Like Brother, Like Sister

Like Brother, Like Sister

Conventional medical wisdom holds that men are driven to alcoholism primarily by their genes, women by their social environment. Not so, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association by a team led by researchers at the Medical College of Virginia. Interviewing 1,030 sets of . female twins, they found that when one sister was alcoholic, odds that the other would have a drinking problem were greater among identical vs. fraternal siblings. Heredity accounts for 50% to 60% of a woman's vulnerability to alcoholism, about the same as for men.

...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!