Polygenic scores are becoming better powered and starting to explain non-trivial portions of variance. We examined the current state of PRS for substance use, with a focus on AUD. Each of the PRSs analyzed here were associated with AUD. However, the maximum variance explained by any single score was still small (~2%). Individuals at the top of the PRS continuum had elevated rates of multiple substance use problems, but these differences across the PRS continuum are unlikely to be of broad clinical use in their current state. As GWAS discovery samples become larger and we are better able to model the complex relationship between genotype and phenotype, polygenic scores may eventually be useful in a clinical setting.
