Genetic Analysis Of Alcoholism

Alcoholism (sometimes called Alcohol Use Disorder in the technical literature) is, essentially, defined as a dependency on alcohol for an individual to function in his/her daily life. The condition is related to but distinct from "alcohol abuse". In the latter case, an individual may be said to have a drinking problem, but s/he is not dependent on alcohol, i.e. alcohol is not a required part of that person 's life. This is an important distinction to make as often

Although the collection of findings from several types of genetically informative research designs does provide compelling evidence for the influence of genetics and heritability on the risk for addiction, they do

To begin, research of genetics has shown some information on how genes support alcoholism being a disease. Genetics and the brain are connected as other organs, such as the heart and genetics are connected (Nurnberger). People can inherit heart diseases from their parents through their genes. There is no difference with alcohol. Alcohol damages the brain cells and can increase the chances of a child to become more dependent on alcohol. According to Nurnberger, “For alcohol dependence, about 50 percent is related to genetic factors and the other half to environmental factors, such as availability of alcohol and cultural factors” (Nurnberger). Although environmental factors play a high role in alcohol consumption, genetics, as shown, have played half the role. People become dependent on alcohol, and not only can it be hereditary to pass the gene to increase the chances of becoming an alcoholic, but alcoholism can even cause a change to other genes to possibly cause depression and anxiety problems (Nurnberger). Saying that alcoholism is not a disease when it can be passed through genes and alter other genes would be like saying autism is not a disease or disorder. The reason is because the brain is genetically altered, like alcoholism, and it can change other

First, before I could answer this question, I had to do a little research. Alcohol addiction is a physical dependence on alcohol which occurs gradually. Over time, drink too much alcohol changed the balance of chemicals in your brain associated with the pleasure aspects of drinking alcohol. Excessive, long-term drinking can affect the balance of these chemicals, causing your body to crave alcohol to restore good feelings or to avoid negative feelings. “Alcoholism was officially recognized as a disease by the American Medical Association in 1991”. ( http://www.learn-about-alcoholism.com/alcoholism-disease.html ).

At the beginning of the 21st century, it was estimated that the annual number of deaths related to excessive drinking exceeded 100,000 in the United States alone (“Alcoholism”). In fact, in 1995, 140 million Americans were using alcohol is an abusing way (Ammerman, Ott, and Tarter). “It is a chronic and progressive illness that involves the excessive inappropriate ingestion of ethyl alcohol” (“Alcoholism”). Equally, it can be characterized as an emotional and many times, physical dependence on alcohol. It is thought to come from a combination of a wide range of physiological, social, and genetic factors (“Alcoholism”). Even

There are many different evaluation instruments that are used to test for alcoholism, the results are also used to help with the eventually treatment of the person diagnosed with alcoholism. Some of the evaluation tools that are used to detect alcoholism and the severity are the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism (SSAGA), Alcohol use disorder Identification Test (AUDIT), Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST), T-ACE, Addiction Severity Index (ASI) and the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI). SSAGA was created by the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) is used to study the genetic link to alcoholism. (Korsmeyer, P., Kranzler, H., 2009) AUDIT was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with Austria, Bulgari, Kenya. Mexico, Norway and the United States, making it the first screening designed for international use. There are ten sections to the AUDIT test that are scored 0-4 points, the total number of points determines a person’s severity of alcohol dependency, which is then used to determine the required treatment method. (Korsmeyer, P., Kranzler, H., 2009) MAST is similar to AUDIT as it is a multiple question test, the difference is in the scoring. Each answer is worth 0-1 point and the higher the total, the more the person is at risk for alcoholism. T-ACE is a test specifically for pregnant women, it stands for Tolerance, Annoyed, Cut Down and Eye Opener. The first questions is about

Alcoholism has been a major problem in the world for hundreds of years. Most people that deal with alcoholism became alcoholics because they needed a quick and easy way to de-stress. After long days at work or arguments with family and friends, the first thing they do is start drinking to make their stress go away. No one wakes up and decides, “I’m going to become an alcoholic today.” No one wants to be an alcoholic but bad things happen. If you are not careful with alcohol then you can easily become an alcoholic.

Alcohol use disorder is a common disorder that can lead to substantial effects in one’s cognitive, behavioral and psychological well-being. Alcohol use Disorder is an ongoing pattern of alcohol use that can result in significant and recurrent consequences (APA, 2015). Based on the DSM 5, AUD must be exhibited by two or more symptoms occurring within a 12 month period and severity is categorized as mild, moderate, or severe based on the number of criteria met (B. Sadock, V. Sadock, & Ruiz,2015). Based on the criteria, those with AUD consume large amounts of alcohol over a period of time than intended and can include a range of symptoms which include cravings, tolerance, and withdrawal (APA, 2015).

1. Biological Factors: Factors related to genetics and physiology of the person. Some people can control the amount of alcohol intake, while others enjoy drinking that urge them to repeat the behavior, turning it a habit. Alcohol dependence may be connected to up to 51 genes in several chromosome regions. These genes may be inherited by later generations, making them prone to drinking problems.

The purpose of the article was to see whether or not alcoholism in women is genetic-based. Researchers were interested in seeing the extent to which alcoholism in females may be environmentally or genetically induced. Only one study, and that different to this, has been produced on the matter.

Alcoholism is a serious form of alcohol abuse, it is a form of chronic disease. Heavy consumption of the substance interferes with social and physical aspects of your life. The abuse of alcohol is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. More men than women are alcohol dependent or have alcohol problems. Nearly 14 million people in the United States are dependent on alcohol. Alcohol problems are highest among young adults ages 18-29 and lowest among adults ages 65 and older. It has effects like slower reaction times, problems with hearing and seeing.

The genetic markers can increase a persons addiction and make them susceptible to substance addiction, which will display through generation as an abusive behavior. Alcoholism has a dependency that effects the decision making and character of the individual, who is inflicted with the disorder. People dealing with substance abuse disorder generally have a dependency on drugs or substances and is unable to function properly without it. Since alcoholism can be hereditary, it can impact generations. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information it is proven to be hereditary, e.g., identical twins that are born to parents who are alcohol dependent are separated at birth and raise in a completely different environment will grow-up

Alcoholism may be a coping strategy or desperate attempt for self-medication. Alcohol abuse aggravates health and psychological conditions, such as anxiety and depression. Since alcoholics are more likely to suffer from depression, their drinking habits and mental health conditions from a vicious cycle that keeps getting worse. Therefore, alcoholism interferes with work, school and relationships.

What is alcoholism? Alcoholism is a chronic disease where a person becomes dependent on liquor. One in every twelve adults suffer from Alcoholism. Alcohol is one of the most abused substance in the United States. There are over 80,000 death in the United States due to excessive drinking. Alcoholism has many names two of the most common are Alcohol Use Disorder, and Alcohol Dependence Syndrome. A person who is dependent on alcohol is usually called an alcoholic.

Genetic factors play a major and very pertinent role in alcoholism. In actuality, genetic factors may account for half of the total risk for alcoholism. Alcoholism is such a complex disorder that a single gene is not likely to be the main culprit. However, researchers are investigating a number of inherited traits that make some individuals more susceptible to alcoholism than others. Some of the examples are listed below: