RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA--Experts say they have found a "tipsy" gene that explains why some people feel alcohol's effects quicker than others. Researchers believe 10% to 20% of people have a version of the gene that may offer some protection against alcoholism. That is because people who react strongly to alcohol are less likely to become addicted, studies show.

The University of North Carolina said the study aims to help fight addiction, not pave the way for a cheap night out.

Ultimately, people could be given CYP2E1-like drugs to make them more sensitive to alcohol, not to get them drunk more quickly, but to put them off drinking to inebriation, the Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research journal reported.

Straight to the head

Lead researcher Professor Kirk Wilhelmsen said: "Obviously we are a long way off having a treatment, but the gene we have found tells us a lot about how alcohol affects the brain."

Most of the alcohol people consume is broken down in the liver, but some is metabolized in the brain by an enzyme which the CYP2E1 gene provides coded instructions.

People who have the "tipsy" version of CYP2E1 break down alcohol more readily, which explains why they feel the effects of alcohol much quicker than others. The researchers made their discovery by studying more than 200 pairs of students who were siblings and who had one alcohol-dependent parent but who did not have a drink problem themselves. (Source: BBC)

Story Date: October 22, 2010