Association between alcohol consumption and Alzheimer's disease: A Mendelian randomization study
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Abstract
Introduction: Observational studies have suggested that light‐to‐moderate alcohol consumption decreases the risk of Alzheimer's disease, but it is unclear if this association is causal. Methods: Two‐sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was used to examine whether alcohol consumption, alcohol dependence, or Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) scores were causally associated with the risk of Late‐Onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) or Alzheimer's disease age of onset survival (AAOS). Additionally, γ‐glutamyltransferase levels were included as a positive control. Results: There was no evidence of a causal association between alcohol consumption, alcohol dependence, or AUDIT, and LOAD. Alcohol consumption was associated with an earlier AAOS and increased γ‐glutamyltransferase blood concentrations. Alcohol dependence was associated with a delayed AAOS. Discussion: MR found robust evidence of a causal association between alcohol consumption and an earlier AAOS, but not alcohol intake and LOAD risk. The protective effect of alcohol dependence is potentially due to survivor bias.
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MR finds a causal relationship between alcohol consumption and earlier age of onset of AD, and suggests that any relationship between not drinking and AD is due to survivor bias.
“MR also finds a causal relationship between alcohol consumption and earlier age of onset of AD, and suggests that any relationship between not drinking and AD is due to survivor bias.(210)”
From Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission (2024) · cites this paper as [210]
The Results (Alzheimer’s Age of Onset Survival) and Discussion report that genetically predicted alcohol consumption was associated with earlier Alzheimer’s age of onset, supporting the first clause. The Discussion suggests survivor bias as a possible explanation for an apparent protective effect of alcohol dependence—not for any relationship between abstaining from alcohol and Alzheimer’s disease. It discusses heterogeneous abstainer groups as a separate limitation of observational studies. (LLM, conf=0.89)
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- Authors
- Andrews, S. J., Goate, A., & Anstey, K. J.
- Affiliations
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (US)
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Andrews, Shea J.
- Venue
- Alzheimer's & Dementia
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2020-01-04
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 345-353
- ISSN
- 1552-5260 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-5279
- PMC
- PMC7057166
- OpenAlex
- W2991448310
- Cited by
- 82
- References
- 52
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 6 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 4.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Alzheimer s & Dementia (publishedVersion)
- bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- UNSWorks (University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Funders
- National Health and Medical Research Council (1002560)
- JPB Foundation
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (U10AA08401)
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale
- Institut Pasteur
- Medical Research Council (503480)
- Alzheimer’s Research UK (503176)
- Wellcome Trust (082604/2/07/Z)
- Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute on Aging (R01 AG033193, AG081220, U01 AG032984, U24 AG021886, U01 AG016976)
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01 HL105756)
- Hjartavernd
- Erasmus Medisch Centrum
- Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam
- Alzheimer's Association (ADGC–10–196728)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Alcohol Consumption and Health Effects
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
- Keywords
- alcohol consumption, Alzheimer's disease
- MeSH terms
- Alcohol Drinking, Alcoholism, Alzheimer Disease, Female, Humans, Male, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Genome-Wide Association Study, Mendelian Randomization Analysis
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