Current Psychiatry Vol. 7, No. 3 / March 2008
Children of alcoholics have a 40% to 60% increased risk of developing severe alcohol-related problems1—a harsh legacy recognized for >30 years. Now, as the result of rapidly growing evidence, we can explain in greater detail why alcoholism runs in families when discussing alcohol dependence with patients.
Individuals vary in response to medications and substances of abuse, and genetic research is revealing the heritable origins. Numerous genetic variations are known to influence response to alcohol, as well as alcoholism’s pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and treatment. Pieces are still missing from this complex picture, but investigators are identifying possible risk factors for alcoholism and matching potential responders with treatments such as naltrexone and acamprosate.
This article provides a progress report on contemporary genetic research of alcoholism. Our goal is to inform your clinical practice by describing:
new understandings of the genetics of alcoholism
how researchers identify relationships between genetic variations and clinical/behavioral phenomena
practical implications of this knowledge.
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