The hangover you had Saturday morning may not be entirely your fault — binge drinking is a trait that could be in your genetic makeup.

According to a study released this month, students who had a common version of a gene were more likely to be binge drinkers than students with different versions of the gene. Binge drinking is classified as five drinks in a sitting for men and four drinks for women.

Binge drinkers drink three or more times within two weeks, said Frank Schabel, assistant professor of health and human performance

Paolo D. DePetrillo, clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAA), conducted the study.

Researchers surveyed 204 college students between the ages of 17 and 23. The students provided saliva samples and answered questions regarding their drinking behaviors.

The samples of saliva were used to test for a gene known as 5HTT. The gene recycles serotonin in the brain and shows a correlation to anxiety. Forms of the gene include: two short strands, two long strands, or one long and one short strand. Researchers found that binge drinking was displayed more in students who had two short strands of the gene. The students also admitted to drinking twice as much as those with other gene formations.

Schabel said DePetrillo’s study will be helpful to the medical fields of pharmacology and psychology.

“There may be other genes [of the possible 30,000] involved in binge drinking, but this is a major break-through,” he said.

Schabel said he believes there is a correlation between this study and other studies that show genes are a factor in alcoholism and other drug addictions.

“I am amazed that the students who had the two short strands of the gene would report that they were drinking twice as much as students with different forms of the genetic make-up,” Schabel said.

Jon Brandon, staff psychologist and substance abuse intervention program coordinator at ISU Student Services, said he felt the study confirmed there is research linking certain genes and binge drinking.

“This could possibly be a very important study, and could demonstrate a common link to binge drinking,” Brandon said.

Brandon said environmental factors are also related to binge drinking, including living conditions and peer groups.

Julie Lovelady, registered nurse and managed health care coordinator with ACS Health Care and the Iowa Medicaid Program, said there are other characteristics that are related to binge drinking, including poor decisions and peer pressure.

“Everyone responds to anxiety differently, which I believe is related in part to hereditary genes, environment, and family values,” Lovelady said.

Lovelady said she questioned whether or not the gene would be found in people who displayed other obsessive habits, such as overeating or gambling, due to the anxiety connection.

“Finding a possible cure for serotonin imbalance will be a great advancement, which can be used in conjunction with other therapy such as behavior modification and exploring the reasons why we engage in destructive behavior to begin with,” Lovelady said.