Eye color may be linked to alcohol dependency, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics.
Genetic researchers at the University of Vermont analyzed a clinical and genetic database of more than 10,000 individuals, mostly African Americans and European Americans, and found a correlation between a person's eye color and alcohol dependence.
Specifically, they found that people with light-colored eyes, such as blue, green and gray, may have a greater chance of becoming alcoholics than those with dark brown eyes.
The genetic components that determine eye color line up along the same chromosome as the genes related to excessive alcohol use.
The genetic components that determine eye color line up along the same chromosome as the genes related to excessive alcohol use, according to a report on the study by Science Daily, though the reason for the connection is currently unknown.
The researchers told Science Daily their hope is that the research will be useful in the early diagnosis and treatment of alcoholism as they continue to investigate the connections between cultural background and genetic makeup.
Read the full study here.