Family history of AUD does not rely on an individual’s drinking history14,15,16,17 and has high accuracy to identify individuals at high risk18; however, not all individuals know their family history.19 Importantly, for polygenic disorders such as AUD, many affected individuals are not expected to have a positive family history based on the polygenic theory.20,21,22 In fact, in a US national survey, approximately 50% of males and 43% of females with AUD did not have a family history of AUD.23 The estimated heritability of AUD is approximately 50%; therefore, genetic factors may potentially be used to identify high-risk individuals as a complementary tool for those do not know or do not report family history. Additionally, previous studies have reported that the genetic risk of AUD was also related to AUD severity24 and remission from AUD.25 Therefore, identifying individuals at high or low risk of AUD may help elucidate the mechanism of AUD and facilitate the development of personalized prevention and intervention and treatment programs.
