BACKGROUND: Temperance boards were established in Sweden to register and follow up individuals who were seen in legal or medical settings with problems of alcohol abuse. These records, available in a large epidemiologic twin population, have provided an objective and validated measure of alcohol abuse. METHODS: We examined Swedish temperance board registrations from 1929 to 1974 (n = 2516 individual twins) in all male-male Swedish twin pairs of known zygosity from the population-based Swedish Twin Registry; these twin pairs were born from 1902 to 1949 (n = 8935 pairs). RESULTS: The lifetime prevalence and probandwise concordance rates for temperance board registrations were 13.2% and 47.9%, respectively, in monozygotic twins and 14.6% and 32.8%, respectively, in dizygotic twins. Model fitting suggested that genetic and familial-environmental risk factors accounted for 54% (95% confidence interval [CI], 47%-61%) and 14% (95% CI, 8%-19%) of the liability to temperance board registration, respectively; these estimates were stable across birth cohorts. High genetic liability was reflected by large numbers of temperance board registrations and registrations for criminal alcohol use. Elevated familial-environmental liability was indicated by an early age at first registration. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic factors are of major etiologic importance for alcohol abuse in men, while familial environmental factors play a significant but less important role. The etiologic importance of these factors has remained constant in Sweden for men who were born in the first half of the 20th century.
BACKGROUND: Temperance boards were established in Sweden to register and follow up individuals who were seen in legal or medical settings with problems of alcohol abuse. These records, available in a large epidemiologic twin population, have provided an objective and validated measure of alcohol abuse. METHODS: We examined Swedish temperance board registrations from 1929 to 1974 (n = 2516 individual twins) in all male-male Swedish twin pairs of known zygosity from the population-based Swedish Twin Registry; these twin pairs were born from 1902 to 1949 (n = 8935 pairs). RESULTS: The lifetime prevalence and probandwise concordance rates for temperance board registrations were 13.2% and 47.9%, respectively, in monozygotic twins and 14.6% and 32.8%, respectively, in dizygotic twins. Model fitting suggested that genetic and familial-environmental risk factors accounted for 54% (95% confidence interval [CI], 47%-61%) and 14% (95% CI, 8%-19%) of the liability to temperance board registration, respectively; these estimates were stable across birth cohorts. High genetic liability was reflected by large numbers of temperance board registrations and registrations for criminal alcohol use. Elevated familial-environmental liability was indicated by an early age at first registration. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic factors are of major etiologic importance for alcohol abuse in men, while familial environmental factors play a significant but less important role. The etiologic importance of these factors has remained constant in Sweden for men who were born in the first half of the 20th century.
Authors: Ian R Gizer; Howard J Edenberg; David A Gilder; Kirk C Wilhelmsen; Cindy L Ehlers Journal: Alcohol Clin Exp Res Date: 2011-06-02 Impact factor: 3.455
Authors: Shizhong Han; Bao-Zhu Yang; Henry R Kranzler; Xiaoming Liu; Hongyu Zhao; Lindsay A Farrer; Eric Boerwinkle; James B Potash; Joel Gelernter Journal: Am J Hum Genet Date: 2013-11-21 Impact factor: 11.025
Authors: Ajna Hamidovic; Robert J Goodloe; Taylor R Young; Mindi A Styn; Kenneth J Mukamal; Helene Choquet; Jay L Kasberger; Sarah G Buxbaum; George J Papanicolaou; Wendy White; Kelly Volcik; Bonnie Spring; Brian Hitsman; Daniel Levy; Eric Jorgenson Journal: J Clin Psychopharmacol Date: 2013-04 Impact factor: 3.153
Authors: Lara A Ray; Spencer Bujarski; James MacKillop; Kelly E Courtney; Peter M Monti; Karen Miotto Journal: Alcohol Clin Exp Res Date: 2012-12-14 Impact factor: 3.455