The use of discrete-time survival analyses offers a more clear analytic and graphical depiction than previous studies regarding the patterns of onset of AUDs with increasing age in this sample. Figure 2 illustrates that the greatest drop in the survival curve for the entire sample occurs between ages 20 and 30, which is consistent with previous literature identifying this period of early adulthood to be associated with the highest risk for alcohol problems and AUD onset (Hasin et al., 2007; Kessler et al., 2005). While 69% of probands who become diagnosed with an AUD in this sample did so before age 30, the number of subjects with an onset of AUD after age 30 was still notable. Even though the rates of new AUD diagnosis decreased later in life, 6% of probands in this subsample became newly diagnosed after age 40. The continued investigation of the clinical profile and risk factors associated with AUD onset later in life is important to the current ongoing study, and these unique individuals may represent a relatively understudied high-risk population deserving of further clinical attention (Jacob et al, 2005).
