Is alcoholism genetically transmitted?
Increased prevalence of alcoholism in some families has been observed for a long time. Scientific research has clearly shown that in addition to the influence of the environment, genetic predisposition is also very important in this case. There are many genes known to directly or indirectly increase or decrease the risk of developing alcohol dependence. For example, some people of Asian descent carry a specific variant of the gene responsible for metabolizing alcohol. After consuming alcohol, these people experience physical symptoms of alcohol intolerance in the form of unpleasant sensations of reddening of the face, nausea or increased heart rate, which makes them less prone to overusing it.
Changes in other genes may be responsible for whether drinking alcohol is more or less enjoyable for us in terms of emotional experiences, etc. It should be emphasized, however, that the presence of a genetic predisposition to alcoholism is not synonymous with its development. People at risk should simply control the amount of alcohol consumed and their habits associated with it more carefully.
Remember that our expert's answer is informative and will not replace a visit to the doctor.
Krystyna SpodarKrystyna Spodar - specialist in the field of clinical genetics at NZOZ Genomed, ul. Ponczowa 12, 02-971 Warsaw, www.nzoz.genomed.pl, e-mail: [email protected]
The expert answers questions about genetic diseases and congenital malformations, inheritance, and prenatal diagnosis.
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