Density of family history of alcoholism is better predictor of alcoholism than parents alone

According to a report from Reuters HealthDay on June 4, 2008 about an upcoming article in the journal Alcoholism:Clinical and Experimental Research, Family Density of alcoholism is a better predictor of onset of alcoholism that a single relative such as the father. Here is a snippet from the article:

College students with a "dense" family history of alcoholism have the highest risk of alcohol-use disorders, a U.S. study says.

While most university students tend to "mature out" of heavy drinking by the time they're young adults, some develop alcohol-use disorders, or AUDs. Most genetic research on family history of alcoholism has focused on alcohol use by the parents, most often the father.

But this study found that the density of family history of alcoholism (FHA) is much more effective.

"Using a density measure of FHA can identify a greater number of individuals who may be at risk for developing an alcohol problem. The greater the number of affected relatives, the greater the potential risk of developing an AUD. Ours is the first published study to examine this measure among college students," first author Christy Capone, a postdoctoral research fellow at Brown University's Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, said in a prepared statement.