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Friday, June 15, 2012

Researchers find a strong association between alcohol dependence and chromosome 5q13.2




  • There is a strong genetic influence on the risk of developing alcohol dependence (AD).
  • Copy number variations (CNVs) refer to a class of genetic variation that can delete and duplicate whole genes, leading to powerful genetic effects.
  • A first-of-its-kind study has found a significant association between AD and CNVs on chromosome 5q13.2.

Excessive drinking is not only the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States, there is also a very strong genetic influence on the risk of developing alcohol dependence (AD). Given its serious public-health impact, as well as strong evidence for genetic influence, a new study has examined links between AD and genetic variations called common copy number variations (CNVs), finding a significant association between AD and CNVs on chromosome 5q13.2.

Results will be published in the September 2012 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.> > > > Read More