The likelihood of abstinent remission among people with alcohol use disorder (AUD) appears to be >3 times for individuals who are related to an abstinent proband vs those related to a proband with persistent AUD, according to a recent study. A total of 606 probands (25.7% female, mean age 37.7) with baseline and follow-up data and 606 of their first-degree relatives who had lifetime AUDs (45.8% female, mean age 36.2 years) participated in this study. Researchers found:

• A total of 34.6% of probands and 20.6% of relatives were abstinent and 11.1% of probands and 22.8% of relatives were in non-abstinent remission.
• AUD/remission status was correlated significantly in related but not in unrelated pairs.
• A significant interaction of probands’ abstinent remission with a variable representing related (vs unrelated) pairs suggested a familial association for abstinent remission.
• In related pairs, individuals with an abstinent proband were more likely to be abstinent themselves than were individuals whose proband had persistent; this association was not significant in unrelated pairs.