Blue Eyes Linked To Higher Risk Of Alcohol Dependence In New Study

Blue eyes also correlate with other attributes, including lower pain tolerance and higher competitiveness, reports Medical Daily. A new study out of the University of Vermont suggests that the link not only exists, but it appears to be a genetic one. This research, spearheaded by Arvis Sulovari (a graduate of the Dartmouth Class of 2010), is critical because it is the first to make a direct connection between a person’s eye color and alcohol dependence (2). Light-eyed individuals have been found to drink more alcohol than dark-eyed people in samples of European-ancestry males and females (1). Northern Europeans might have evolved light eye traits as an adaption to darker environments because lighter eyes provide a greater sensitivity to light (1).

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Wild chimpanzees regularly drink alcohol, scientists find We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. In addition to being the founding and chief medical director at The Recovery Village, he is also the medical director at The Recovery Village Ridgefield and at The Recovery Village Palmer Lake. However, this fusion also introduces chelseas house sober living new complexities that must be carefully managed to ensure ethical and effective use of such powerful tools. Innovations like CRISPR technology are beginning to overcome these roadblocks, allowing genes to be activated in more accessible cells like skin or blood.

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A mutation near the OCA2 gene on chromosome 15 may increase alcohol tolerance, leading to a higher risk of excessive drinking. While the exact mechanisms remain unclear, several factors contribute to alcohol tolerance and sensitivity variants. This could explain the higher risk of alcoholism observed in blue-eyed individuals, particularly those of European ancestry. The chromosomal coupling of a blue-eyed variant of the OCA2 gene and an alcohol-tolerant variant of the GABRG3 gene has been maintained in most descendants of the first blue-eyed human.

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• Additionally, the GABA receptor gene family, which is involved in nerve cell function, may have variants that decrease sensitivity to alcohol, raising the risk of excessive consumption and dependency.
• “There are many genes, and there are many environmental triggers.”
• For instance, individuals of European ancestry with light-coloured eyes tend to have lower alcohol tolerance and a higher risk of alcohol use disorder.
• Comprehensive evaluations to determine diagnosis, treatment recommendations with appropriate level of care, fitness for returning to practice, and timeline for potential return.
• Furthermore, genetic factors prevalent in specific populations may contribute to varying alcohol tolerance levels.

The exploration of the connection between eye color, particularly blue eyes, and alcoholism opens new avenues for genetic research in addiction studies. This week, researchers from the University of Vermont published a study in which they identify eye colors as an indicator for how to identify liberty caps alcoholism—people with light-colored eyes, especially those with blue eyes, had higher incidences of alcohol dependency than their dark-eyed peers. Factors beyond genetics, including environmental, cultural, and psychological influences, must be carefully examined to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between eye color and alcoholism. The prevalence of blue eyes in certain populations may coincide with alcoholism rates for reasons unrelated to genetics, potentially leading to erroneous conclusions.

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Those who have a more efficient metabolism experience a faster decline in blood alcohol concentration (BAC), giving them a higher tolerance. In a physiological sense, there are two types of tolerance to alcohol, one of which is metabolic tolerance. For example, people of Asian descent tend to have a higher sensitivity to the effects of alcohol, whereas people of Caucasian descent have a lower sensitivity.

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Our wide-range of medical and psychiatric services help evaluate how drug addiction and alcoholism has affected your physical and mental health. In a press release, researcher Dawei Li admits that “we still don’t know the reason,” but they’ve discovered that the genes that determine eye color sit right next to the genes linked to alcoholism on the very same chromosome. The study found that European-Americans with light-colored eyes — colors like gray, green, and brown in the center — have higher rates of alcohol dependency than those with darker-colored eyes. Their results suggest that blue eye color, compared to grey, green, and brown eye color, is the most likely risk factor for alcohol dependency among people of European descent (1). They ran multiple genetic tests to search for protein-protein interactions between the genes that code for eye color and alcohol dependency (1). This study hypothesized that light-eyed people have a higher widespread incidence of alcohol dependency than dark-eyed individuals of European American descent.

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• Everyone’s path to recovery looks different, and what works for one person may not work for another.
• Alcohol use disorder frequently co-occurs with other mental health disorders, and these conditions may develop simultaneously or sequentially.
• By contrast, dark-eyed individuals seem to have a higher tolerance for alcohol consumption.
• Mountainside’s addiction treatment Detox program combines medical best practices with a holistic approach to deliver a carefully designed and personalized plan tailored to your specific needs.
• In a press release, researcher Dawei Li admits that “we still don’t know the reason,” but they’ve discovered that the genes that determine eye color sit right next to the genes linked to alcoholism on the very same chromosome.
• While blue-eyed individuals may have a higher risk for alcoholism, it is not deterministic.

Several studies have found a correlation between blue eyes and alcoholism, suggesting that people with blue eyes may have a higher alcohol tolerance and an increased risk of alcohol use disorder (AUD). That study suggested the higher consumption was linked with greater alcohol tolerance among people with light eyes. The University of Vermont’s study highlighted a correlation between light-colored eyes and alcoholism, with a particular focus on blue eyes. It correlates a connection between people with dark eyes and a high alcohol tolerance, and people with blue eyes and a low alcohol tolerance. The link between blue eyes and alcohol tolerance may be due to a mutation in the GABRG3 gene, which is located near the OCA2 gene, which plays a major role in eye colour.

The OCA2 gene’s role in determining eye color, mainly through regulating melanin in the iris, is well-documented. However, the complexity of genetic research, including factors such as assortative mating and shared environment effects, often challenges the validity of such findings. Twin studies are particularly valuable in disentangling the influence of genetics and environment on such traits. The heritability of AUD is estimated to be around 40%, suggesting that genetics plays a significant role in the risk of developing this condition. It’s important to note that the prediction of eye color is not straightforward due to the complex interplay of the genes involved.

This is supported by research conducted by the University of Vermont, which found that individuals with light-coloured eyes may exhibit different alcohol tolerance levels compared to those with dark eyes. Environmental, cultural, and other biological factors also play a role in alcohol tolerance and addiction susceptibility. Studies from institutions like Georgia State University suggest that genetic factors prevalent in European populations may contribute to varying alcohol tolerance levels. The correlation between light eyes and alcohol tolerance is particularly notable in populations with a higher prevalence of light-eyed individuals, such as those of European ancestry. Research has indicated a potential link between eye colour and alcohol tolerance, with light-eyed individuals consuming significantly more alcohol than those with dark eyes.

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These variants were found in genes involved in brain functions, such as ZNF184 in the hypothalamus and MTCH2 in the nucleus accumbens. Li told HuffPost that the next step is to try and replicate the study’s results. Li co-led the study with Ph.D. student Arvis Sulovari. Could a potential sign of alcohol dependence be lurking in your reflection? Researchers are finally starting to suss out which genes are connected to which diseases, but it’s not an easy task. To explore additional treatment options, you can view editorially selected providers on our site or visit the SAMHSA Treatment Locator.

Melanin is the substance in our bodies that controls the pigment of our hair, skin, or eyes. These people can have less of a tendency toward alcohol use disorder. Once the team recognized an eye color connection, they reanalyzed their data three times, comparing the participants’ age, gender and differences in backgrounds and locations.

Skepticism Around the Eye Color-Alcoholism Link

This creates a tolerance that turns into a physical and psychological dependency on alcohol, a.k.a. an addiction. In it, they observed one sample set of women with dark eyes who drank an average of 4.91 drinks in one month, while females with lighter eyes drank 5.78 drinks. Although we learn from a young age that excessive alcohol use is dangerous for your health, researchers are slowly discovering that alcohol abuse may be an illness that not all people can easily fend off. “This suggests an intriguing possibility—that eye color can be useful in the clinic for alcohol dependence diagnosis,” says lead researcher Arvis Sulovari.

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With the identification of genetic risk factors, there is potential for developing genetic risk prediction scores (GRPS) that could help in understanding individual susceptibilities to alcoholism. For prospective parents curious about the potential eye color of their offspring, tools like baby genetics calculators can provide statistical probabilities based on Mendelian genetics. The genetics of eye color are can drug dogs detect nicotine far more complex than previously thought, with recent research revealing the involvement of multiple genes. A Georgia State University published in 2000 found that people with light-colored eyes “consumed significantly more alcohol” than their dark-eyed peers. But if you’re concerned about the genes behind alcoholism, for now you might do better to consider your own family history of alcoholism than your eye color.

If you have blue eyes, you’re at an even higher risk of abusing alcohol because of your light color. Is it mere coincidence, or do people with blue eyes really run a higher risk of being alcoholics? The strongest correlation was among blue-eyed individuals, but all people with light-colored eyes (that is, green, grey and brown in the center) turned out to be more alcohol dependent than those with dark brown eyes. Blue-eyed people might have a greater chance of becoming alcoholics, while people with dark eyes are more alcohol-resistant, US genetic researchers have learned.