* In a message dated 10-31-96, KURT ULLMAN said the following:
BH>@SUBJECT:Re: Alcoholic Liver Disease                                 N
BH>BH>All heard Kurt Ullman say, "Alcoholic Liver Disease," and then...
 KU> Q: I have a relative who is an alcoholic. Is there a hereditary li
 KU> and can  I be tested to see if I am at greater risk for alcoholism
 KU> A:. By studying the incidence of alcoholism in families,  doctors
 KU> firmly  established a genetic link to the risk of having drinking
 KU> problems. However,  currently there is no way to tell if a specifi
 KU> person in a family  is at  risk.
       It's my understanding that scientists have not established a
       genetic link for alcoholism (actually, I think they should be
       looking for a link for _addiction_ not alcoholism), but it is
       established that alcoholism and other addictions or just
       addictive tendencies "run" in families.  (My brother and I are
       alcoholics; my sister chose scizophrenia instead.)  This is easily
       explained by family system theory, but it seems to be the
       dominant theory that addictions are genetic.
       No test has been established, but if alcoholism or addictions
       in general "run" in your family, it's wise to monitor your use
       of drugs to decide for yourself whether you're an addict.  If
       you have sufficient worry about your behavior, but are not
       sure, seek help in arriving at a diagnosis.
       A couple of years ago it was bannered in headlines across the
       world that scientists had found a genetic link for alcoholism,
       but a few weeks later the same group repudiated their
       announcement.
 -- SPEED 2.00 #2626: * One man's theology is another man's belly laugh.
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