STAMPA ANN. 02-06 - Gemma

Alcoholism is a common disorder with a complex origin and outcome, since individuals react differently when exposed to comparable amounts of alcohol. Many epidemiological, biomedical and psychosocial studies support the hypothesis that some individuals suffer more severe adverse effects following alcohol use. Physiological features (such as age and gender) and socio-cultural/psychological factors may play a relevant role in determining the huge interindividual variability in the thresholds and lifetime prevalence of this disease. Indeed, social restrictions have been shown to have a huge influence on the risk for alcohol dependence, particularly in societies with a high prevalence of alcoholism [1]. Excessive and prolonged use of alcoholic beverages is the cause of serious social and medical disorders in a significant number of individuals associated with socioeconomic consequences for the rest of the population. Alcohol related pathologies are very often related to the deficient nutritional status of chronic drinkers, due to unbalanced diet and ethanol interference in the uptake and utilization of carbohydrates, lipids and vitamins, particularly vitamin A. Indeed, ethanol has been shown to inhibit the oxidation of retinol to retinoic acid (the active form of vitamin A) by competing for alcohol dehydrogenases [2]. As a consequence, the levels of retinoic acid, which is essential for growth and maintenance of normal epithelial function, are decreased in alcoholics. Ethanol has also been demonstrated to have teratogenic potential: alcohol consumption during pregnancy can potentially result in effects in the foetus ranging Individual susceptibility and alcohol effects: biochemical and genetic aspects