Alcohol reactions in subjects of European descent: Effects on alcohol use and on physical and psychomotor responses to alcohol

Self-reports of reactions to small amounts of alcohol, obtained between 1990 and 1992, were compared with reports of alcohol use, obtained in 1990-1992 and also in 1979-1981, in twin subjects of European descent. Data on subjective, physiological, psychomotor, and metabolic responses to a test dose of alcohol, taken in 1979-1981, were also available. Alcohol reactions were more common in women than in men, and were associated with less alcohol use, both at the time that information about reactions was obtained and as recorded on average 12 years previously, in both sexes, Physiological and psychomotor responses to alcohol were similar across the reaction groups, except that deterioration in standing steadiness was greater in those who subsequently reported adverse reactions to alcohol, Contrary to expectation, skin temperature changes after alcohol were less in the subjects who reported always reacting to alcohol than in the other groups. Subjective reports of intoxication were greatest in subjects who subsequently reported alcohol reactions. The pattern of twin pair concordance for reactions suggests low heritability, so alcohol reactions in subjects of European descent are not caused by a single gene of high penetrance of the type found in the Asian alcohol flush reaction.