Alcohol & Genetics

This week on the podcast, another in the "Alcohol &" series.

Alcohol and Genetics

Here are some of the facts about the connection between alcohol abuse and genetics:

• A genetic disposition to alcohol abuse does not mean a person will develop an alcohol use disorder. Less than half of the children of people with an alcohol use disorder will develop an alcohol use disorder.
• Individuals can develop an alcohol use disorder even if they are not genetically disposed to do so. A person’s environment can strongly influence the development of an alcohol use disorder.
• There is no gene or set of genes that puts a person at risk specifically for alcohol abuse. Rather, one possibility is that there are variations in genes that get expressed in different ways in a carrier’s body. For example, gene variations can predispose individuals to depression, which in turn can predispose them to alcohol abuse.
• Knowing which genes are involved in creating an elevated risk for an alcohol use disorder can help researchers to match treatment to genes. For instance, the addiction treatment drug naltrexone may work on specific genes. Psychotherapy may also effectively target certain genes versus others.

Just because you come from a family of alcohol abuse it does not mean that you will abuse alcohol if you drink.

Alcohol use disorder is progressive and anyone, regardless of their genetics, can with time and repetition become pyscholigically and then physically dependent on alcohol. You are not genetically wired to desire alcohol more just because you are an adult child of an alcoholic...could genetics be a factor? Yes, but even if they are...they likely account for no more than 50% of your behavior. Other external factors account for the other 50% and I’d propose that the 50% external, which is anchored in lifestyle, is even more important.

Resources mentioned:

Drink? The New Science of Alcohol and Your Health

DSM-V

Buy Breaking the Bottle Legacy: How to Change Your Drinking Habits and Create A Peaceful Relationship with Alcohol on Amazon.

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Low risk drinking guidelines from the NIAAA:

Healthy men under 65:

No more than 4 drinks in one day and no more than 14 drinks per week.

Healthy women (all ages) and healthy men 65 and older: No more than 3 drinks in one day and no more than 7 drinks per week.

One drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor. So remember that a mixed drink or full glass of wine are probably more than one drink.

Abstinence from alcohol Abstinence from alcohol is the best choice for people who take medication(s) that interact with alcohol, have health conditions that could be exacerbated by alcohol (e.g. liver disease), are pregnant or may become pregnant or have had a problem with alcohol or another substance in the past.

Benefits of “low-risk” drinking Following these guidelines reduces the risk of health problems such as cancer, liver disease, reduced immunity, ulcers, sleep problems, complications of existing conditions, and more. It also reduces the risk of depression, social problems, and difficulties at school or work.

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