Men and women differ in their risk for alcoholism.

Men and women differ in their risk for alcoholism, and these sex-based differences may be at least partially bottomed in genetics. Dr. Carol A. Prescott reviews findings from studies of families with alcoholic members, suggesting that the expansion to which risk for alcoholism is inherited is greater among men than among women However, the findings vary greatly among the studies, preventing definite conclusions. Genetic factors related to risk of alcoholism--or the patterns of transmitting these risk factors--could differ for men and women The author cautions, however, that existing research on sex differences has limitations that must be overmaster before the findings can be generalized and the potential applications of of the like kind research can be fully realized. (pp 264-273)

single of the characteristics influencing a person's risk for alcoholism is his or her sex and various factors may contribute to sex differences in risk. Adoption studies have provided a certain number of evidence of possible sex differences in the heritability of alcoholism, nevertheless overall the findings have been inconclusive. Twin studies have consistently supported the part of genetic risk factors in the heritability of alcoholism in men and shared environmental factors also play a character in the familiarity of alcoholism among women In addition, sex differences exist in the patterns of transmission of alcoholism between family members. However, the genetic epidemiology research mode of actioned to date on this issue has several limitations, one of which may be resolv by way of future molecular genetic studies. guide WORDS: gender differences; genetic linkage; hereditary factors; risk factors; twin study; adoption study; epidemiological indicators; etiology; molecular genetics; AOD (alcohol and other drug) use susceptibility; AOD trust potential; comorbidity; alcoholic beverage

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individual of the factors associated with a person's risk for alcoholism (1) is his or her sex In this article, the boundary "sex" is used in the couple its biological sense (i.e., as a variable based forward genetic differences between males and females) and its cultural meaning (i.e., in the intellect of gender roles). Sex is associated with the pair biological risk factors (e.g., sex-specific hormone systems) and cultural risk factors (eg social expectations about in what manner men and women use alcohol). An understanding of the mechanisms influencing sex differences in risk can help illuminate not solely the differences in men's and women's drinking behavior and related question s but also the biological and cultural bases for variability within each sex

Sex differences in the factors underlying the unfolding of alcoholism (i.e., its etiology) may be manifested as differences in prevalence, in the magnitude of genetic influences, and in the sources of genetic influences (i.e., sexspecific transmission of genetic risk factors). Studies in many cultivations have found that the prevalence of alcoholism and heavy drinking generally is higher among men than among women the pair cultural and biological explanations have been invoked to account for this difference, still the mechanisms remain unclear. Moreover, differences in prevalence may arise on the same level if the mechanisms underlying alcoholism disentanglement do not differ between the sexe In this case, the same genetic factors could predispose men and women to alcoholism, yet other sex-specific genetic and/or environmental factors could influence whether alcoholism unfolds in a given person.

The magnitude of genetic influences onward alcoholism risk may also be sex specific. Evidence from twin and adoption studies of alcoholism in males has consistently supported the existence of moderate genetic influences, accounting for about half of the population variation in liability to unfold alcoholism (Prescott 2001). However, as will be described in this article, the evidence regarding the character of genetic factors in alcoholism in women has varied across studies. like sex differences in the magnitude of genetic influence could arise from the interactions between gene associated with alcoholism risk and other physiological processe For example, numerous physiological differences between men and women in the rate of alcohol absorption and metabolism are likely to be genetic in origin and may influence the disclosure of alcoholism.

Another potential manifestation of sex differences in alcoholism risk is the appearance of sex-specific etiological factors. In this case, the risk that a relative of an alcoholic will unravel alcoholism is greater when the relative and the alcoholic are of the same sex than when they are of different sexe Sex-specific differences in etiology could be caused by way of genes that exhibit different evens of activity in men and women or which are modified by dint of other sex-specific genetic or environmental factors to make male and female relatives les similar. These sex-specific etiological differences also could arise from cultural processes--for example, whether girls are more likely to pattern their drinking behavior after their mothers and lads after their fathers.