Age- and sex-specific modifiable risk factor profiles of dementia: evidence from the UK Biobank

Background: To inform targeted preventive strategies of dementia, systematic investigation in its age- and sex-specific modifiable risk factor profiles in the general adult population is warranted.Methods: We used data of 372,867 adults free from dementia at baseline (2006-2010) in the UK Biobank, and followed them up until March 2021. We assigned participants into five groups according to their age and into two groups according to their sex. We estimated the age- and sex-specific hazard ratios (HRs) using Cox proportional hazard models and calculated the corresponding population attributable fractions (PAFs) for dementia attributable to three major categories of modifiable risk factors, including socioeconomic (low education level, high Townsend deprivation index), lifestyle (non-moderate alcohol intake, current smoking, suboptimal diet, non-regular physical exercise, and sleep duration <=6 or >=8 hrs/d), and health condition (hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and depressive symptom) risk factors.Findings: During 4,338,030 person-years of follow-up, 113, 146, 360, 1,087, and 2,002 of participants across five increasing age groups (40-<50, 50-<55, 55-<60, 60-<65, or >=65 y), respectively, were newly diagnosed with dementia. Five out of eleven modifiable risk factors showed significantly stronger associations with dementia among younger adults than in relatively older adults (P-interactions < 0.05), including non-moderate alcohol intake (HR [95% confidence interval, CI]=1.90 [1.35, 2.68] for participants 50-<55 y vs. 1.22 [1.11, 1.35] for participants > 65 y), suboptimal diet (1.86 [1.26, 2.74] for participants 40-< 50 y vs. 0.96 [0.86, 1.06] for participants > 65 y), hypertension (1.52 [0.96, 2.42] vs. 1.08 [0.99, 1.19]), CVD (4.20 [2.15, 8.22] vs. 1.64 [1.45, 1.85]), and diabetes (3.09 [1.60, 6.00] vs. 1.73 [1.51, 2.00]). We observed no significant difference in dementia risk factor profiles between women and men. Dementia cases attributable to three categories of risk factors all decreased with age, with the PAFs (95% CI) for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health condition risk factors being 52.56% (22.98%, 82.15%), 46.57% (8.08%, 85.06%), and 35.42% (24.09%, 46.75%) for participants aged 40-<50 y, and 12.29% (3.82%, 20.75%), 13.01% (2.53%, 23.49%), and 15.85% (11.81%, 19.90%) for those over 65 y.Interpretation: This study identified stronger association and greater attributable risk of several modifiable risk factors for dementia among younger adults, underscoring the importance of preventive strategies from an earlier age across adult life course to reduce the risk of dementia.

Moderate Alcohol Intake Changes Visual Perception by Enhancing V1 Inhibitory Surround Interactions

Moderate alcohol consumption is considered to enhance the cortical GABA-ergic inhibitory system and it also variously affects visual perception. However, little behavioral evidence indicates changes of visual perception due to V1 modulated by alcohol intoxication. In this study, we investigated this issue by using center-surround tilt illusion (TI) as a probe of V1 inhibitory interactions, by taking into account possible higher-order effects. Participants conducted TI measures under sober, moderate alcohol intoxication, and placebo states. We found alcohol significantly increased repulsive TI effect and weakened orientation discrimination performance, which is consistent with the increase of lateral inhibition between orientation sensitive V1 neurons caused by alcohol intoxication. We also observed no visible changes in the data for global orientation processing but a presence of global attentional modulation. Thus, our results provide psychophysics evidence that alcohol changed V1 processing, which affects visual perception of contextual stimuli.

Deterioration of binocular vision after alcohol intake influences driving performance

In this study, we assessed the influence of moderate alcohol intake on binocular vision, vergence system and simulated driving performance by analyzing the interactions between visual deterioration and driving variables. Thirty young healthy subjects were recruited. For the analysis, we measured: visual function (visual acuity and stereoacuity), phorias and fusional reserves. Also, we checked Sheard’s and Percival’s criteria at near and far. The accommodative convergence/accommodation (AC/A) ratio was calculated and vergence facility was also obtained at near. A driving simulator was used to assess driving performance under natural conditions and after alcohol consumption with a breath alcohol content of 0.40 mg/l. Alcohol intake significantly reduced binocular visual performance and vergence function, except for vertical phorias, horizontal phoria at near and Sheard’s and Percival’s criteria at near. Driving performance parameters also presented a statistically significant deterioration after alcohol consumption. A statistically significant correlation was found between the deterioration in overall visual function and overall driving performance, highlighting the influence of the visual deterioration on the driving performance. Moderate alcohol consumption impairs binocular visual and simulated driving performances, implying a greater safety hazard. In addition, deteriorations in binocular visual function and vergence correlated with simulated driving impairment, which indicates that the deterioration of binocular vision due to alcohol consumption affects driving, thus reducing road safety.

Meta-analysis of alcohol consumption and venous thromboembolism

Background The associations of alcohol consumption and venous thromboembolism (VTE) have been investigated widely, but the conclusions were inconsistent. Objective To summarize the relationship of alcohol consumption and VTE. Methods This study has been registered in PROSPERO (ID: CRD42020164567). We searched the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library databases from inception to September 2019 and reviewed the reference list of relevant articles to identify studies assessing the association between alcohol consumption and risk of VTE. Results Fourteen cohorts and four case-control studies were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with non-drinkers, the risk of VTE was decreased (RR: 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.88–0.99) for alcohol drinkers. The pooled RRs of VTE were 0.91 (95% CI 0.84–0.99) for low to moderate alcohol intake (0.1–14.0 drinks/week) and 0.91 (95% CI 0.78–1.06) for high alcohol intake (&gt;14.0 drinks/week) compared with non-drinker. Subgroup analysis showed liquor intake might slightly increase the risk of VTE (1.01; 95% CI 0.85–1.21) although the difference was not significant. Conclusions Alcohol consumption in low to moderate was associated with a lower risk of VTE. However, precautions are needed when providing personal drinking advice considering the potential harm of alcohol. Further studies are warranted to determine whether moderate alcohol consumption has a causal role in VTE.

Polygenic risk score, healthy lifestyles, and risk of incident depression

Genetic factors increase the risk of depression, but the extent to which this can be offset by modifiable lifestyle factors is unknown. We investigated whether a combination of healthy lifestyles is associated with lower risk of depression regardless of genetic risk. Data were obtained from the UK Biobank and consisted of 339,767 participants (37–73 years old) without depression between 2006 and 2010. Genetic risk was categorized as low, intermediate, or high according to polygenic risk score for depression. A combination of healthy lifestyles factors—including no current smoking, regular physical activity, a healthy diet, moderate alcohol intake and a body mass index <30 kg/m2—was categorized into favorable, intermediate, and unfavorable lifestyles. The risk of depression was 22% higher among those at high genetic risk compared with those at low genetic risk (HR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.14–1.30). Participants with high genetic risk and unfavorable lifestyle had a more than two-fold risk of incident depression compared with low genetic risk and favorable lifestyle (HR = 2.18, 95% CI: 1.84–2.58). There was no significant interaction between genetic risk and lifestyle factors (P for interaction = 0.69). Among participants at high genetic risk, a favorable lifestyle was associated with nearly 50% lower relative risk of depression than an unfavorable lifestyle (HR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.43–0.60). We concluded that genetic and lifestyle factors were independently associated with risk of incident depression. Adherence to healthy lifestyles may lower the risk of depression regardless of genetic risk.

Association between alcohol intake and the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives Previous studies have reported inconsistent results on the relationship between alcohol intake and the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to illustrate the potential role of alcohol intake on the progression of SLE. Methods An electronic search of the PubMed, EmBase, and the Cochrane library databases was conducted from their inception up to March 2020. Observational studies that investigated the role of alcohol intake on the risk of SLE were eligible for inclusion in this study. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated as an effect estimate using the random-effects model. Results Seven case-control studies (n = 3, 251) and three cohort studies (n = 322, 479) were selected for the final meta-analysis. Mild (OR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.53–1.38; p = 0.515) or heavy (OR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.37–1.09; p = 0.102) alcohol intake were not associated with the risk of SLE, while moderate alcohol intake could protect against the risk of SLE (OR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.55–0.93; p = 0.012). Sensitivity analysis suggested that heavy alcohol intake was associated with a reduced risk of SLE (OR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.32–0.67; p < 0.001). Conclusions This study found that moderate alcohol intake could protect against the risk of SLE, while mild or heavy alcohol intake did not significantly affect the risk of SLE.

Benefits and hazards of alcohol-the J-shaped curve and public health

Purpose The purpose of this paper is a review of updated evidence of a J-shaped association between alcohol consumption and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and all-cause mortality in relation to public health issues to create a basis for sensible individual health deliberations. Design/methodology/approach A review of the evidence from the first observation of a J-shaped association between a moderate alcohol intake and CHD in 1926 to recent studies of the effect of healthy lifestyles (including moderate alcohol intake) on life expectancy free of cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer and Type 2 diabetes. An update on the biological plausibility of the J-shaped association with focus on recent findings of the association of alcohol intake and blood lipid levels. Findings Plausible J-shaped relations between light to moderate alcohol consumption and the risk of CHD, CVD mortality and all-cause mortality have been found in a large number of robust epidemiological studies. Among the potential mechanisms underlying the proposed protective effects are higher levels of high-density lipoprotein lacking apolipoprotein C3, reduced platelet aggregability, increased level of endothelial cell fibrinolysis, increased insulin sensitivity and decreased inflammation. Originality/value The existence of a J-shaped association between alcohol consumption and the risk of CHD and all-cause mortality is based on observational evidence and accordingly challenged by a degree of uncertainty leading some public health circles to state: “there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.” The authors propose that communication on the pros and cons of alcohol intake should emphasize the nadir of a J-shaped curve as a healthy range for the general population while advice regarding the consumption of alcohol should be adjusted to factor in the risks and potential benefits for each individual patient considering age, sex, family history, personal drinking history and specific medical history.

No effect of moderate alcohol intake on the detection of concealed identity information in the laboratory

The Concealed Information Test (CIT) enables the detection of certain (e.g., crime-relevant or personal) information, even if participants aim to conceal their knowledge. The current preregistered study investigated whether previously observed impairing effects of alcohol intoxication on participants’ performance in a reaction time CIT (RT CIT) field study also translate to a laboratory environment. In contrast to the previous study of Suchotzki and Gamer (Sci Rep 8:7825, 2018) in which alcohol consumption was voluntary and self-administered, the current study used a randomized assignment of participants to either an alcohol group (n = 88; receiving a drink with 3 cl alcohol) or a sober control group (n = 89; receiving a drink with just some alcohol drops to hide group assignment). After drink administration, participants completed an RT CIT, in which they were instructed to hide knowledge of their own identity. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was estimated via breath alcohol ratio. In contrast to the previous field study, results revealed no differences in CIT-performance between intoxicated and sober participants. Aside from questioning the robustness of the result of the previous field study, our results also point to a number of interesting theoretical explanations for the discrepancy between both results, which are elaborated in the discussion.

Impact of evening alcohol consumption on nocturnal autonomic and cardiovascular function in adult men and women: a dose–response laboratory investigation

Study Objectives To investigate the dose-dependent impact of moderate alcohol intake on sleep-related cardiovascular (CV) function, in adult men and women. Methods A total of 26 healthy adults (30–60 years; 11 women) underwent 3 nights of laboratory polysomnographic (PSG) recordings in which different doses of alcohol (low: 1 standard drink for women and 2 drinks for men; high: 3 standard drinks for women and 4 drinks for men; placebo: no alcohol) were administered in counterbalanced order before bedtime. These led to bedtime average breath alcohol levels of up to 0.02% for the low doses and around 0.05% for the high doses. Autonomic and CV function were evaluated using electrocardiography, impedance cardiography, and beat-to-beat blood pressure monitoring. Results Presleep alcohol ingestion resulted in an overall increase in nocturnal heart rate (HR), suppressed total and high-frequency (vagal) HR variability, reduced baroreflex sensitivity, and increased sympathetic activity, with effects pronounced after high-dose alcohol ingestion (p’s &lt; 0.05); these changes followed different dose- and measure-dependent nocturnal patterns in men and women. Systolic blood pressure showed greater increases during the morning hours of the high-alcohol dose night compared to the low-alcohol dose night and placebo, in women only (p’s &lt; 0.05). Conclusions Acute evening alcohol consumption, even at moderate doses, has marked dose- and time-dependent effects on sleep CV regulation in adult men and women. Further studies are needed to evaluate the potential CV risk of repeated alcohol-related alterations in nighttime CV restoration in healthy individuals and in those at high risk for CV diseases, considering sex and alcohol dose and time effects.