Alcoholism in Your Genes: New Brochure Summarizes Research Findings

Format: Brochure
Institute: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Research has shown conclusively that familial transmission of alcoholism risk is at least in part genetic and not just the result of family environment. The task of current science is to identify what a person inherits that increases vulnerability to alcoholism and how inherited factors interact with the environment to cause disease. This information will provide the basis for identifying people at risk and for developing behavioral and pharmacologic approaches to prevent and treat alcohol problems.

NIAAA has issued a new Alcohol Alert on this issue, titled The Genetics of Alcoholism. The Alcohol Alert series of periodic bulletins or brochures released by NIAAA gives timely, accurate, and concise research-based information.

In a commentary in the Alert, NIAAA Director Ting-Kai Li, M.D., writes, "Even from the first drink, individuals differ substantially in their response to alcohol. Genetics research is helping us understand how genes shape the metabolic and behavioral response to alcohol and what makes one person more vulnerable to addiction than another. An understanding of the genetic underpinnings of alcoholism can help us identify those at risk and, in the long term, provide the foundation for tailoring prevention and treatment according to the particular physiology of each individual."

Next Steps
The new brochure is free and available on NIAAA's Web site in HTML or as a PDF. It can also be ordered by mail. Visit www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa60.htm.