Alcohol use disorders in parents linked to accelerated aging in children

Researchers from the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) have found that parents struggling with alcohol use disorders can pass on symptoms of premature aging to their children, affecting them well into adulthood.

These accelerated aging effects -; including high cholesterol, heart problems, arthritis and early dementia -; can be passed on individually from both father and mother, but they become worse if both parents have a problem with alcohol abuse, especially in male offspring.

Scientists have wondered what makes children who grow up in homes where there is alcohol abuse more prone to getting sick. For example, we know that these children have behavioral problems that make it difficult to manage stress and can lead to conflict with school systems or law enforcement.”

Dr. Michael Golding, professor at the Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology at the VMBS

But what scientists didn’t know was the cause behind early aging and susceptibility to disease; Was it stress or something inherited from these children’s parents?

“Now we know that they inherit dysfunction in their mitochondria as a result of their parents’ substance abuse,” Golding said. “The dysfunction causes these individuals to show early signs of age-related diseases when they are still considered young, usually in their 40s.”

With this new insight, Golding hopes doctors can work with patients to improve their mitochondrial health; and possibly slow down the hereditary dysfunction as they age; using methods such as exercise and increasing intake of certain vitamins.

Alcohol and aging

As adults age, they develop a biological condition called senescence. This is a condition in which cells slow down and stop dividing, limiting the body’s ability to replace deteriorating cells.

“Senescence is an important marker of aging, especially in the brain, where it leads to cognitive impairment and memory problems,” Golding said. “Scientists have long known that heavy alcohol use can cause premature aging in adults.”

Using a mouse model, research by Golding and his team revealed that aging is also one of the early aging symptoms that offspring can inherit from parents who drink alcohol daily to the legal limit or more.

“We also see an increase in fat in the liver, which creates scar tissue,” Golding said. “It is especially common in male offspring. If both parents have a problem with alcohol abuse, this can have an enhanced effect on male offspring, making them even more likely to develop liver disease.”

Parental drinking and children’s health

Golding’s laboratory focuses on the biological relationship between parental alcohol use and child development. His laboratory recently discovered that fathers -; not just mothers -; can contribute to children developing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or FAS. As a result, he also continues to advocate for parents to reduce their alcohol consumption before conception.

“There are all kinds of problems that children can develop right after they are born because of FAS,” Golding said. ‘But what we haven’t fully understood until now is how parents’ drinking habits can affect these children into adulthood and influence their ‘health span’ – the number of years a person is healthy without chronic and debilitating diseases.

“Both the birth defects associated with FAS – such as abnormal facial features, low birth weight and/or length, and attention and hyperactivity problems – and the stresses of living with it create unique challenges. So do any environmental issues that these children have to deal with.” to grow up with, including adoption and the foster system,” he said. “But now we understand that there is another component – early aging – that is inherited directly from one or both parents.”

Insight into the health of multiple generations

This latest discovery also suggests that parents can pass on the benefits of healthy living to their children. According to Golding, healthy lifestyle choices are also reinforced from generation to generation, fueling anti-aging efforts; through things like diet and exercise -; beneficial for generations to come.

“Pre-conception parental health – the overall health of both parents before pregnancy – is critical to the health of their offspring,” he explained. “The more you as an expectant parent can do to develop a healthy mindset and lifestyle, the greater the effects you will have on your child’s health, both from birth and even into your 20s and 40s .”