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Updated: Jan 23, 2026
05:12
Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder
Published on: June 23, 2023
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Effect of alcohol use disorder on cellular aging
Luana Martins de Carvalho1,2, Corinde E Wiers3, Peter Manza3
1National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA. luana.decarvalho@nih.gov.
Psychopharmacology
|June 5, 2019
Summary
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is linked to shorter telomere length (TL), indicating accelerated cellular aging. This effect is independent of chronological age but shows a significant interaction with age, especially in individuals with AUD.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Cellular Biology
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Telomeres protect chromosome ends but shorten with age and stressors.
- Alcohol consumption's impact on telomere length (TL) is inconsistently reported.
- Factors like stress, smoking, and psychiatric disorders influence cellular aging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between TL and alcohol use disorder (AUD).
- To examine the relationship between TL, drinking behaviors, stress, and age.
- To clarify inconsistent findings on alcohol consumption and TL.
Main Methods:
- Quantified TL using the telomere to albumin ratio (T/S ratio) via quantitative PCR.
- Analyzed data from 260 participants with AUD and 449 healthy controls (HC).
- Utilized data from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) database.
Main Results:
- AUD participants exhibited shorter TL compared to HC.
- AUD and chronological age were independent predictors of TL, with a significant interaction effect.
- TL correlated with impulsiveness in AUD participants, but not with alcohol use chronicity, dose, or childhood trauma.
Conclusions:
- Findings support telomere shortening associated with chronic alcohol exposure.
- AUD independently affects TL, with a significant age interaction, suggesting accelerated cellular aging.
- Results highlight the complex relationship between AUD, aging, and cellular health.
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