OT – Alcoholism and Addiction

[NotCranky]

[quote=ocrenter][quote=Rustico]OCR, What is the highest occurrence of multi-factorial disease that is not alcoholism?[/quote]

most diseases out there are multi-factorial. it is extremely rare to have a disease coming from a specific cause or specific genetic mutation.[/quote]

Playing devils advocate and fishing for the for the frequency of other “multi-factorial” diseases in families. The occurrence is extremely high for combination of alcoholics, chain smoking, drug addicts, eating disorders etc. in the same family. We see things like cleft pallate occuring but much less frequently. We even see entire sibling groups as serious alcoholics pretty often. I am not sure but, I don’t think even asthma afflicts whole families nearly as often as these substance problems? What is the explanation?

[NotCranky]

JP,

This in in one of ZK’s links,
So I guess the debate on liver enzymes is still open?

One well–characterized relationship between genes and alcoholism is the result of variation in the liver enzymes that metabolize (break down) alcohol. By speeding up the metabolism of alcohol to a toxic intermediate, acetaldehyde, or slowing down the conversion of acetaldehyde to acetate, genetic variants in the enzymes alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) or aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) raise the level of acetaldehyde after drinking, causing symptoms that include flushing, nausea, and rapid heartbeat. The genes for these enzymes and the alleles, or gene variants, that alter alcohol metabolism have been identified. Genes associated with flushing are more common among Asian populations than other ethnic groups, and the rates of drinking and alcoholism are correspondingly lower among Asian populations (8,9).

http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa60.htm
Count up the instances of non-committal bet hedging language in the government report on proof of a genetic link. That alone fuels skepticism, especially in light of all the “take backs” of previous proofs, and how badly they were on the housing bubble.

[NotCranky]

JP,

This in in one of ZK’s links,
So I guess the debate on liver enzymes is still open?

One well–characterized relationship between genes and alcoholism is the result of variation in the liver enzymes that metabolize (break down) alcohol. By speeding up the metabolism of alcohol to a toxic intermediate, acetaldehyde, or slowing down the conversion of acetaldehyde to acetate, genetic variants in the enzymes alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) or aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) raise the level of acetaldehyde after drinking, causing symptoms that include flushing, nausea, and rapid heartbeat. The genes for these enzymes and the alleles, or gene variants, that alter alcohol metabolism have been identified. Genes associated with flushing are more common among Asian populations than other ethnic groups, and the rates of drinking and alcoholism are correspondingly lower among Asian populations (8,9).

http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa60.htm
Count up the instances of non-committal bet hedging language in the government report on proof of a genetic link. That alone fuels skepticism, especially in light of all the “take backs” of previous proofs, and how badly they were on the housing bubble.

[NotCranky]

JP,

This in in one of ZK’s links,
So I guess the debate on liver enzymes is still open?

One well–characterized relationship between genes and alcoholism is the result of variation in the liver enzymes that metabolize (break down) alcohol. By speeding up the metabolism of alcohol to a toxic intermediate, acetaldehyde, or slowing down the conversion of acetaldehyde to acetate, genetic variants in the enzymes alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) or aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) raise the level of acetaldehyde after drinking, causing symptoms that include flushing, nausea, and rapid heartbeat. The genes for these enzymes and the alleles, or gene variants, that alter alcohol metabolism have been identified. Genes associated with flushing are more common among Asian populations than other ethnic groups, and the rates of drinking and alcoholism are correspondingly lower among Asian populations (8,9).

http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa60.htm
Count up the instances of non-committal bet hedging language in the government report on proof of a genetic link. That alone fuels skepticism, especially in light of all the “take backs” of previous proofs, and how badly they were on the housing bubble.

[NotCranky]

JP,

This in in one of ZK’s links,
So I guess the debate on liver enzymes is still open?

One well–characterized relationship between genes and alcoholism is the result of variation in the liver enzymes that metabolize (break down) alcohol. By speeding up the metabolism of alcohol to a toxic intermediate, acetaldehyde, or slowing down the conversion of acetaldehyde to acetate, genetic variants in the enzymes alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) or aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) raise the level of acetaldehyde after drinking, causing symptoms that include flushing, nausea, and rapid heartbeat. The genes for these enzymes and the alleles, or gene variants, that alter alcohol metabolism have been identified. Genes associated with flushing are more common among Asian populations than other ethnic groups, and the rates of drinking and alcoholism are correspondingly lower among Asian populations (8,9).

http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa60.htm
Count up the instances of non-committal bet hedging language in the government report on proof of a genetic link. That alone fuels skepticism, especially in light of all the “take backs” of previous proofs, and how badly they were on the housing bubble.

[NotCranky]

JP,

This in in one of ZK’s links,
So I guess the debate on liver enzymes is still open?

One well–characterized relationship between genes and alcoholism is the result of variation in the liver enzymes that metabolize (break down) alcohol. By speeding up the metabolism of alcohol to a toxic intermediate, acetaldehyde, or slowing down the conversion of acetaldehyde to acetate, genetic variants in the enzymes alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) or aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) raise the level of acetaldehyde after drinking, causing symptoms that include flushing, nausea, and rapid heartbeat. The genes for these enzymes and the alleles, or gene variants, that alter alcohol metabolism have been identified. Genes associated with flushing are more common among Asian populations than other ethnic groups, and the rates of drinking and alcoholism are correspondingly lower among Asian populations (8,9).

http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa60.htm
Count up the instances of non-committal bet hedging language in the government report on proof of a genetic link. That alone fuels skepticism, especially in light of all the “take backs” of previous proofs, and how badly they were on the housing bubble.

[ocrenter]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=briansd1]. . . I think it’s good advice but he won’t see anybody where there’s a record that can resurface later.

Security screening can uncover medical records and affect his job. [/quote]

brian, your friend can see a mental health professional, attend rehab and detox and/or obtain hypnosis or other treatment on his own on the sly as long as he is able to pay for it and thus keep it out of the “big insurance computer in the sky.”

He just has to save up at least a month of annual leave (if he doesn’t already have 4-6 weeks “on the books”), put in for it and tell his co-workers he’s going on vacation. No one would be the wiser :=]

Celebrities and politicians do this all the time.[/quote]

there are tons of psychiatrist or psychologist that see patients on cash basis. these are unlikely to be discoverable.

[ocrenter]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=briansd1]. . . I think it’s good advice but he won’t see anybody where there’s a record that can resurface later.

Security screening can uncover medical records and affect his job. [/quote]

brian, your friend can see a mental health professional, attend rehab and detox and/or obtain hypnosis or other treatment on his own on the sly as long as he is able to pay for it and thus keep it out of the “big insurance computer in the sky.”

He just has to save up at least a month of annual leave (if he doesn’t already have 4-6 weeks “on the books”), put in for it and tell his co-workers he’s going on vacation. No one would be the wiser :=]

Celebrities and politicians do this all the time.[/quote]

there are tons of psychiatrist or psychologist that see patients on cash basis. these are unlikely to be discoverable.

[ocrenter]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=briansd1]. . . I think it’s good advice but he won’t see anybody where there’s a record that can resurface later.

Security screening can uncover medical records and affect his job. [/quote]

brian, your friend can see a mental health professional, attend rehab and detox and/or obtain hypnosis or other treatment on his own on the sly as long as he is able to pay for it and thus keep it out of the “big insurance computer in the sky.”

He just has to save up at least a month of annual leave (if he doesn’t already have 4-6 weeks “on the books”), put in for it and tell his co-workers he’s going on vacation. No one would be the wiser :=]

Celebrities and politicians do this all the time.[/quote]

there are tons of psychiatrist or psychologist that see patients on cash basis. these are unlikely to be discoverable.

[ocrenter]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=briansd1]. . . I think it’s good advice but he won’t see anybody where there’s a record that can resurface later.

Security screening can uncover medical records and affect his job. [/quote]

brian, your friend can see a mental health professional, attend rehab and detox and/or obtain hypnosis or other treatment on his own on the sly as long as he is able to pay for it and thus keep it out of the “big insurance computer in the sky.”

He just has to save up at least a month of annual leave (if he doesn’t already have 4-6 weeks “on the books”), put in for it and tell his co-workers he’s going on vacation. No one would be the wiser :=]

Celebrities and politicians do this all the time.[/quote]

there are tons of psychiatrist or psychologist that see patients on cash basis. these are unlikely to be discoverable.

[ocrenter]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=briansd1]. . . I think it’s good advice but he won’t see anybody where there’s a record that can resurface later.

Security screening can uncover medical records and affect his job. [/quote]

brian, your friend can see a mental health professional, attend rehab and detox and/or obtain hypnosis or other treatment on his own on the sly as long as he is able to pay for it and thus keep it out of the “big insurance computer in the sky.”

He just has to save up at least a month of annual leave (if he doesn’t already have 4-6 weeks “on the books”), put in for it and tell his co-workers he’s going on vacation. No one would be the wiser :=]

Celebrities and politicians do this all the time.[/quote]

there are tons of psychiatrist or psychologist that see patients on cash basis. these are unlikely to be discoverable.

[ocrenter]

[quote=Rustico][quote=ocrenter][quote=Rustico]OCR, What is the highest occurrence of multi-factorial disease that is not alcoholism?[/quote]

most diseases out there are multi-factorial. it is extremely rare to have a disease coming from a specific cause or specific genetic mutation.[/quote]

Playing devils advocate and fishing for the for the frequency of other “multi-factorial” diseases in families. The occurrence is extremely high for combination of alcoholics, chain smoking, drug addicts, eating disorders etc. in the same family. We see things like cleft pallate occuring but much less frequently. We even see entire sibling groups as serious alcoholics pretty often. I am not sure but, I don’t think even asthma afflicts whole families nearly as often as these substance problems? What is the explanation?[/quote]

mood disorders tend to run in families as well. and families filled with folks with “issues” tend to be more stressful. these folks are also more likely to abuse and find ways to self-medicate. then you have the fact that addictive personalities are likely to run in families too.

but then so does hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, colon cancer… all of these are extremely common problems that can run in families but are still very much multi-factorial.

let’s face it, “poly-genetic and multi-factorial” is more the rule rather than the exception. Just like in this world, “shades of gray” is more the rule rather than “black vs white.”

[ocrenter]

[quote=Rustico][quote=ocrenter][quote=Rustico]OCR, What is the highest occurrence of multi-factorial disease that is not alcoholism?[/quote]

most diseases out there are multi-factorial. it is extremely rare to have a disease coming from a specific cause or specific genetic mutation.[/quote]

Playing devils advocate and fishing for the for the frequency of other “multi-factorial” diseases in families. The occurrence is extremely high for combination of alcoholics, chain smoking, drug addicts, eating disorders etc. in the same family. We see things like cleft pallate occuring but much less frequently. We even see entire sibling groups as serious alcoholics pretty often. I am not sure but, I don’t think even asthma afflicts whole families nearly as often as these substance problems? What is the explanation?[/quote]

mood disorders tend to run in families as well. and families filled with folks with “issues” tend to be more stressful. these folks are also more likely to abuse and find ways to self-medicate. then you have the fact that addictive personalities are likely to run in families too.

but then so does hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, colon cancer… all of these are extremely common problems that can run in families but are still very much multi-factorial.

let’s face it, “poly-genetic and multi-factorial” is more the rule rather than the exception. Just like in this world, “shades of gray” is more the rule rather than “black vs white.”

[ocrenter]

[quote=Rustico][quote=ocrenter][quote=Rustico]OCR, What is the highest occurrence of multi-factorial disease that is not alcoholism?[/quote]

most diseases out there are multi-factorial. it is extremely rare to have a disease coming from a specific cause or specific genetic mutation.[/quote]

Playing devils advocate and fishing for the for the frequency of other “multi-factorial” diseases in families. The occurrence is extremely high for combination of alcoholics, chain smoking, drug addicts, eating disorders etc. in the same family. We see things like cleft pallate occuring but much less frequently. We even see entire sibling groups as serious alcoholics pretty often. I am not sure but, I don’t think even asthma afflicts whole families nearly as often as these substance problems? What is the explanation?[/quote]

mood disorders tend to run in families as well. and families filled with folks with “issues” tend to be more stressful. these folks are also more likely to abuse and find ways to self-medicate. then you have the fact that addictive personalities are likely to run in families too.

but then so does hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, colon cancer… all of these are extremely common problems that can run in families but are still very much multi-factorial.

let’s face it, “poly-genetic and multi-factorial” is more the rule rather than the exception. Just like in this world, “shades of gray” is more the rule rather than “black vs white.”

[ocrenter]

[quote=Rustico][quote=ocrenter][quote=Rustico]OCR, What is the highest occurrence of multi-factorial disease that is not alcoholism?[/quote]

most diseases out there are multi-factorial. it is extremely rare to have a disease coming from a specific cause or specific genetic mutation.[/quote]

Playing devils advocate and fishing for the for the frequency of other “multi-factorial” diseases in families. The occurrence is extremely high for combination of alcoholics, chain smoking, drug addicts, eating disorders etc. in the same family. We see things like cleft pallate occuring but much less frequently. We even see entire sibling groups as serious alcoholics pretty often. I am not sure but, I don’t think even asthma afflicts whole families nearly as often as these substance problems? What is the explanation?[/quote]

mood disorders tend to run in families as well. and families filled with folks with “issues” tend to be more stressful. these folks are also more likely to abuse and find ways to self-medicate. then you have the fact that addictive personalities are likely to run in families too.

but then so does hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, colon cancer… all of these are extremely common problems that can run in families but are still very much multi-factorial.

let’s face it, “poly-genetic and multi-factorial” is more the rule rather than the exception. Just like in this world, “shades of gray” is more the rule rather than “black vs white.”

[Author]

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