The ADH1B*3 allele, observed in up to one-third of participants in African American samples, has been found to be associated with reduced risk for alcohol dependence (Edenberg et al., 2006; Luo et al., 2006; Wall et al., 2003). One hypothesized mechanism for this is that the faster elimination of alcohol in carriers of this allele leads to higher levels of acetaldehyde and a stronger response to alcohol. Results of the present study provide the first test of subjective and physiological indicators of alcohol response as a function of ADH1B*3 alleles.
