A similar rationale might also apply to any potential genes identified as modifying the risk of alcoholism. However, alcoholism differs from AD in an important way: A person who knows that he or she is at risk for AD cannot take any measures to prevent the disease. People who know that they are at risk for alcoholism because of their genetic predisposition, in contrast, can make informed choices regarding their alcohol consumption and may thereby prevent the disorder. Accordingly, the identification of genes that predispose toward alcohol problems could be beneficial for providing individual-specific risk assessment and could potentially allow some people at higher risk for alcoholism to take preventive measures (i.e., remain abstinent).
