Association between alcohol consumption and DNA methylation in blood: a systematic review of observational studies

Aim: We systematically reviewed and evaluated current literature on alcohol consumption and DNA methylation (DNAm) at the genome-wide and probe-wise level in blood of adults. Materials & methods: Five databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL and PsycInfo) were searched until 20 December 2020. Studies assessing the effect of alcohol dependence on DNAm were not eligible. Results: 11 cross-sectional studies were included with 88 to 9643 participants. Overall, all studies had a risk of bias criteria unclear or unmet. Epigenome-wide association studies identified between 0 and 5458 differentially methylated positions, and 15 were observed in at least four studies. Conclusion: Potential methylation markers for alcohol consumption have been identified, but further validation in large cohorts is needed.