Genetic and environmental factors contribute to AUD risk, with an observed heritability (h2) of ∼50% (ref. 5). Identifying genetic factors could advance efforts to prevent, identify and treat both medical and psychiatric aspects related to alcohol. There has been substantial progress made in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of AUD and related phenotypes6–10, including measures of alcohol consumption11,12. A prior GWAS of problematic alcohol use (PAU, N = 435,563), a phenotype based on a meta-analysis of highly genetically correlated (genetic correlations (rg) > 0.7) traits—AUD, alcohol dependence (AD) and alcohol-related problems identified using questions 4–10 of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test–Problem (AUDIT–P) questionnaire)—identified 29 independent risk variants, predominantly in European (EUR) ancestry individuals9.
