop the condition. While genetics can play a significant role in your overall AUD risk assessment, it isn’t the only factor that can elevate your chances of developing AUD.
The study also included a large sample of control families that were randomly selected from the community. For the analyses, the researchers chose a split-sample design—two groups of subjects (i.e., an initial sample and a replication sample) were analyzed independently; this approach allows investigators to examine the reproducibility of the initial study findings. Like other chronic and complex diseases, it is often caused by a variety of factors including the age at which you started drinking and your mental health and social or cultural factors — such as having a spouse who drinks what do substance abuse counselors do a lot. Even without analyzing the genes involved, research clearly indicates this chronic disease runs in families. The recent genetic findings related to alcoholism may also suggest ways to improve the prevention and treatment of smoking and other forms of substance dependence that are frequently seen in people with alcohol problems and tend to cluster in the same families. Mood and anxiety disorders fall into this category as well, and the association between CHRM2 variations, alcoholism and depression illustrates how these problems may stem in part from a common source.