U. finds genetic link to nicotine addiction

Study says gene variances increase risk of dependency

The latest and perhaps the most important reason teenagers should steer clear of using tobacco has been discovered by genetic researchers at the University of Utah.

Common genetic variations affecting nicotine receptors of the human nervous system can seriously increase the chance that those who begin using tobacco daily before age 17 will be severely nicotine-dependent their whole lives, according to findings published today in the journal PloS Genetics.

The results are the first time that gene variances' association with addiction have been correlated with the age at which use of nicotine began.

The variations don't predispose teens to smoke or use tobacco, but those who have the variance and pick up a tobacco habit are much more likely to smoke more and only 5 percent will likely be able to quit as adults, according to findings in the joint study conduct by the U. and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Much is yet to be determined regarding the practical application of the new genetic risk factors, but the results at the very least heavily underscore the importance of public health efforts to reduce the number of youths who start smoking, said U. researchers who announced the findings at a news conference Thursday afternoon.

Glen Hanson, a former director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and head of the Utah Addiction Center, said the discovery opens several possible pathways to designing and targeting prevention and cessation programs.

"This is an incredible discovery," Hanson said. "This isn't the answer, but it opens the door to where we might find the answer. Knowing that we can show the folks who are most at risk will help us toward reducing the use of tobacco and help people avoid the serious consequences of disease associated with it."

The study involved 2,827 long-term European American smokers, recruited in Utah and Wisconsin or referred by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's Lung Health Study. Researchers assessed the level of nicotine dependence for all smokers, and recorded the age they began daily smoking, the number of years they smoked and the average number of cigarettes smoked per day.

DNA samples were taken from all smokers, who were divided into three sets of participants. Researchers tracked the occurrence of common gene variations called single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs. The variations in the SNPs were recorded and compared to those identified in the different sets of participants. SNPs that are inherited together are called a haplotype.

They found that people who began smoking before age 17 and who possessed two copies of the high-risk haplotype had from a 1.6-fold to almost 5-fold increase in risk of heavy smoking as an adult.

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