Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37875790›Full record

SynthesisBMC genomics2023

Genetic influences on alcohol flushing in East Asian populations.

Yoonsu Cho, Kuang Lin, Su-Hyun Lee, Canqing Yu, Dan Schmidt Valle, Daniel Avery, Jun Lv, Keumji Jung, Liming Li, George Davey Smith and 6 more

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC genomics, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
5.4field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Effect ofBJPsych open · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Genetic Polymorphisms ofInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.

Yoonsu ChoMedical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Kuang LinNuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Su-Hyun LeeDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Promotion, Institute for Health Promotion, Graduate School of Public Health, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea.
Canqing YuDepartment of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
Dan Schmidt ValleNuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Daniel AveryNuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Jun LvDepartment of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
Keumji JungDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Promotion, Institute for Health Promotion, Graduate School of Public Health, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea.
Liming LiDepartment of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
George Davey SmithMedical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
China Kadoorie Biobank Collaborative GroupMedical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Dianjianyi SunDepartment of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
Zhengming ChenNuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Iona Y MillwoodNuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. iona.millwood@ndph.ox.ac.uk.
Gibran HemaniMedical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. g.hemani@bristol.ac.uk.
Robin G WaltersNuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. robin.walters@ndph.ox.ac.uk.
University of Oxford · GBPeking University · CNMedical Research Council · GBYonsei University · KRUniversity of Bristol · GB

Funding

Cancer Research UK 29186Medical Research Council MC_PC_13049Medical Research Council MC_PC_14135Medical Research Council MC_U137686851Medical Research Council MC_UU_00011/1Medical Research Council MC_UU_00017/1Medical Research Council MC_UU_00032/1Medical Research Council MC_UU_12026/2Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust 208806/Z/17/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlthough it is known that variation in the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) gene family influences the East Asian alcohol flushing response, knowledge about other genetic variants that affect flushing symptoms is limited.

methodsWe performed a genome-wide association study meta-analysis and heritability analysis of alcohol flushing in 15,105 males of East Asian ancestry (Koreans and Chinese) to identify genetic associations with alcohol flushing. We also evaluated whether self-reported flushing can be used as an instrumental variable for alcohol intake.

resultsWe identified variants in the region of ALDH2 strongly associated with alcohol flushing, replicating previous studies conducted in East Asian populations. Additionally, we identified variants in the alcohol dehydrogenase 1B (ADH1B) gene region associated with alcohol flushing. Several novel variants were identified after adjustment for the lead variants (ALDH2-rs671 and ADH1B-rs1229984), which need to be confirmed in larger studies. The estimated SNP-heritability on the liability scale was 13% (S.E. = 4%) for flushing, but the heritability estimate decreased to 6% (S.E. = 4%) when the effects of the lead variants were controlled for. Genetic instrumentation of higher alcohol intake using these variants recapitulated known associations of alcohol intake with hypertension. Using self-reported alcohol flushing as an instrument gave a similar association pattern of higher alcohol intake and cardiovascular disease-related traits (e.g. stroke).

conclusionThis study confirms that ALDH2-rs671 and ADH1B-rs1229984 are associated with alcohol flushing in East Asian populations. Our findings also suggest that self-reported alcohol flushing can be used as an instrumental variable in future studies of alcohol consumption.

Indexed as

Alcohol DrinkingEast Asian PeopleFlushingAlcohol DehydrogenaseAldehyde Dehydrogenase, MitochondrialGenome-Wide Association StudyHumansMalePolymorphism, Single NucleotideADH1B protein, humanAlcohol DehydrogenaseAldehyde Dehydrogenase, MitochondrialALDH2 protein, humanADH1BAlcoholAlcohol flushingALDH2GWASHeritabilityMendelian randomization

Identifiers

PMID37875790
PMCPMC10594868
OpenAlexW4387904656

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.