Some people can drink a lot of alcohol without becoming addicted, and specific genes may help explain why, researchers say.In a new study of Australian twins, scientists found that separate genes appear to be responsible, to some degree, for dependence on alcohol -- addiction -- and how much people drink. Understanding how these genetic factors work together should give researchers more insight into treatment of alcoholism in its various forms, said study co-author John B. Whitfield, a researcher at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Australia.Alcoholism and alcohol consumption may appear to be similar, but researchers are increasingly studying them separately. Consumption refers to the amount of alcohol that someone drinks, while addiction refers to a person’s inability to go without a drink. “The transition from social alcohol consumption to alcohol dependence is a gradual process, and it is often hard to notice it,” said Dr. Alexei B. Kampov-Polevoi, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. “As a result, many alcoholics and their family members continue to think that a person ‘just drinks too much’ while this person already developed alcohol dependence and requires treatment."Whitfield and his colleagues examined statistics about alcohol use from three studies of Australian twins completed between 1980 and 1995. The number of twins in the studies declined from 8,184 in 1980 to 3,378 in 1995.The findings appear in the August issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
