Genetics of Smoking - A Study of Male Twins

Gary E. Swan, Ph.D.
Dorit Carmelli, Ph.D.
Dennis Robinette, Ph.D.
Richard Fabsitz, M.A.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The results of twin and family studies suggest that heredity has a small influence on smoking behavior.
 
METHODS: We conducted a genetic analysis of several aspects of smoking behavior among subjects in the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council Twin Registry. The registry includes male twins who were bom in the United States between 1917 and 1927 and who were members of the armed forces during World War II. Information on smoking history was available for 4,775 pairs of twins, who were first surveyed in 1967 through 1969, when they were 40 to 50 years old, and then resurveyed in 1983 through 1985, when they were 56 to 66. Eighty percent of the subjects in this cohort had smoked at some time in their lives, 60% were smokers in 1967 through 1969, and 39% were smoking in 1983 through 1985. Similarities between twins in smoking habits at baseline and at the second follow-up 16 years later were examined. The comparison of concordance for smoking between monozygotic and dizygotic twins was used to assess the relative contribution of familial and genetic factors.
 
RESULTS: In the 1967-69 survey, the ratio of observed to expected concordance for smoking was higher among the monozygotic twins than among the dizygotic twins for those who had never smoked (overall rate ratio, 1.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.25 to 1.54), for former smokers (overall rate ratio, 1.59; 95% confidence interval, 1.35 to 1.85), for current cigarette smokers (overall rate ratio, 1.18: 95% confidence interval, 1.11 to 1.26), and for current cigar or pipe smokers (overall rate ratio, 1.60; 95% confidence interval, 1.22 to 2.06). The data also suggest genetic influences on quitting smoking. Monozygotic twins were more likely than dizygotic twins to be concordant for quitting smoking (overall rate ratio, 1.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.06 to 1.45).
 
CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of adult male twins, there were moderate genetic influences on lifetime smoking practices.