Our focus on four major racial/ethnic groups illustrates that some environmental exposures may have differential effects between groups, whether in association with AUD or in G-E relationships. Some environmental influences may be unique or more relevant to a specific culture or to individuals living in a country or region, and the distribution of exposure to adverse and protective conditions in the U.S. can vary by race/ethnicity. Therefore, while it is an important goal, it may not always be possible to compare the relationships between environmental and genetic effects and AUD by race/ethnic groups, and identification of key environments for individual groups that are highly affected by alcohol problems holds importance for informing targeted intervention strategies. Exposure to heavy drinking is a particular environmental condition, and epidemiologic studies identify elevated rates of heavy drinking and AUD for some U.S. racial/ethnic groups. Early findings suggest that chronic alcohol consumption is associated with DNA methylation changes and that this mechanism is possibly associated with AUD risk and persistence. Technology advances and more rigorous experimental designs are required next steps to bolster our understanding of these epigenetic changes and their association with gender and ancestry.
