According to The Los Angeles Times Scientists have identified a gene that appears to play a role in regulating how much alcohol people drink and say their finding could help the search for more effective treatments for alcoholism and binge drinking.
In a study of more than 47,000 people, an international team of scientists found that people who have a rarer version of a gene called AUTS2 drink on average 5 percent less alcohol than people with the more common version.
The AUTS2 gene, also known as called “autism susceptibility candidate 2″ has previously been linked to autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but its actual function is not clear, the researchers said.
“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.
“The difference this particular gene makes is only small, but by finding it we’ve opened up a new area of research.”
According to the World Health Organization, harmful use of alcohol results in 2.5 million deaths a year globally.
Excessive alcohol consumption is proven to have unpleasant long-term effects on a persons appearance. Dr. O’Toole explains to his patients that taking care of your body includes making good lifestyle choices. These include alcohol as well as cigarette smoking. Skincare is a basic necessity for maintaining your best appearance. Injectables such as Botox help to reduce the appearance of wrinkles on the forehead as well as around the eyes. Patients should always be mindful of maintaining their most youthful appearance.
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