In conclusion, this meta-analysis combined the cumulative data of ADH1C Ile350Val with AD and alcohol abuse as well as alcohol-related medical diseases based on all 53 identified English and Chinese-language studies within the past 20 years. Strong evidence of association was found in the combined populations, in particular, in the Asian populations, using both allelic and genotypic analyses. The association remained strong using stricter and extended criteria as well as in various sub-group analyses. The findings strongly support that ADH1C 350Ile lowers the risk for AD and alcohol abuse as well as some alcohol-related diseases; and provide further evidence for the involvement of the human ADH1C gene in the pathogenesis of AD and alcohol-related diseases.
