(Todd Bates-Rutgers/ Futurity) — Binge and heavy drinking may trigger a long-lasting genetic change, resulting in an even greater craving for alcohol, according to 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,” says senior author Dipak K. Sarkar, a professor in and the director of the endocrine program in the animal sciences department at Rutgers University–New Brunswick.
“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.”
In 2016, more than 3 million people died from the harmful use of alcohol, according to a World Health Organization report. That’s 5 percent of all global deaths. More than three-quarters of alcohol-caused deaths were among men. The harmful use of alcohol also caused 5.1 percent of the worldwide toll of disease and injuries. (…)