What do alcoholism and pathological gluttony have in common?
Alcoholism and gluttony should be treated together
Alcoholism and eating disorder (bulimia) are associated with the same genesNadezhda Markina, <url>
It is not surprising that people, especially women, who at some point in their lives become addicted to alcohol, begin to suffer from eating disorders. The latter include bulimia – attacks of uncontrolled gluttony, followed, as a rule, by attempts to cleanse the stomach and intestines of eaten food by causing vomiting or taking laxatives. Some world-famous movie and show business stars, such as Elizabeth Taylor, have gone through such periods.
Previous studies also confirm that there is a link between alcohol addiction and eating disorders. So, among women treated for alcohol dependence, 36% of patients suffered from bulimia, and among women with eating disorders of the bulimia-vomiting type, from 22% to 35% of patients had alcohol dependence. This is much more than the population average, and more than is observed among women with anorexia (9%).
Both alcohol dependence and eating disorders are largely inherited; the genetic contribution to these disorders is estimated at 50-74% for alcoholism and 28-83% for bulimia.
"This confirms the idea that there are common genes associated with both one and the other pathology," says Melissa Munn–Chernoff of Washington University Medical Center in St. Louis, lead author of the study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs (A Twin Study of Alcohol Dependence, Binge Eating, and Compensatory Behaviors, in open access; the results of the work are popularly presented in a press release from Washington University in St. Louis: Alcohol abuse, eating disorders share genetic link - VM).
The study was conducted in collaboration with colleagues from Australia (Institute of Medical Research in Queensland). Experts took data on 5,993 Australian twins, identical and fraternal, same-sex and heterosexual. They used the classic twin method, which is usually used to quantify the degree of inheritance of a particular trait. Identical twins have identical genes, and fraternal twins are no more genetically similar to each other than ordinary brothers and sisters. Thus, by comparing the generality of the manifestation of a trait in one and other twins, it is possible to calculate to what extent it is determined by genes, and to what extent by the environment.
To identify alcohol dependence and eating disorders, scientists used specialized questionnaires. Alcohol dependence was detected in 24% of men and 6% of women from the database of subjects. Almost 11% of men and 13% of women experienced periodic bouts of bulimia. About 14% of women resorted to various tactics of releasing the stomach from food (what experts call compensatory behavior). For some reason, men were not asked about this.
The researchers tested different genetic models suggesting separate and common inheritance of the studied disorders. They revealed a high degree of genetic correlations between alcohol dependence and bulimia and between alcohol dependence and compensatory eating behavior (vomiting, laxatives). In women, these genetic correlations are higher than in men.
It is still unclear to scientists which specific genes are involved in the development of alcohol and food addiction at the same time. Finding out this should be the subject of a separate study.
There are certain periods in life when genetic risks are more likely to manifest themselves. Thus, it has been shown that puberty in girls increases the likelihood of eating disorders and alcohol dependence. On the other hand, early menopause in women can provoke bulimia and alcohol abuse. In either case, a psychological state can provoke pathology.
At the same time, it is obvious that the role of external factors, such as difficult life circumstances, which can push a person to alcoholism and to "jamming" problems, is also great. So you can't just blame everything on genes.
The researchers emphasize that the results they obtained are important to take into account when referring patients to the clinic. "We need to realize that these problems can occur simultaneously in both women and men," says Melissa Munn-Chernoff.
If at some point a person becomes addicted to alcohol, you need to find out if he is also experiencing an eating disorder. Conversely, when bouts of bulimia appear, attention should be paid to the patient's attitude to alcohol. Accordingly, it is necessary to treat these health problems in a complex. The better we understand their mechanism, the sooner we will cure them.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru21.08.2013