Alcohol consumption and mortality in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease: a prospective cohort study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Alcohol consumption and mortality in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease

T2 - a prospective cohort study

AU - Berntsen, Sine

AU - Kragstrup, Jakob

AU - Siersma, Volkert Dirk

AU - Waldemar, Gunhild

AU - Waldorff, Frans Boch

PY - 2015/12/11

Y1 - 2015/12/11

N2 - Objective: To investigate the association betweenalcohol consumption and mortality in patients recentlydiagnosed with mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD).Design: A post hoc analysis study based on a clinicaltrial population.Setting: The data reported were collected as part ofthe Danish Alzheimer’s Intervention Study (DAISY), alongitudinal multicentre randomised controlled studyon the efficacy of psychosocial intervention in patientswith mild AD across five county districts in Denmark.Participants: 321 patients with mild AD (Mini-MentalState Examination ≥20) were included. Data regardingcurrent daily alcohol consumption were obtained fromthe patient’s primary caregivers at inclusion.Main outcome: All-cause mortality retrieved fromThe Danish Civil Registration System over a period of36 months after baseline.Results: Information about alcohol consumption wasobtained from all 321 study participants: 8% wereabstinent, 71% only had alcohol occasionally (1 or<1 unit/day), 17% had 2–3 units/day and 4% had morethan 3 units/day. An analysis adjusted for a range ofpotential confounders demonstrated a reducedmortality for patients with moderate alcoholconsumption (2–3 units/day): HR 0.23 (95% CI (0.08to 0.69)) compared with patients who had 1 or <1 unit/day. Mortality was not significantly different inabstinent patients or in patients with an alcoholconsumption of more than 3 units/day, compared withpatients drinking 1 or <1 unit/day.Conclusions: In this cohort of patients with mild AD,moderate alcohol consumption (2–3 units/day) wasassociated with a significantly lower mortality over aperiod of 36 months. Further studies are needed in thisarea. These may especially focus on the associationbetween alcohol consumption and cognitive decline inpatients with AD.

AB - Objective: To investigate the association betweenalcohol consumption and mortality in patients recentlydiagnosed with mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD).Design: A post hoc analysis study based on a clinicaltrial population.Setting: The data reported were collected as part ofthe Danish Alzheimer’s Intervention Study (DAISY), alongitudinal multicentre randomised controlled studyon the efficacy of psychosocial intervention in patientswith mild AD across five county districts in Denmark.Participants: 321 patients with mild AD (Mini-MentalState Examination ≥20) were included. Data regardingcurrent daily alcohol consumption were obtained fromthe patient’s primary caregivers at inclusion.Main outcome: All-cause mortality retrieved fromThe Danish Civil Registration System over a period of36 months after baseline.Results: Information about alcohol consumption wasobtained from all 321 study participants: 8% wereabstinent, 71% only had alcohol occasionally (1 or<1 unit/day), 17% had 2–3 units/day and 4% had morethan 3 units/day. An analysis adjusted for a range ofpotential confounders demonstrated a reducedmortality for patients with moderate alcoholconsumption (2–3 units/day): HR 0.23 (95% CI (0.08to 0.69)) compared with patients who had 1 or <1 unit/day. Mortality was not significantly different inabstinent patients or in patients with an alcoholconsumption of more than 3 units/day, compared withpatients drinking 1 or <1 unit/day.Conclusions: In this cohort of patients with mild AD,moderate alcohol consumption (2–3 units/day) wasassociated with a significantly lower mortality over aperiod of 36 months. Further studies are needed in thisarea. These may especially focus on the associationbetween alcohol consumption and cognitive decline inpatients with AD.

U2 - 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-007851

DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-007851

M3 - Tidsskriftartikel

SN - 2044-6055

VL - 5

SP - 1

EP - 7

JO - B M J Open

JF - B M J Open

IS - 12

M1 - e007851

ER -