The impact of alcohol consumption on the cognitive performance of older adults with mild cognitive impairment

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundCurrent evidence suggests that excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing dementia and cognitive decline and that mild to moderate drinking confers protection; however, findings are mixed. In those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), evidence concerning the role of alcohol consumption is especially limited. To enhance understanding, we assessed the impact of alcohol use on cognitive trajectories in a large sample of older Americans with MCI.MethodUsing hierarchical linear mixed modeling and data from eight waves (2004‐2018) of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we examined the relationship between alcohol use and cognitive functioning (sum of tests of immediate and delayed word recall, a serial seven subtraction test, and counting backwards, range: 0 to 27) among 1468 adults age 60 years and older with MCI at baseline. Model covariates included APOE, demographics, functional status, and other health and lifestyle‐related factors that are associated with dementia.ResultThe average cognitive score of older adults with MCI at baseline was 9.5. While no significant association between alcohol consumption and cognitive functioning was observed at baseline, alcohol consumption was positively associated with cognitive functioning over time. Among those who did not consume alcohol, the average cognitive score declined by 0.12 points each year (β = ‐0.12, p<0.0001). Compared to those who never drank alcohol, low to moderate (male<15 and female<8 drinks; β = 0.08, p = 0.0001) and heavy (male> = 15 and female> = 8 drinks; β = 0.13, p = 0.03) drinking were associated with more favorable cognitive performance over time.ConclusionFindings from this study suggest that alcohol consumption confers protection against cognitive decline among older adults with MCI. Future studies are needed, however, to more fully investigate how the nature of drinking (e.g., types of drinks consumed, the number of drinking years, binge drinking) may influence the relationship between alcohol consumption and cognitive performance over time.