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Is Alcohol Abuse a Genetic Disease?

Alcohol abuse, a condition in which a person uses alcohol without realizing the ill effects of the drug, leads to alcoholism, a daily dependency on alcohol. There are many contributing factors to alcohol abuse and alcoholism, including genetics.

  1. Alcohol-genetics relationship

    • Alcohol abuse is not strictly a genetic disease. However, there is a genetics relationship to alcohol abuse. Genetics help to determine how alcohol affects an individual.

    Research

    • Research done at the UCSF Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center has proved human genomes are a variable in alcohol abuse and alcoholism. However, the exact relationship between alcohol and genetics is hard to determine, because there are multiple genetic factors related to alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

    Significance

    • By better understanding the alcohol-genetics relationship, more successful methods of alcohol treatment can be developed.

    Considerations

    • The human genomes that are related to alcohol abuse and alcoholism are also linked to nicotine addiction.

    Other factors

    • In addition to genetics, family environment is a contributing factor to alcohol abuse and alcoholism. Children who grow up in a household where either the mother or father abuses alcohol are more likely to abuse alcohol in the future than children whose parents do not have drinking problems.

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