Genetic Drivers of Heavy Drinking and Alcoholism

The researchers identified 13 independent genetic variants associated with alcohol consumption, eight of which had not been previously reported, including VRK2, DCLK2, ISL1, FTO, IGF2BP1, PPR1R3B, BRAP, and RBX1. Ten variants were associated with AUD, including seven that had not been previously associated with it: GCKR, SIX3, SLC39A8, DRD2 (rs4936277 and rs61902812), chr10q25.1, and FTO. The five variants associated with both heavy drinking and AUD were ADH1B, ADH1C, FTO, GCKR, and SLC39A8. They also discovered 188 different genetic correlations to health outcomes among the study group, some in opposite directions. Notably, heavy drinking was associated with lower risk of coronary artery disease and glycemic traits, including type 2 diabetes, but positively correlated with overall health rating, HDL or "good" cholesterol concentration, and years of education. AUD was significantly correlated with 111 traits or diseases, including lower intelligence and likelihood of quitting smoking and greater risk of insomnia and most psychiatric disorders. The genetic differences between the two alcohol-related conditions and the observed opposite correlations point to potentially important differences in comorbidity and prognosis. That underscores the need to identify the effects of the risk variants in future, especially where they diverge by traits, to better understand and treat them, the authors said.https://www.technologynetworks.com/genomics/news/genetic-drivers-of-heavy-drinking-and-alcoholism-317625?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=71402858&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_UBNpRnA7WqWL-WRpBSMpKSX7Q9gAsCz2h8PCZylk1RJDO4meUjYcZianXRalh-m4lmwHN8eGrk3EF2C9AKOstZZ3P7w&_hsmi=71402858