A Population-Based Twin Study of Alcoholism in Women

TLDR

Women must be adequately represented in studies investigating the genetic basis of alcoholism. The study aims to clarify the role of genetic factors in the etiology of alcoholism in women. The study used blinded structured psychiatric interviews of 1,030 female twin pairs from the Virginia Twin Registry, applying three DSM‑III‑R based definitions of lifetime alcoholism. Concordance for alcoholism was higher in monozygotic than dizygotic twins, with heritability estimates of 50–60%, supporting a major genetic contribution to alcoholism in women. Published in JAMA 1992;268:1877‑1882.

Abstract

<h3>Objective.</h3> —To clarify the role of genetic factors in the etiology of alcoholism in women. <h3>Design and Setting.</h3> —Personal structured psychiatric interviews conducted by researchers "blinded" to the status of the co-twin in an epidemiologic sample of 1030 female-female twin pairs of known zygosity from the population-based Virginia Twin Registry. <h3>Measures.</h3> —Three definitions of lifetime prevalence of alcoholism based on<i>Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition, Revised</i>criteria: (1) alcoholism with tolerance or dependence; (2) alcoholism with or without tolerance-dependence; and (3) alcoholism with or without tolerance-dependence or problem drinking. <h3>Results.</h3> —Using narrow, intermediate, or broad definitions, the probandwise concordance for alcoholism was consistently higher in monozygotic than in dizygotic twin pairs. Multifactorial threshold models suggested that the heritability of liability to alcoholism in women is in the range of 50% to 60%. <h3>Conclusions.</h3> —The results support the hypothesis that genetic factors play a major role in the etiology of alcoholism in women. Women should be well represented in the efforts currently under way to elucidate the molecular basis of the genetic susceptibility to alcoholism. (<i>JAMA</i>. 1992;268:1877-1882)