The impact of alcohol on Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review

Abstract

Currently, there is discrepancy regarding alcohol's impact on Alzheimer's disease (AD). Consequently, the purpose of this systematic review was to determine whether alcohol serves as a protective agent against the development of AD, as well as whether protective effects are influenced by quantity and/or frequency of drinking. Adapted versions of the Matrix Method and PRISMA guidelines were used in order to identify, organize, and synthesize relevant research. Overall, there is no consensus regarding alcohol's impact on AD. Specifically, seven articles suggested drinking alcohol decreases the risk of AD, three studies found drinking led to an increased risk of AD, and yet another nine reported alcohol had no impact on AD. Validity and consistency of both alcohol and AD measures across studies represents a severe limitation. Prior to the development of standards and/or clinical recommendations, more investigations into the association between alcohol and AD are necessary. Considering the current evidence base, alcohol should not be used as a means to decrease risk of developing AD.

Keywords:

• Alzheimer's disease
• alcohol
• drinking
• dementia

Notes

Note

1. Operational definitions for light-to-moderate and regular drinking varied among studies [i.e., >10 drinks/week (Ogunniyi et al., 2006); 1+ times/week (Lindsay et al., 2002); and 1–21 units/week for men and 1–14 units/week for women (Deng et al., 2006; Huang et al., 2002)].