In the clinic, basal levels of plasma β-E, as well as a rise in this peptide following alcohol administration, correlate with a heritable risk for high drinking (Dai et al., 2005; Kiefer et al., 2006) and a POMC haplotype marker has been associated with alcoholism in women, but not men (Racz et al., 2008). The gene discussed is POMC; the disease is alcohol drinking.