measures of the frequency of alcohol use, which likely reflects a number social factors as well. Overall, genetic correlations were higher in the VATSPSUD sample, which may reflect the somewhat older mean age of the sample (36 vs. 24 years of age) and more stabilized drinking patterns as individuals move further into adulthood. This suggests that meta-analytic studies may want to test for heterogeneity across samples according to age when using studies assessing consumption to replicate genetic findings originally identified with alcohol dependence, as drinking indices among slightly older adults may be more genetically correlated with alcohol problems than among younger adults, for whom drinking patterns are still more transitional.
