Genes determine almost all the features of the body, said Irina Kolesnikova, doctor of the Gemotest laboratory. They are programmed with the color of the eyes, and the length of the foot, and even the reaction to pain. Therefore, the tendency to certain addictions can also be hereditary. The only question is how big a role genetics plays in this.
In addition to heredity, addiction is influenced by a whole range of factors. These are lifestyle, habits of family members and environment, socio-economic status, traumatic events. But genes are not the last.
The formation of dependence is usually influenced by genes that code for the work of the main hormones of happiness: serotonin, dopamine and endorphin. For example, the genes ANKK1, COMT, OPRM1, DAT1. They are responsible for reward and pleasure, so if a person produces a lot of them, then the effect develops instantly. “In other words, people with certain variants of these genes get more pleasure from alcohol, caffeine or nicotine and suffer less from the consequences – for example, do not feel a hangover,” said the geneticist.
But a genetic predisposition does not mean that a person will begin to be drawn to drinking, cigarettes or gambling right from childhood. We must not forget about external factors – the habits of family members and the environment, whether a person is successful in life and whether he had any severe stressful situations.
Scientists have identified a number of genes responsible for a person’s response to alcohol. For example, the ADH1B and ALDH2 genes are responsible for the metabolism of ethyl alcohol in the body. Other alcohol-related genes are GABRA2, CHRM2, KCNJ6 and AUTS2. “If there are errors in them, then a person quickly gets drunk and may not experience a hangover. Combined with an environment or family that loves strong drinks, such a combo can play a decisive role in the formation of a persistent dependence on alcohol, ”summed up the expert.
Previously, the biologist called the main symptom of a real hangover – the desire of a person to urgently drink again in the morning.
