Brainy people have a higher chance of developing an alcohol problem, say scientists10th February 2008
Intelligent people are more likely to develop alcohol-related health problems than their less brainy counterparts, a study has found.
Middle-class women are particularly likely to drink heavily in their 30s - putting them at risk of liver disease and certain types of cancer.
Scientists from the Medical Research Council say intelligent people are more likely to have stressful jobs - driving them to drink.
And women working in male-dominated professions are particularly susceptible to falling victim to alcohol problems.
The findings confirm warnings by public health minister Dawn Primarolo that the most serious drinking problems were among the middle classes.
The study, led by David Batty of the MRC's social and public health services unit at Glasgow University, concluded: "An explanation might be that success in the workplace requires, in some circumstances, a willingness to drink frequently and to excess in social situations."
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