If you have family members who struggle with alcohol misuse, you may wonder if alcohol misuse is genetic. Scientists have found that there is a 50% chance of being predisposed to alcohol use disorder (AUD), but the specific causes are still unknown and identifying the biological basis for this risk is a vital step in controlling the disease.1 Show This article will discuss whether alcoholism is passed down through biological families and how you can avoid alcoholism if it runs in your family.
Key definitions related to this topic include the following:
Is Alcohol Tolerance Inherited?Alcohol tolerance means that equal amounts of alcohol lead to lesser effects over time, leading to a need for higher quantities of alcohol to feel the same desired effects.4 While it may seem like there is a genetic predisposition for alcohol tolerance, tolerance is not inherited. It results from drinking substantial amounts of alcohol over long periods of time.5 However, alcohol intolerance may be genetic.6 Most commonly seen in those of Asian dissent, alcohol intolerance is when the body has an adverse reaction to the presence of alcohol. Most common examples is when a person’s skin flushes and nose gets stuffy right after drinking alcohol.6 This is a result of issues with alcohol metabolism, which is believed to be hereditary.6 There are many genes, and variations of genes, that impact a person’s risk of developing an alcohol use disorder.7 There is no one “alcohol gene” that leads to the development of an alcohol use disorder.7,8 Researchers have found more than 400 locations in all the genetic information in an organism (genome) and at least 566 variants within these locations that could influence the extent that someone may suffer from alcohol abuse.9 Genes that relate to alcohol metabolism, particularly ADH1B and ALDH2, seem to be closest tied to the risk for problem drinking.7 A family history of alcohol use disorders may increase the risk of genetic predisposition to developing an alcohol use disorder, with risks heightened for parent-child transmission.8 Environmental factors also play a role in developing an alcohol use disorder when an individual has a family history of alcohol misuse. However, with multiple genes playing a role in the development of an AUD, it is possible that this disease could skip a generation. If parents do not have an alcohol use disorder, it does not mean that the offspring cannot develop an AUD.8 Similarly, if a grandparent has an alcohol problem but the parents don’t, that doesn’t mean a child won’t be predisposed to alcoholism.8 Take Our Alcohol Abuse Self-AssessmentTake our free, 5-minute alcohol abuse self-assessment below if you think you or someone you love might be struggling with substance abuse. The evaluation consists of 11 yes or no questions that are intended to be used as an informational tool to assess the severity and probability of a substance use disorder. The test is free, confidential, and no personal information is needed to receive the result. Because of the interaction of genetics and environment, a person cannot be born with an alcohol use disorder.10 Although people can have genes that predispose them to developing an alcohol use disorder, genetics only accounts for approximately half of a person’s overall risk.10 The rest of these predispositions comes from the social and environmental factors that a person encounters throughout their childhood and life.7,10, Tests for AlcoholismA physician may use several tests to diagnose an AUD. These include:
Not Ready to Talk?If you aren’t ready to talk, but want more information about addiction, you can sign up for Personalized Text Support. If alcohol use disorders run in your family, you may want to be careful about your drinking or limit it. Remember that a combination of environmental factors and genetic predispositions lead to alcohol use disorders. So, there are various things you can control in your environment to try to avoid developing a problem. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans consider moderate drinking to be no more than 2 drinks for men and 1 for women per day.14 Staying within those limitations, or possibly avoiding alcohol intake altogether, may be a good idea.14 If you are a parent trying to prevent or delay your child’s alcohol use, some strategies include:15
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