Fourth, an apparent cross-cultural difference in the importance of genetic influences on alcoholism risk is evident from these data, which, if confirmed, would be an important example of gene-environment interaction. The data raise the possibility that, at least in men, genetic factors may have a reduced impact on alcoholism risk in some environments (e.g., Scandinavian) compared with other environments (e.g., U.S.). However, this could be an artifact of differences in research methodology, as no studies led by the same investigators and using a common research methodology have been conducted in both Scandinavia and the United States.
