alcoholism Archives | What is Epigenetics?

Low Levels of Alcohol Can Epigenetically Prime the Brain for Addiction

December 20, 2022 Natalie Crowley

Alcoholism is a disease that can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or body type. But, dependence on alcohol seems to vary from person to person. In some, it can develop quickly and aggressively, while in others, it may emerge over a longer period of time. What makes one more or less susceptible to alcohol is not fully understood. Yet, the reasons are credited to both environmental and biological factors, which are also implicated in epigenetic regulation. In some [more…]

Drinking Alcohol Epigenetically Harms Your Ability to Process Cholesterol

Could Drinking Alcohol Epigenetically Hamper Your Ability to Process Cholesterol?

October 17, 2017 Bailey Kirkpatrick

Scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Johns Hopkins Medicine worked together to analyze human and mouse epigenomes and discovered that drinking alcohol could lead to epigenetic changes that influence a particular gene’s ability to regulate cholesterol. The results suggest an underlying epigenetic mechanism known as DNA methylation could explain why someone’s body processes cholesterol differently depending on their drinking habits. It also offers unique insight into the effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs which are commonly used to reduce [more…]

Binge Drinking as a Teen May Epigenetically Harm the Health of Future Generations

December 6, 2016 Bailey Kirkpatrick

not only harms your brain and body, but may also epigenetically impact your future children, a new study reports. Excessive drinking in adolescents could turn genes on or off in their offspring’s brain, setting them up for susceptibility to certain diseases. The study, presented at the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting on Nov. 14, 2016, suggests that repeated episodes of excessive drinking when you’re young can actually put your future children at risk for developing disorders such as anxiety, depression, [more…]

dna methylation shows epigenetic preference for alcohol inheritance alcoholism

Dad’s Drinking Could Epigenetically Affect Son’s Sensitivity and Preference for Alcohol

June 18, 2014 Bailey Kirkpatrick

According to a new study from University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, a father’s excessive drinking behavior could set up his son for , even before conception. Results published in PLOS ONE demonstrate that mice show more sensitivity to alcohol’s effects and are less likely to drink it if their fathers were chronically exposed to the substance before mating. This recent animal study adds to the evidence linking heredity and the propensity for alcohol abuse. Previous studies support the inheritance of [more…]

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