Recent research from Texas A&M University reveals that children of parents with alcohol use disorders (AUD) are at risk of early aging symptoms, such as high cholesterol, heart problems, arthritis, and early-onset dementia. This risk is exacerbated if both parents have alcohol issues, particularly affecting male offspring due to inherited mitochondrial dysfunction.
Key Takeaways
- Children of alcohol-abusing parents show early signs of age-related diseases by their 40s.
- Senescence, a marker of aging, can be inherited from parents with alcohol use disorders.
- Improving parental health pre-conception can positively impact offspring health into adulthood.
The Study’s Findings
Researchers at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) have discovered that parents who struggle with alcohol use disorders can pass along symptoms of early aging to their children, affecting them well into adulthood. These accelerated aging effects can be passed down from either parent individually, but they become worse when both parents have an issue with alcohol abuse, especially in male offspring.
“Scientists have wondered what causes children who grow up in homes where there is alcohol abuse to be more susceptible to becoming sick,” said Dr. Michael Golding, a professor in VMBS’ Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology.
Mitochondrial Dysfunction
The study revealed that children inherit mitochondrial dysfunction from their parents’ substance abuse, leading to early signs of age-related diseases when they are still considered young, usually in their 40s. With this new understanding, Golding hopes that doctors can work with patients to improve their mitochondrial health using methods like exercise and increasing intake of certain vitamins.
Alcohol and Aging
As adults get older, they develop a biological condition called senescence, where cells slow down and stop dividing, limiting the body’s ability to replace deteriorating cells. Heavy alcohol use can cause early onset of senescence in adults. Using a mouse model, research by Golding and his team revealed that senescence is one of the early-aging symptoms that offspring can inherit from parents who drink alcohol daily to the legal limit or more.
Parental Drinking and Child Health
Golding’s lab focuses on the biological relationship between parental alcohol use and child development. His lab recently uncovered that fathers, not just mothers, can contribute to children developing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). He continues to advocate for parents reducing their alcohol consumption prior to conception.
“There are all sorts of problems that children can develop right after they’re born because of FAS,” Golding said. “But what we haven’t understood well until now is how parental drinking habits might go on to affect these children into adulthood and influence their ‘healthspan’ — the number of years someone is healthy without chronic and debilitating disease.”
Understanding Multi-Generational Health
This latest discovery also suggests that parents can pass along the benefits of healthy living to their children. According to Golding, healthy lifestyle choices also compound generationally, making efforts to reverse aging — through things like diet and exercise — beneficial for generations to come.
“Parental health pre-conception — both parents’ overall health before pregnancy — is critical for the health of offspring,” he explained. “The more you can do as a prospective parent to get into a healthy mindset and a healthy lifestyle, the more significant effects you’ll have on the health of your kid both right at birth and even into their 20s and 40s.”
Sources
- Parental Alcohol Use Linked to Early Aging in Kids – Neuroscience News, Neuroscience News.
