Different Characteristics and Heritabilities of Alcohol Use Disorder Classes: A Population-Based Swedish Study

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Genetics
• Public Health

Background:

• Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex condition with diverse clinical presentations.
• Understanding the heterogeneity of AUD is crucial for targeted interventions and research.
• Population-based studies are essential for identifying distinct AUD classes and their characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify distinct classes of alcohol use disorder (AUD) in a Swedish population sample.
• To examine demographic, comorbidity, and environmental factors associated with identified AUD classes.
• To investigate the genetic and environmental influences on these distinct AUD classes.

Main Methods:

• Latent class analysis (LCA) was performed on nationwide registry data of 184,770 individuals with AUD.
• Classes were validated using demographic data, comorbidity patterns (drug abuse, psychiatric disorders, criminal behavior), and neighborhood factors.
• Heritability and environmental influences for each class were estimated.

Main Results:

• Four distinct AUD classes were identified: outpatient/prescription, low-frequency inpatient, high-frequency mixed, and crime-related.
• Class 3 (high-frequency mixed) exhibited the highest heritability (61% in males, 65% in females).
• Class 1 (outpatient/prescription) showed the lowest heritability (20% for both sexes), with minimal shared environmental influences across all classes.

Conclusions:

• Four meaningful and distinct classes of alcohol use disorder (AUD) were identified using comprehensive Swedish registry data.
• These AUD classes demonstrate varying degrees of heritability, highlighting the complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors.
• The findings underscore the importance of considering AUD heterogeneity in clinical practice and future research.