Association studies of up to 1.2 million individuals yield new insights into the genetic etiology of tobacco and alcohol use

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#alcohol-drinking #female #genetic-variation #genome-wide-association-study #humans

Association studies of up to 1.2 million individuals yield new insights into the genetic etiology of tobacco and alcohol use

Liu et al., 2019 | Nat Genet | Meta Analysis

Citation

Liu Mengzhen, Jiang Yu, ... Vrieze Scott. Association studies of up to 1.2 million individuals yield new insights into the genetic etiology of tobacco and alcohol use. Nat Genet. 2019-Feb;51(2):237-244. doi:10.1038/s41588-018-0307-5

Abstract

Tobacco and alcohol use are leading causes of mortality that influence risk for many complex diseases and disorders1. They are heritable2,3 and etiologically related4,5 behaviors that have been resistant to gene discovery efforts6-11. In sample sizes up to 1.2 million individuals, we discovered 566 genetic variants in 406 loci associated with multiple stages of tobacco use (initiation, cessation, and heaviness) as well as alcohol use, with 150 loci evidencing pleiotropic association. Smoking phenotypes were positively genetically correlated with many health conditions, whereas alcohol use was negatively correlated with these conditions, such that increased genetic risk for alcohol use is associated with lower disease risk. We report evidence for the involvement of many systems in tobacco and alcohol use, including genes involved in nicotinic, dopaminergic, and glutamatergic neurotransmission. The results provide a solid starting point to evaluate the effects of these loci in model organisms and more precise substance use measures.

Key Findings

The results provide a solid starting point to evaluate the effects of these loci in model organisms and more precise substance use measures.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Alcohol Drinking
  • Female
  • Genetic Variation
  • Genome-Wide Association Study
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Phenotype
  • Risk
  • Smoking
  • Tobacco Use Disorder
  • Nicotiana

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Vertical: niacin

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09