Everybody needs a hug. It changes your metabolism. ~Leo Buscaglia
The more you need to drink to feel the effects of alcohol, the greater your chance of becoming an alcoholic, according to a new study.
This apparent lack of sensitivity to alcohol, called a low level of response (LR) can lead a person to drink more heavily to get that “buzz.” The condition seems to be genetic and independent of other influences on alcohol usage, such as the age a person started drinking, family history of alcohol abuse, and body mass index, according to the researchers.
The long-term study of nearly 300 mean gauged their reaction to alcohol between ages 18 and 25, then again 10 years later and afterward, in five year intervals. Having a low level of response to alcohol at the start accurately predicted alcoholism in the men’s future, regardless of other factors.
Determining someone’s response level to alcohol in early adulthood could help someone make life changes that could prevent the development of a drinking problem later in life.
The study concludes that having a high, or more immediate, reaction to alcohol would not guarantee that a person would not develop a drinking problem, because many other factors can contribute to alcoholism.