According to the press release, from this data the team found that alcohol dependency increased as eye color lightened and individuals with blue eyes had the strongest incidence of alcohol dependency.
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The results were similar to another study published by researchers at the Georgia State University in 2000, which found that people with people with lighter color eyes consumed more alcohol than those with darker eyes. “That’s a question we want to find out”, says Assistant Genetics Professor Dawei Li. But knowing more about the genetics involved could mean that someday doctors might be able to identify from specific genes which people are most at risk for certain disorders, including alcoholism, by looking at their eye color or hair color.
A new study suggests a link exists between alcohol dependence and eye color. Some, he says, can include depression schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, and of course, alcohol and/or drug dependence. They then filtered out European-Americans who had also been diagnosed as alcoholics.
However, they don’t know do not know why this is and said more research is needed. Thereby, the finding gave some solidity to the theory that was postulated at the beginning of the study- that individuals with eyes of lighter colors may be more susceptible to alcoholism. At least that’s how I (of the common brown eyes) have chose to view the findings of a study suggesting a link between baby blues and alcoholism.
In the database comprised of 10,000 USA citizens, the majority was represented by both European Americans or black Americans.
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After Sulovari noticed the eye-colour connection, they retested their analysis three times, arranging and rearranging the groups to compare age, gender and different ethnic or geographic backgrounds, such as southern and northern parts of the continent. “It’s an incredible opportunity to study genomics in the context of complex human diseases”, Sulovari said. Li added that when alcohol dependence and addiction are studied that researchers’ views must be broadened and not just focus on the factors already known, as there are others factors not yet known.
