Cognitive decline and alcohol consumption in the aging population—A longitudinal analysis of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe

Abstract

Background:Prevalence of cognitive decline and dementia is rising globally, with more than 10 million new cases every year. These conditions cause a significant burden for individuals, their caregivers and health care systems. As no causal treatment for dementia exists, prevention of cognitive decline is of utmost importance. Notably, alcohol is among the most significant modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline. Methods:Longitudinal data across 15 years on 6,967 individuals of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) were used to analyse the effect of alcohol consumption and further modifiable (i.e., smoking, depression, educational obtainment) and non-modifiable risk factors (sex, age) on cognitive functioning (i.e., memory and verbal fluency). For this, a generalised estimating equation (GEE) linear model was estimated for every cognitive test domain assessed. Results:Consistent results were revealed in all three regression models: A non-linear association between alcohol consumption and cognitive decline was found -moderate alcohol intake was associated with overall better global cognitive function than low or elevated alcohol consumption or complete abstinence. Furthermore, female sex and higher educational obtainment were associated with better cognitive function, whereas higher age and depression were associated with a decline in cognitive functioning. No significant association was found for smoking. Conclusion:Our data indicate that alcohol use is a relevant risk factor for cognitive decline in older adults. Furthermore, evidence-based therapeutic concepts to reduce alcohol consumption exist and should be of primary interest in prevention measures considering the ageing European population.

Alcohol consumption and accelerated biological ageing in middle‐aged and older people: A longitudinal study from two cohorts

“…Our study highlights the importance of maintaining current nondrinking awareness among middle-aged and older people to prevent accelerated ageing, in line with previous studies [30,31]. Surprisingly, we found that reducing drinking frequency had a similar ageaccelerating effect.…”

“…Our study of consistent drinkers reveals that any alcohol level accelerates ageing, supporting a non‐linear association between pure alcohol intake and accelerated ageing, aligning with previous research [30, 33, 34]. This contrasts with studies suggesting that moderate drinking might delay ageing [4], possibly due to residual covariates [35].…”

“…This effect may be attributed to the persistent and irreversible harm caused by alcohol, even with reduced consumption [32], leading to psychological discomfort, physiological responses and withdrawal reactions [32]. Participants who reduce their alcohol consumption due to health reasons might induce such an inverse relationship [30]. Despite our efforts to consider the new onset of serious diseases among less frequent drinkers, limitations in data prevented us from addressing all potential health factors.…”

Exploring patient medication adherence and data mining methods in clinical big data: A contemporary review

“…It delves deeply into health, socioeconomic divisions, familial connections, and societal links of individuals aged 50 and above from various European countries and Israel, enriched with meticulous demographic and health indicators 64–66 . Continually updated, this database incorporates longitudinal data on cognitive functioning and associated risks, solidifying its pivotal role in European aging research 67–69 . Data acquisition employed computer‐assisted personal or telephonic interviews, with respondents mandated to possess strong linguistic abilities and permanent residence in the survey country 70 .…”

“…[64][65][66] Continually updated, this database incorporates longitudinal data on cognitive functioning and associated risks, solidifying its pivotal role in European aging research. [67][68][69] Data acquisition employed computer-assisted personal or telephonic interviews, with respondents mandated to possess strong linguistic abilities and permanent residence in the survey country. 70 While population registers are predominant in most SHARE nations, sample selection varied by country, yet consistently adopted a probability-based approach.…”