Alcohol addiction and psychiatric disorders with a common genetic basis

Research: Genetic basis of alcohol dependence is investigated

According to health experts, about 1.3 million people in Germany are considered to be alcohol-dependent. Usually, the alcohol develops addiction insidiously over many years. But what leads people to drink too much? As in scientific investigations showed that in some cases the genes responsible for it.

High alcohol consumption is endangering the health

Although it is known that a high alcohol consumption increases the risk for many diseases such as high blood pressure or fatty liver, drink the people in this country are above average in a lot of alcohol. Around 1.3 million people in Germany are actually regarded as alcohol dependent. However, as it comes to alcoholism? Swedish researchers found some years ago that alcohol-dependent, a particular enzyme to the control of their Addiction lacking. German scientists have now investigated the genetic basis of alcohol addiction.

If it is no longer without alcohol

“Alcohol dependency usually develops insidiously over many years,” writes the Federal centre for health education (BZgA) in your Portal to “know your Limit”.

“The signs of a pathological alcohol are visible but clear,” it says.

Symptoms of beginning of alcohol dependence common to Think of alcohol, increasing alcohol consumption, quarrels in the family, loss of efficiency, possible shortage of money and loss of enjoyment of life are thus.

“Who decides at an early stage, to take the issue of alcohol seriously, has a good chance to avoid dependency,” says the expert.

However, as it comes to the Addiction? In addition to various other causes, such as psychological and socio-cultural factors, but also the genes play a role here.

Links between alcohol dependence and psychiatric Disorders

The susceptibility of a people to be dependent on alcohol, is also heritable.

This is indeed long been known, however, only little is known about the genetic basis of alcohol dependence and their connection to other psychiatric disorders known.

A group of international scientists has now found, with the participation of researchers of the Central Institute of Mental health (ZI) in Mannheim for the first time, that significant genetic correlations between alcohol dependence and 17 different psychiatric Disorders.

As the ZI in a communication writes, including schizophrenia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Depression and the consumption of cigarettes and Cannabis.

The results were published in the scientific magazine “Nature Neuroscience”.

Data from almost 15,000 individuals analyzed

To reach their conclusions, the researchers, the largest genome-wide study in this field of research.

They analyzed genetic data from almost 15,000 people with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence and compared them with data from nearly 38,000 in healthy individuals.

The information, according to the data obtained from people from Europe and Africa.

Distinction between pathological and non-pathological drinking behavior

In addition, the scientists found that the genetic characteristics of alcohol dependence overlap only partially with those of alcohol consumption.

“This underscores the distinction between pathological and non-pathological drinking behavior,” said Professor Dr. Marcella Rietschel, Director of the Department of Genetic epidemiology in psychiatry, who was involved in the study.

“The results clearly show that the genetic approach is successful, clarify connections, which were previously suspected,” said Rietschel.

“Now, especially more detailed investigations of many of the patients are needed to determine exactly how genetic factors contribute to someone is dependent”, said Prof. Dr. Falk Kiefer, medical Director of the clinic for addictive behavior and addiction medicine at the ZI.

In this way, the researchers hope to find better ways to strengthen the resilience (resilience) of the Affected. (ad)