Research conducted at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine found that certain individuals have genes that protect them from alcohol abuse. The study examined a dataset of over 3 million individuals from 23andMe and discovered that these protective genes also have associations with conditions and behaviors unrelated to alcohol.
Sanchez-Roige and Palmer highlighted that their group has had a 10-year partnership with 23andMe, focusing on various traits, particularly those related to addiction. This collaboration forms the foundation of an academic partnership.The data for this study was gathered through the 23andMe Research Program, where DNA analyses and survey responses from participants were used. It was discovered that individuals with alcohol-protecting alleles generally had better health, experiencing less chronic fatigue and needing less daily assistance. However, it was also found that these individuals had worse health outcomes in some areas, such as increased lifetime tobacco use.Increased emotional eating is linked to higher rates of Graves’ disease and hyperthyroidism. People with alcohol-protective genes also showed surprising differences, such as an increased risk of malaria, myopia, and various types of cancer, including skin and lung cancer, as well as an increased likelihood of experiencing migraines with aura.
Sanchez-Roige and her team recognized that their findings present a bit of a dilemma. For instance, cardiovascular disease is just one of many health issues that have been linked to alcohol consumption. “So does alcohol consumption cause these conditions?” she ponders. Palmer adds, “Or do these genetic variations impact certain traits that lead to these conditions?”Can alcohol consumption be linked to conditions like malaria and skin cancer independently?”
Sanchez-Roige explained that conducting wide-ranging, hypothesis-free studies is only feasible when researchers have access to extremely large sets of data. The study’s dataset, like many others, relies heavily on individuals with European ancestry.
“It’s crucial to involve individuals from diverse ancestral backgrounds in genetic studies as it leads to a more comprehensive understanding of the genetic underpinnings of alcohol behaviors and other conditions, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive and accurate comprehension of human health,” she said. “TheA research study involving a single group of genetically similar individuals, such as those with shared European ancestry, may exacerbate health inequalities by facilitating findings that primarily benefit only that specific population. The study also presents various opportunities for future research to investigate potential links between the protective alleles related to alcohol and conditions seemingly unrelated to alcohol consumption. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of these effects could have significant implications for treatments and preventive medicine, according to co-author Sanchez-Roige.The authors of the paper are Mariela V. Jennings, Natasia S. Courchesne-Krak, Renata B. Cupertino and Sevim B. Bianchi from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry. Sandra Sanchez-Roige is also affiliated with the Department of Medicine, Division of Genetic Medicine at Vanderbilt University.
Additional co-authors include: José Jaime MartÃnez-Magaña from the Department of Psychiatry, Division of Human Genetics at Yale University School of Medicine; Laura Vilar-Ribó from the Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction at Vall d’Hebron Research Institute, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona,Spain; Alexander S. Hatoum, Department of Psychology & Brain Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis; Elizabeth G. Atkinson, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine; Paola Giusti-Rodriguez, Department of Psychiatry at University of Florida College of Medicine; Janitza L. Montalvo-Ortiz, Department of Psychiatry at Division of Human Genetics at Yale University School of Medicine and National Center of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder at VA CT Healthcare Center; Joel Gelernter, VA CT Healthcare Center, Department of Psychiatry in West Haven CT; and Departments of Psychiatry, Genetics & Neuroscience at Yale University School of Medicine.Medicina; MarÃa Soler Artigas, Unidad de Genética Psiquiátrica, Grupo de PsiquiatrÃa, Salud Mental y Adicciones, Instituto de Investigación Vall d’Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España; Departamento de Salud Mental, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid; y Departamento de Genética, MicrobiologÃa y EstadÃstica, Facultad de BiologÃa, Universitat de Barcelona; Howard J. Edenberg, Departamento de BioquÃmica y BiologÃa Molecular, Escuela de Medicina de la Universidad de Indiana; y el Equipo de Investigación de 23andMe Inc., incluidos Sarah L. Elson y Pierre Fontanillas.
The research was partly supported by grants T32IR5226 and 28IR-0070 from the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program, as well as by grants from the National Institute of Health (NIH) National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) DP1DA054394, and NIH National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) R25MH081482.
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