Alcoholism is a chronic, progressive disease characterized by an increasing tolerance for alcohol, the inability to quit drinking, withdrawal symptoms during periods of abstinence, and more. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that children of alcoholics are four times more likely to develop alcohol problems than the general population.
What are Genes
Kidshealth.org explains that genes are what determines physical traits, including hair color, height, and even facial expression and personality. “Each cell in the human body contains about 25,000 to 35,000 genes,” according to the article “What is a Gene,” reviewed by Steven Dowshen, M.D. While it is believed certain diseases such as lung problems and cancer may be a result of altered or mutated genes, it’s still too early in the process of identifying genes to know if alcoholism is carried by altered genes, or just another characteristic passed down from generation to generation.
Alcoholic Genes
Alcoholism is caused by many genes working together, according to an article published by Science Daily, which further complicates the ability to develop a successful therapy. In 2010, the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, analyzed data from a long-term investigation of subjects with a family history of alcohol dependence. While comparing the subjects' response to alcohol and certain gene sets, the researchers were able to add corroborative evidence that alcohol disorders are carried by a system of genes, rather than one gene.
Indicators
While children of alcoholics are at risk of becoming alcoholic, there are even more traits than a pattern of drinking that could increase a person’s chances of inheriting the disease. If there is depression or other psychological problems in an alcoholic family, or aggression and domestic violence, the NIAAA explains that the risk increases even more.
Family History
Up until 2007, most genetic research on alcoholism in a family looked at the parents, particularly the father. When a new study emerged in 2008, published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, addiction specialists began seeing inherited alcoholism in a new light. Looking at a person’s family history of alcoholism, including first, second and third degree relatives, provided more reliable evidence for a person’s risk of developing an alcohol-use disorder. The study, conducted by lead researcher Christy Capone, found that nearly 70 percent of college students with alcohol problems had first-degree alcoholic relatives and 29 percent had second-degree alcoholic relatives.
Reaction to Stress
A study published in 2006 in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research by lead researcher Xing Dai found that people with a negative response to stress prior to drinking are also likely to come from families with a history of alcoholism and have an increased risk of developing the disease. In the study, participants who did not have a family history of alcohol dependence were more likely to have a negative response to stress after they began drinking. Participants with a family history of alcoholism were more likely to try to cope with stress by drinking.
References
- NIAAA: A Family History of Alcoholism
- ScienceDaily.com: Examining Alcohol Use Disorders Through Gene Networks Instead of Individual Genes
- ScienceDaily.com: Not All University Student Will Mature Out of Heavy Drinking
- Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research: Density of Familial Alcoholism
- Kidshealth.org: What is a Gene?
