According to Polimanti and Zhou, geneticists hope to be able to bring their findings to human healthcare in order to help predict and treat certain illnesses. This is called precision medicine, wherein a person’s treatment plan can be specially tailored based on their unique genetic makeup. Researchers have identified an alcohol tolerance gene that makes a person more likely to abuse alcohol. A person who tolerates higher amounts of alcohol has a higher risk of AUD over time. Learned behaviors also affect how a person views alcohol later in life. Even without a genetic component, a person can still develop AUD when raised https://ecosoberhouse.com/ in a certain environment.

Family History and Alcoholism

Alcoholism, clinically labeled as alcohol use disorder, tends to run in families. Research shows that the development of an alcohol use disorder depends about 50% on genetics. Alcohol use disorder can occur across multiple generations, and people who have parents with a history of alcohol abuse are at a higher risk of developing alcoholism. However, several factors can protect people against an alcohol use disorder, even if they have a family history of the condition. There are also behavioral genes passed down that could influence a propensity for alcoholism.

• Et al. “Adverse childhood experiences, alcoholic…lism and depression.” Psychiatric Services, August 2002.
• In their study, the Yale team discovered that the risk genes were correlated to changes in certain brain regions.
• In contrast, children who grew up with parental support and community resources have a lower risk of developing an alcohol addiction.
• Like many other complex traits, alcoholism appears to be clinically and etiologicaly hetrogenous13.
• More recently, studies have shown that the condition may be related to genetics.

Alcohol Misuse Is Influenced by Environmental and Genetic Factors

Now, we enter an exciting time where genetic and environmental studies promise great strides for the understanding of our human genome and real changes in clinical care. The goal of genetic studies, however, is not only to find associations but also to understand how these variants might promote the development of AUD. In their study, the Yale team discovered that the risk genes were correlated to changes in certain brain regions. This finding suggested to researchers that the risk variants promoted certain brain pathways that contribute to the development of behavior patterns and disorders. Researchers found that six to eleven percent of the phenotypic variation—referring to differences in what physical and behavioral traits are expressed—could be explained by genetic information.

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The home environment, particularly during formative years, can significantly influence one’s relationship with alcohol. 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. In healthcare, such findings can guide interventions, from outpatient treatments to more intensive care, based on an individual’s genetic risk.

Given this genetic similarity, if heredity plays a significant role in alcoholism, identical twins should exhibit a pronounced concordance rate. In genetics, the concordance rate signifies the likelihood of two individuals with similar genes manifesting the same condition. But substance abuse isn’t determined only by the genes you inherit from your parents. But while genetics influence our likelihood of developing alcoholism, it’s more complex. Rather, in AUD, only about fifty percent of the risk appears to be attributed to our genes.

These statistics reflect the broad societal, economic, and health-related toll of alcoholism in the U.S., affecting not just individuals with AUD but also families, communities, and the broader economy. This correlation hints at the intricate dance between neuroscience, genetics, and our environment in shaping our relationship with substances like alcohol. However, a crucial disclaimer is that these markers don’t guarantee one will become a heavy drinker. The National Institute on Drug Abuse highlights a potential overlap between genes related to alcoholism and opioid misuse. There are gene variations that could predispose a person to mental illnesses like depression and schizophrenia.

• This is of particular concern when you’re taking certain medications that also depress the brain’s function.
• Physical, psychological, and sexual violence combined with addiction in the family of origin are significant risk factors.
• People with mental illness have a higher risk of turning to substance abuse as a way of coping.
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The more close relatives suffer from this condition, the higher your risk. However, knowing your family history of addiction shouldn’t make you feel hopeless, as if you’re bound to the same fate. Neuroscience offers a window into the brain’s workings, shedding light on why some individuals might be more prone to alcohol misuse.

• Some protective factors, such as natural optimism, may remain fixed over time.
• Just as risk factors increase your chance of experiencing a condition, protective factors lower your risk.
• Children of parents with alcohol use disorder are four times more likely to develop the condition themselves.
• Anecdotal evidence shows that alcohol misuse can result from genetic factors.
• You can also speak with your doctor or a mental health care provider if you have concerns about the likelihood of becoming an alcoholic when alcoholism runs in the family.
• In some people, a variant with reduced activity is present, resulting in more severe symptoms of intoxication.

Is Alcoholism Genetic? Here’s What You Need to Know

• Alcohol use disorder, more commonly known as alcoholism, is characterized by an inability to control ones drinking because of a physical or emotional dependence of alcohol.
• If you have a genetic risk of developing an alcohol addiction and have exhibited signs of this disorder, it’s important to seek treatment as soon as possible.
• People with this gene may experience discomfort, such as sweating and facial flushing, when consuming alcohol.
• If your body reacts poorly to moderate amounts of alcohol, you’re less likely to develop AUD.

Alcohol use disorder includes a level of drinking that’s sometimes called alcoholism. Thinking of addiction as genetic begins with understanding that addiction is a chronic relapsing brain disorder. “In many ways, it’s no different than having a family history with heart disease or diabetes,” says Dr. Anand.

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Research shows that genes are responsible for about half of the risk for AUD. Therefore, genes alone do not determine whether someone will develop AUD. Environmental factors, as well as gene and environment interactions, account for the remainder of the risk. Our DNA dictates our physical characteristics (such as eye color) and also our behavioral characteristics (such as aggression). Beyond addressing the nature versus nurture debate, this is alcoholism inherited research has a broader aim.