Archive · 11 Dec 2025
Genetic Link Found Between Addiction and Lower Education
Scientists found that certain genes can make people more likely to have problems with drugs and also make it harder for them to finish school.
This means that if someone has these genes, they might be more likely to use drugs and not do as well in school.
The study doesn't say for sure if one causes the other, but it shows that these things are connected.
The researchers think that helping people get better education might also help prevent drug problems.
They studied over 1,400 people who had issues with drugs like cocaine, opiates, cannabis, and sedatives.
The genes they found are also linked to poorer health and other bad outcomes.
This research is important because it can help us understand how to prevent drug problems and help people do better in school.
A study found gene variants that increase addiction risk and are linked to lower education levels.
The genetic link could increase the chance of substance use disorder by up to 66%.
Over 1,400 participants with substance use disorders were studied.
The gene variants are also associated with poorer health and socioeconomic outcomes.
The study does not determine if lower education causes addiction or vice versa.
- Who
- Researchers from the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute in Spain
- What
- A study identifying genetic variants linked to both addiction and lower education levels
- When
- The study was published in the journal 'Addiction'
- Where
- The research was conducted at Vall d'Hebron Hospital in Barcelona, Spain
- Why
- To understand the genetic connections between addiction risk and lower levels of education
- Study Journal
- Addiction
- Lead Author
- Judit Cabana-Domínguez
- Participants
- 1,400
- Substances Involved
- Cocaine, opiates, cannabis, sedatives
- Increased Risk of Substance Use Disorder
- 66%
- Research Method
- Genome-wide association study
- Institution
- Vall d'Hebron Research Institute, Spain