14 DAY TRIAL // Something as simple as the color of their eyes might explain why some people struggle with alcohol dependence, a team of scientists argue in a study recently published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics: Neuropsychiatric Genetics Part B.
The researchers say that, as odd as it might sound, there appears to be a link between an individual's eye color and their risk of developing alcoholism.
Not to beat about the bush, evidence indicates that alcoholism is more common among guys and gals with light-colored eyes, be they blue, green, gray or brown. People with dark eyes, on the other hand, are less inclined to become addicted to alcohol.
Blue-eyed people are most at risk
The scientists behind this research project explain that, as part of their investigation into how eye color correlates with alcoholism risk, they studied the eye color and the drinking behavior of 1,236 volunteers, 992 of whom were officially diagnosed with alcohol dependence.
The specialists documented an 80% higher alcoholism rate among the blue-eyed study participants. Furthermore, they found that, on average, the alcoholism rate was 54% higher among the volunteers with light-colored eyes, whether blue, green, gray or brown.
“This suggests an intriguing possibility - that eye color can be useful in the clinic for alcohol dependence diagnosis,” study co-author Arvis Sulovari with the University of Vermont explains in an interview, as cited by Live Science.
The issue needs further investigating
University of Vermont scientist Arvis Sulovari and fellow researchers are yet to explain how and why eye color appears to correlate with alcoholism risk.
Interestingly, the specialists say that, having carried out a series of tests, they found that the genetic components that up the risk of alcohol dependence seem to be somehow linked to those that give individuals their eye color.
The team plans to carry out further investigations in an attempt to reach a better understanding of this apparent correlation between eye color and alcoholism risk.