Smoking and the genetic contribution to alcohol-dependence risk.
Genes influence a person's risk of becoming a smoker as well as the risk of alcohol dependence. Because substantially higher rates of smoking are observed in alcoholics than in control groups, uncovering the mechanisms underlying this association may have important implications for both treatment and prevention. Data analyses from the 1981 Australian twin panel cohort confirm a positive genetic correlation between regular smoking and the risk of alcohol dependence that remains significant, even when sociodemographic and personality variables as well as histories of other psychopathologies are taken into account. Acute or chronic effects of smoking on subjective responses to alcohol may play a role in this association.
Washington University School ofMedicine in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
P A
PA
Madden
K K
KK
Bucholz
N G
NG
Martin
A C
AC
Heath
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D018433:Twin Studies as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data