Researchers at the University of Vermont have claimed that people with blue eyes have a higher likelihood of becoming alcohol dependent than the dark-eyed people.

The researchers say genetics reveal a lot about alcohol dependence. Published in July issue of the American Journal of Medical Genetics, the study has uncovered the relationship between the color determinant genes and alcohol use determinants genes.

The study was led by Arvis Sulovari, doctoral student in the science of cellular, molecular, and biomedicine and Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Dawei Li.

Li said their study is the first to link eye color to alcohol dependency. Li said they want to conduct further researches to find the link between mental illness and eye color. The findings have encouraged the research team go ahead with more studies that can lead to advancement of medical science to fight diseases like depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and alcohol and drug dependence.

The study has clearly showed that people with lighter colored eyes are at higher risk of becoming alcohol dependent. Lighter colored eyes are defined as blue, green, gray or with brown in the center.

Rates of alcohol dependence were found higher among those with blue eyes. The study also found an association of alcohol dependence with the genes controlling eye color.

"We found evidence of linkage disequilibrium between an alcohol dependent-associated GABA receptor gene cluster, GABRB3/GABRG3, and eye color genes, OCA2/HERC2, as well as between alcohol dependent- associated GRM5 and pigmentation-associated TYR", said the researchers.