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Bristol/Oxford (pte018/17.03.2005/11:00) - Genes could influence the amount of alcohol a person drinks, a new study suggests. As the BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk reports, researchers from the Universities of Bristol http://www.bristol.ac.uk and Oxford http://www.ox.ac.uk found that drinking habits and possibly a person's susceptibility to addiction may be related to their genetic make-up. "Understanding genetic influences is important if we are to understand why some people are more likely to become addicted," said a spokesman.
The researchers analysed data from almost 1,000 people who gave detailed information on their drinking habits. The research focused on a key gene that controls chemical signalling in the brain. Different versions of this gene may affect the balance and effect of signalling molecules and in turn help shape individual drinking habits. It is still unknown by scientists precisely why particular genetic variants may influence behaviour, but they have a few ideas.
The British scientists found that one particular variant, known as DRD2, was strongly associated with alcohol consumption. The DRD2 gene appears to influence the "high" that people get from drugs such as alcohol. It is thought that those without this variant might derive less pleasure from alcohol, and therefore drink less.
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