Alcohol intake related to genetic make-up

British scientists say they have pinpointed the gene that regulates alcoholic consumption levels. The discovery may give clues as to why some people drink more alcohol than others on a physiological as well as behavioural level. The researchers hope the finding will aid further research to help force alcohol abuse off the list of top UK killers.

Globally, alcohol abuse kills more than 2.5 million deaths annually, according to the World Health Organisation.

The gene, known as AUTS2, has in the past been associated with attention deficit disorder and different forms of autism, but may also play a part in resistance levels to alcoholic consumption.

The team took DNA samples from 47,000 volunteers in order to assess which gene patterns affect consumption levels. Those with lower consumption levels had more activity in the version of the gene, where it was present.

Although the research looks to have some significance those directly involved in the study were hesitant to promote it until further neurological investigations are carried out.

“Of course there are a lot of factors that affect how much alcohol a person drinks, but we know…that genes play an important role,” said Paul Elliott of Imperial College London, who was part of the team conducting the study. Others heralded the finding as a mammoth step in the prevention and treatment of alcohol abuse.

In another part of the study, different tests showed that by blocking the fruit fly version of the same strain of the gene made the flies less sensitive to alcohol, suggesting that AUTS2 may be involved in alcohol regulation in different species.