Heavy and binge drinking may boost desire for alcohol: studyFebruary 13, 2019 - 13:58 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Binge and heavy drinking may trigger DNA changes that make your booze cravings worse, UPI reports citing a new study. "We found that people who drink heavily may be changing their DNA in a way that makes them crave alcohol even more," said senior study author Dipak Sarkar. He directs the endocrine program in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. Sarkar and his team focused on two genes that play a role in controlling drinking: PER2, which influences the body's biological clock, and POMC, which regulates the stress-response system. The researchers found that in binge and heavy drinkers, the two genes had changes caused by an alcohol-influenced gene modification process called methylation. The binge and heavy drinkers also had reductions in gene expression, which is the rate at which the two genes create proteins. These changes in the two genes increased with alcohol intake, according to the study. The researchers also found that the alcohol-triggered changes in the two genes of binge and heavy drinkers were associated with a greater craving for alcohol. "This may help explain why alcoholism is such a powerful addiction, and may one day contribute to new ways to treat alcoholism or help prevent at-risk people from becoming addicted," Sarkar said in a Rutgers news release. The findings may also help researchers identify proteins or genes that could predict a person's risk for binge or heavy drinking," Sarkar added. There were more than 3 million alcohol-related deaths worldwide in 2016, which was 5 percent of all deaths globally, according to the World Health Organization. Harmful use of alcohol was also linked with about 5 percent of disease and injuries worldwide. The study was published recently in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. Aram I supports Karekin II’s “patriotic position” Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I has expressed support for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. |