Researchers have found genetic variants in some people that may predispose to increased consumption of alcohol and tobacco.
The health dangers of alcohol and tobacco are no secret. Together responsible for 250 million deaths worldwide in 2015, they are also the cause of countless disorders and pathologies, as well as accelerated aging of the body.
But how to explain, when they are well aware of the risks involved, that some end up drinking and smoking all the same, then persist in their addictions? A new study in a very large number of people, conducted by international researchers, finds that certain genetic variants may predispose to increased consumption of alcohol and tobacco.
566 genetic variants discovered
In an article published in the journal Nature Genetics, the researchers explain that they have discovered “several genes associated with heavy consumption of alcohol and tobacco”. “We also studied the correlation between these genes and the risk of developing various diseases and disorders,” explains Professor Kristian Hveem from the HUNT Research Centre. He and his team used data from 1.2 million people collected in several previous studies that included different age groups, as well as “cultures with different attitudes towards drug use and different patterns of alcohol and nicotine consumption”.
By analyzing this data, the researchers discovered a total of 566 genetic variants from 406 different areas of human genetic material. All these variations are likely to be related to the use of alcohol or tobacco and 150 of these areas are related to their consumption. Among these genes, some are particularly involved in nicotinic, dopaminergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission. “Which, to some extent, can provide a biological explanation for the search for artificial stimuli,” explain the authors.
The latter have also found that these genetic modifications also predispose to certain pathologies. “The genetically predisposed to smoking study group was also genetically predisposed to a number of health conditions, including obesity, diabetes, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and various mental illnesses, so that the genetic risk of alcohol was associated with a lower risk of disease”, explains Dr Hveem. “This does not mean that increased alcohol consumption improves health, but indicates a complexity that needs to be further investigated.”
For researchers, this discovery opens up new perspectives in understanding addictions. They specify, however, that a genetic variant that predisposes a person to a certain trait need not be “expressed” or biologically active, which could depend on several factors. In addition, social conditions also influence the consumption of alcohol and tobacco, which makes it difficult to draw any definitive conclusions, they acknowledge.
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