In conclusion, using the cumulative data of the past 20 years from both English and Chinese publications, predominately from East-Asian populations (but barely detected in the European populations), this meta-analysis found highly strong evidence of association using both allelic (P = 3×10−56) and genotypic (P = 1×10−44) analyses under the random effects model. When strict criteria and sub-group analyses were applied, the strong associations remained. Our meta-analysis provides strong evidence for the involvement of the human ALDH2 gene in the pathogenesis of AD and alcohol abuse as well as alcohol-induced medical diseases in East-Asians.
