A Person's High Or Low Response To Alcohol Says Much About Their Risk For Alcoholism
ScienceDaily (May 25, 2009) — Someone who has a low level of response (LR) to alcohol, meaning relatively little reaction to alcohol, has a higher risk for developing alcohol-use disorders (AUDs). A study that examined the influence of LR in conjunction with other characteristics – like family history of AUDs and age of drinking onset – has found that LR is a unique risk factor for AUDs across adulthood and is not simply a reflection of a broader range of risk factors.
"If a person needs more alcohol to get a certain effect, that person tends to drink more each time they imbibe," explained Marc A. Schuckit, director of the Alcohol Research Center, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, and corresponding author for the study.
"Other studies we have published have shown that these individuals also choose heavy drinking peers, which helps them believe that what they drink and what they expect to happen in a drinking evening are 'normal,'" he said. "This low LR, which is perhaps a low sensitivity to alcohol, is genetically influenced."
Schuckit and his colleagues examined 297 men participating in the San Diego Prospective Study, originally recruited and tested on their level of reaction to alcohol when they were 18 to 25 years old. Each reported on family history of AUDs, typical drinking quantity, age of drinking onset, body mass index, and initial age at recruitment for the study. AUDs were evaluated at 10-, 15-, 20-, and 25-year follow-ups.
Results showed that a low LR to alcohol predicted AUD occurrence over the course of adulthood even after controlling for the effects of other robust risk factors. In short, LR is a unique risk factor for AUDs across adulthood, and not simply a reflection of a broader range of risk factors.
"A low LR at age 20 was not just a reflection of being a heavier drinker at age 20 when we tested these men, and it wasn't an artifact of an earlier onset of drinking," said Schuckit. "We showed that a low LR at 20 predicts later heavy drinking and alcoholism even if you control for all these other predictors of alcohol problems at age 20."
Schuckit added that the study's method of examination – establishing multiple predictors at age 20, revisiting participants about every five years, and securing a response rate of about 94 percent – strongly show that LR is consistent and powerful in predicting alcoholism."
"Because alcoholism is genetically influenced, and because a low LR is one of the factors that adds to the risk of developing alcoholism," said Schuckit, "if you're an alcoholic, you need to tell your kids they are at a four-fold increased risk for alcoholism. If your kid does drink, find out if they can 'drink others under the table,' and warn them that that is a major indication they have the risk themselves. Keep in mind, however, that the absence of a low LR doesn't guarantee they won't develop alcoholism, as there are other risk factors as well."
It's not all bad news, Schuckit added. "We are looking for ways to identify this risk early in life, and to find ways to decrease the risk even if you carry a low LR … so there is hope for the future."
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Journal reference:
. The Relationships of the Level of Response to Alcohol and Additional Characteristics to Alcohol Use Disorders across Adulthood: A Discrete-Time Survival Analysis. Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, In Print September 2009
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This Article was very interesting to me, it really caught my attention like, me running into a brick wall not knowing its there.I liked how the article talked about alcoholism because, it very serious and most parents are ashamed to tell their kids abotu it.The study that the researcher discovered was great but in a way is biased because it favoring the male population. In the study they did not once mention the study of 20 year old women. The study should go 18 or even 19 because, thats when you start college and start actually getting intoxicated.The study could have also did the men and women by different race and gender to make a inference toward alcoholism.The article was overall very informative btu biase a little in my opinion. I do feel the same as Dr.Schuckit,that we should inform our kids if we have alcoholism running through our family. Talking to teens at that age helps better prepare them for real world.JUst as it is stated in the article just because you dont have LR doesnt mean you are not at risk for other factors of alcoholism. The tone of this article is very inofrmative but serious as well too. Overall this article was good except for the study not expanding to different race and gender it was great.
ReplyDeletedAnEaNe BeLl
This article was very interesting and thought provoking. What really caught my attention was that alcoholism is genetically influenced. I thought that alcoholism was just a thing that a person picked up an liked a lot. I also thought that children whose parents like to drink usually have a low tolerance for alcohol. I realized that the drinking problems usually start around 20-25 years of age because that is when individuals are most attacked and pressured to drink.
ReplyDeleteGordon Porter
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ReplyDeleteI agree with my classmate, Daneane in the idea that the study referred to was a bit limited as readers were not exposed to the risk of LR for women. I also believe that a low or high LR does not necessarilly believe that one is predisposed to becoming alcoholic or not. In my opinion, this issue is alos a question of nature vs nurture. Yes, ones genetic history comes into play when conducting studies such as these, but society can have a huge influence on individuals as well. One may feel more comfortable with drinking more if society deems it acceptable. I believe that more studies like these need to be conducted that also include enviromental and societal influences as well.
ReplyDelete-S. Davis
This article was very interesting to me because I know realize that alcoholism may be common n my family because it is genetic. I too believed that alcoholism was a habit developed by ones environment. However just because someone is predisposed to alcohol doesn't necessarily mean that they will become an alcoholic. I believe that it is someones decision to start drinking, and once they start it will be far more
ReplyDeletedifficult for them to stop as opposed to someone who is not predisposed to alcoholism. I too believe that more studies need to be conducted to prove that alcoholism is genetically inherited.
-Kamille Coleman
This article pose alot of ethical and genetic questions.One question is whether or not alcoholism is more genetic or is it moraly influenced by society.In my opinion alcoholism is more expose in society and can influence people as young as 15yrs. This is done by media, peer pressure, and the nature of every environment. All these influenses contribute to 75% alcoholism rates among families and friends. This study is very interesting and in order to develope a more prominent data,i think that more studies should be done outside of the genetic world.
ReplyDeleteCARLISSA KYTE