Phenome‐wide association studies (PheWAS), a reverse of the GWAS approach, examine the association between a genetic variant (e.g., a SNP, gene, or polygenic score) and a wide range of phenotypes in order to identify additional traits that are associated with that variant. Phenotypes included in PheWAS in other cohorts have ranged from International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes in electronic health records 142 , 143 to questionnaires that assess lifestyle and behavioral traits included in epidemiologic studies and biobanks. 144 This data‐driven approach can identify additional traits or conditions that are associated with a specific genetic variant that might not have been investigated in previous analyses. Previous studies have used PheWAS of polygenic scores 145 , 146 and other AUD‐associated variants 147 to elucidate comorbid conditions that may contribute to the development of AUD. A recent PheWAS preprint using data from the UKBioBank 148 identified anxiety‐related phenotypes, including reduced risk‐taking behavior and an increase in nervous feelings, as well as reduced number of lifetime sexual partners, that were associated with a GABRA2 coding variant (rs279858, C effect allele) that was
