traits

The alcohol flush reaction (ALDH2): one variant, one clear effect

One variant, ALDH2 rs671, explains the flush. It is the cleanest single-variant story in consumer genetics, and it still says nothing about what you should drink.

What the science says

A well-known variant in the ALDH2 gene (rs671), common in East Asian populations, slows the breakdown of acetaldehyde: the toxic intermediate of alcohol metabolism. Carriers often flush, feel nauseated, and get a racing heart after small amounts of alcohol.

What Aimosti would show you

Aimosti reads ALDH2 rs671 from the DNA file you already own, a 23andMe or Ancestry export included, and restates the GWAS Catalog association, whether you carry the flush variant, with the evidence and the effect described plainly and separately.

What we won't claim

We report a well-replicated variant, not a diagnosis and not a judgement about anyone's drinking. We won't tell you whether or how much to drink, and we won't treat the flush response as a medical condition.

Covered in: Traits. Restated from: GWAS Catalog.