PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Séverine Sabia
AU  - Alexis Elbaz
AU  - Annie Britton
AU  - Steven Bell
AU  - Aline Dugravot
AU  - Martin Shipley
AU  - Mika Kivimaki
AU  - Archana Singh-Manoux
TI  - Alcohol consumption and cognitive decline in early old age
AID  - 10.1212/WNL.0000000000000063
DP  - 2014 Jan 28
TA  - Neurology
PG  - 332--339
VI  - 82
IP  - 4
4099  - http://n.neurology.org/content/82/4/332.short
4100  - http://n.neurology.org/content/82/4/332.full
SO  - Neurology2014 Jan 28; 82
AB  - Objective: To examine the association between alcohol consumption in midlife and subsequent cognitive decline.Methods: Data are from 5,054 men and 2,099 women from the Whitehall II cohort study with a mean age of 56 years (range 44–69 years) at first cognitive assessment. Alcohol consumption was assessed 3 times in the 10 years preceding the first cognitive assessment (1997–1999). Cognitive tests were repeated in 2002–2004 and 2007–2009. The cognitive test battery included 4 tests assessing memory and executive function; a global cognitive score summarized performances across these tests. Linear mixed models were used to assess the association between alcohol consumption and cognitive decline, expressed as z scores (mean = 0, SD = 1).Results: In men, there were no differences in cognitive decline among alcohol abstainers, quitters, and light or moderate alcohol drinkers (<20 g/d). However, alcohol consumption ≥36 g/d was associated with faster decline in all cognitive domains compared with consumption between 0.1 and 19.9 g/d: mean difference (95% confidence interval) in 10-year decline in the global cognitive score = −0.10 (−0.16, −0.04), executive function = −0.06 (−0.12, 0.00), and memory = −0.16 (−0.26, −0.05). In women, compared with those drinking 0.1 to 9.9 g/d of alcohol, 10-year abstainers showed faster decline in the global cognitive score (−0.21 [−0.37, −0.04]) and executive function (−0.17 [−0.32, −0.01]).Conclusions: Excessive alcohol consumption in men (≥36 g/d) was associated with faster cognitive decline compared with light to moderate alcohol consumption.