According to a recent study, the use of genetic tests could improve the prevention and treatment of alcoholism by allowing a better assessment of individual risk.
- Using genetic test results could help improve alcoholism prevention and treatment strategies, according to a study conducted by Rutgers University.
- The majority of participants said they would adjust their behaviors, such as reducing their alcohol consumption, if their scores showed a high risk for addiction.
- However, the researchers caution that genetic testing only provides an indication of risk and should not be used as the sole method of prevention.
Alcoholism is a major public health problem worldwide. Identifying people at high risk of developing addiction could help prevent disease before it takes hold. Genetic testing could be one way to achieve this, according to research presented in the journal American Journal of Medical Genetics.
Genetic risk of alcoholism: they are well understood for the general public
The Rutgers University scientists who worked on this study recruited 325 students. They provided them with different levels of information about alcohol use disorders and how genetics affect the risk of addiction. They then asked them how they would react when they learned that they had high, medium and low genetic tendencies towards alcoholism. The majority of participants said they would adjust their behaviors, such as reducing their alcohol consumption, if their genetic scores showed a high risk for addiction.
“Understanding of the test results was high. Psychological distress (linked to the discovery of risk, editor’s note) remained at manageable levels. The vast majority of individuals indicated that they would take steps to reduce their risk if they learned that they were at high genetic risk and, fortunately, there was no indication that people would interpret low risk scores as an invitation to take fewer precautions”explains Danielle Dick, author of this work, in a press release taken up by Neuroscience News.
Addiction: the results of the genetic test are not enough on their own
Genetic risk scores could be particularly useful in situations where there is a family history of addiction. By incorporating these risk scores into future addiction prevention strategies, healthcare professionals could provide advice and targeted help to people at high risk, as well as improve the effectiveness of treatments. However, it is important to note that genetic testing only provides an indication of risk and should not be used as the sole method of prevention or treatment.
Indeed, on other health aspects, it has been observed that knowing your risks is not always enough to change your habits. “Early studies suggest that receiving information about these genetic risks for heart disease, lung cancer and diabetes does not influence people to change their behavior. Getting people to change their behavior is difficult”warns the expert. “Giving them good risk information is just the first step. Then we need to connect individuals to resources and support to help them reduce risk. That’s what my team is working on right now: helping people to understand their risk of addiction, how they can reduce this risk and avoid developing problems”concludes Danielle Dick.