Heavy Drinking Tied to Risk for Brain Lesions

TOPLINE:

Consuming at least eight alcoholic drinks per week was associated with a 133% higher risk for hyaline arteriosclerosis, a brain lesion associated with memory and thinking problems, than not drinking, new research showed. A history of heavy drinking was linked to an 89% higher risk for these lesions, as well as a higher risk for reduced brain mass and cognition.

METHODOLOGY:

• This population-based cross-sectional study included data from nearly 18srcsrc deceased individuals (mean age at the time of death, 75 years; 5src% women; 64% White individuals) from the Biobank for Aging Studies in Brazil. All were categorized as nondrinkers (n=965) or moderate (n=319), heavy (n=129), or former heavy (n=368) drinkers.
• Heavy drinking was classified as eight or more “doses” weekly. One dose was defined as 14 g of alcohol, equivalent to 35src mL of beer, 15src mL of wine, or 45 mL of distilled spirits.
• Postautopsy, researchers assessed pathologies of Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body, and transactive response DNA–binding protein 43 and the presence of lacunar infarcts, hyaline arteriolosclerosis, and cerebral amyloid angiopathy and calculated brain mass ratios.
• Cognitive abilities were assessed using Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes.

TAKEAWAY:

• After adjusting for variables, moderate drinkers had a significantly higher risk for hyaline arteriolosclerosis than nondrinkers (odds ratio [OR], 1.6src; P=.srcsrc1).
• Compared with nondrinkers, heavy and former heavy drinkers had increased risks for hyaline arteriolosclerosis (ORs, 2.33 and 1.89, respectively; P <.srcsrc1 for both) and more neurofibrillary tangles (OR, 1.41; P=.src1 and OR, 1.31; P=.src3, respectively).
• Former heavy drinking was also associated with a lower brain mass ratio (β, −4.5; P=.src3) and worse cognitive abilities (β, 1.3; P <.srcsrc1), whereas moderate and heavy drinking had no significant link to cognitive decline.
• Alcohol use overall was indirectly associated with worse cognitive abilities (β, src.1; P=.src1), with the effect mediated by hyaline arteriolosclerosis.

IN PRACTICE:

“We found heavy drinking is directly linked to signs of injury in the brain, and this can cause long-term effects on brain health, which may impact memory and thinking abilities,” lead investigator Alberto Fernando Oliveira Justo, PhD, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil, said in a press release.

“Our findings contribute to the understanding of the complex relationship between alcohol consumption, vascular health, and cognitive decline, highlighting a potentially novel mechanism involving hyaline arteriolosclerosis,” the investigators added.

SOURCE:

The study was published online on April src9 in Neurology.

LIMITATIONS:

This cross-sectional study could not determine causality and lacked longitudinal follow-up data on the duration of alcohol use and cognitive function. Clinical and sociodemographic information was collected via informant reports. Additionally, the researchers did not assess vitamin deficiencies, which may have worsened alcohol-related neurotoxicity and cognitive decline.

DISCLOSURES:

The Biobank for Aging Studies was funded by the Alzheimer’s Association. No relevant conflicts of interest were reported.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.