The Association between Long Term Alcohol Consumption and Dementia

Respondents (86 men and 141 women) enrolled in classes at a large university in the Midwest participated in this study, designed to examine the role gender and age play in the consumption of alcoholic beverages. The hypotheses that age and gender would produce significant effects were supported. Men reported significantly greater alcohol consumption than did women. In addition, there was a significant interaction between gender and age. Women under legal drinking age had higher rates of consumption than women of legal drinking age or older, while the opposite pattern was found for men. The long-term pattern of alcohol consumption may be different for men than for women. During the college years, women seem to moderate their consumption. Finally, these results indicate that illegal, underage drinking by men and women occurs at a high rate. Research should be designed to evaluate the extent of the problem.

Download Full-text

Gut Microbiota Is Involved in Alcohol-Induced Osteoporosis in Young and Old Rats Through Immune Regulation

Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology ◽

10.3389/fcimb.2021.636231 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Ming Cheng ◽

Bo Tan ◽

Xiaojing Wu ◽

Feng Liao ◽

Fei Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Bone Metabolism ◽

Alcohol Metabolism ◽

Excessive Alcohol Consumption ◽

Young Rats ◽

Age Related ◽

Different Ages ◽

Old Rats

Long-term and excessive alcohol consumption are risk factors for osteoporosis. Excessive drinking can reduce bone density and also cause imbalance of gut microbiota. And gut microbiota can affect bone metabolism through various mechanisms, and the regulation of gut microbiota is closely related to age. However, the effects of gut microbiota on alcohol-induced osteoporosis at different ages are unclear. In this study, young and old rats were used to induce osteoporosis by long-term alcohol consumption, and alcohol metabolism, bone morphology, bone absorption and immune activity of rats were analyzed to determine the effects of alcohol on rats of different ages. In addition, changes of gut microbiota in rats were analyzed to explore the role of gut microbiota in alcohol-induced osteoporosis in rats of different ages. The results showed the ability of alcohol metabolism was only associated with age, but not with alcohol consumption. Long-term alcohol consumption resulted in the changes of bone metabolism regulating hormones, bone loss, activation of receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) signaling and inflammatory response. And osteoporosis was more severe in old rats than young rats, suggesting that alcohol-induced osteoporosis is age-related. In addition, long-term drinking also affected the composition of gut microbiota in rats, with a significant increase in the proportion of pro-inflammatory microorganisms. Overall, this study found that long-term alcohol consumption induced osteoporosis and affected the composition of gut microbiota. And alcohol can activate T lymphocytes directly or indirectly by regulating the changes of gut microbiota to produce cytokines, and further activate osteoclasts. In addition, the osteoporosis was more severe in the old rats than young rats, which may be due to the higher diversity and stronger regulation ability of gut microbiota in young rats compared with old rats.

Download Full-text

Outcomes of excessive alcohol drinkers without baseline evidence of chronic liver disease after 15 years follow-up: Heavy burden of cancer and liver disease mortality

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0252218 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (5) ◽

pp. e0252218

Author(s):

Sónia Bernardo ◽

Ricardo Crespo ◽

Sofia Saraiva ◽

Rui Barata ◽

Sara Gonçalves ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Liver Disease ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Chronic Liver Disease ◽

Alcohol Intake ◽

Chronic Liver ◽

Portuguese Population ◽

Heavy Drinkers ◽

Heavy Burden

Background Most long-term heavy drinkers do not have clinically evident chronic liver disease (CLD). However, at any time-point, their risk of developing CLD remains unknown. We aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes of a group of heavy drinkers, without evidence of CLD at baseline. Methods A cohort of 123 long-term heavy drinkers without CLD were prospectively recruited in 2002 and retrospectively followed until 2018. Results At baseline (2002), median alcohol consumption was 271±203g/day during 21.5±20 years, 65% being abstinent during the previous 1.75±5 months. Patients were followed for 14±3 years. During follow-up, 53% reported any alcohol intake. Alcohol consumption during follow-up associated weakly with either 1- or 6-months previous abstinence at baseline. Until 2018, progression to CLD occurred in 6%, associating with years of alcohol intake during follow-up (OR 1.15 [1.01–1.31]) and baseline alkaline-phosphatase (OR 1.05 [1.01–1.10]). During follow-up, being abstinent for at least 1 year positively associated with CLD-free survival. 27% died (55% of cancer–mostly oropharyngeal cancer, 27% of cardiovascular disease, and 9% of liver disease), with a mean age of 71 years [69–74] (10 years less than the expected in the Portuguese population). Achieving abstinence for at least 1 year positively associated with overall survival, while smoking, and hepatic steatosis at baseline associated negatively. Conclusion Long-term heavy drinkers seemed to have a decreased life expectancy compared with the overall Portuguese population. Cancer was the main cause of death. Our results suggest that progression to CLD depends mostly on continued alcohol intake. Alcohol abstinence, even if temporary, seems to decrease the risks of CLD and mortality.

Download Full-text

Association between Lifetime Tobacco Use and Alcohol Consumption Trajectories and Cardiovascular and Chronic Respiratory Diseases among Older People

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph182111275 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (21) ◽

pp. 11275

Author(s):

Ignacio Madero-Cabib ◽

Claudia Bambs

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Older People ◽

Life Course ◽

Tobacco Use ◽

Respiratory Diseases ◽

Chronic Respiratory Diseases ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Improved Design ◽

The Life Course

Background: We identify representative types of simultaneous tobacco use and alcohol consumption trajectories across the life course and estimate their association with cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases (CVDs and CRDs) among older people in Chile. Methods: We used data from a population-representative, face-to-face and longitudinal-retrospective survey focused on people aged 65–75 (N = 802). To reconstruct trajectory types, we employed weighted multichannel sequence analysis. Then, we estimated their associations with CVDs and CRDs through weighted logistic regression models. Results: Long-term exposure to tobacco use and alcohol consumption across life are associated with the highest CVD and CRD risks. Long-term nonsmokers and nondrinkers do not necessarily show the lowest CVDs and CRDs risks if these patterns are accompanied by health risk factors such as obesity or social disadvantages such as lower educational levels. Additionally, trajectories showing regular consumption in one domain but only in specific periods of life, whether early or late, while maintaining little or no consumption across life in the other domain, lead to lower CVDs or CRDs risks than trajectories indicating permanent consumption in both domains. Conclusions: A policy approach that considers CVDs and CRDs as conditions that strongly depend on previous individual experiences in diverse life domains can contribute to the improved design and evaluation of preventive strategies of tobacco use and alcohol consumption across the life course.

Download Full-text

Long-term effects of alcohol consumption on cognitive function in seniors: a cohort study in China

BMC Geriatrics ◽

10.1186/s12877-021-02606-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lizhen Han ◽

Jinzhu Jia

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Function ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Cox Model ◽

The Elderly ◽

Alcoholic Beverages ◽

Rice Wine ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Healthy Longevity

Abstract Background In the context of increasing global aging, the long-term effects of alcohol consumption on cognitive function in older adults were analyzed in order to provide rationalized health recommendations to the elderly population. Methods The study used the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) dataset, from which 5354 Chinese seniors aged 65–112 years were selected as the subjects, spanning the years 1998–2018. Data on alcohol, diet, activity, and cognition were collected by questionnaire and cognitive levels were judged by the Mini-Mental State Examination scale (also referenced to the Functional Assessment Staging Test). Data cleaning and preprocessing was implemented by R software. The dynamic Cox model was applied for model construction and data analysis. Results The results of the dynamic Cox model suggested that seniors who drank alcohol were at higher risk of cognitive decline compared to those who never drank (HR = 1.291, 95%CI: 1.175–1.419). The risk was similarly exacerbated by perennial drinking habits (i.e., longer drinking years, HR = 1.008, 95%CI: 1.004–1.013). Compared to non-alcoholic beverages, liquor (≥ 38°), liquor (< 38°), wine and rice wine all showed negative effects. Whereas, the risk of cognitive decline was relatively lower in seniors who consumed liquors (< 38°) and rice wine compared to the high-level liquor (HR: 0.672 (0.508, 0.887) and 0.732 (0.559, 0.957), respectively). Conclusions Alcohol consumption has a negative and long-term effects on cognitive function in seniors. For the elderly, we suggested that alcohol intake should be avoided as much as possible.

Download Full-text