Alcohol intake and cerebral abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging in a community-based population of middle-aged adults: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.
OBJECTIVE
Although the risks associated with heavy drinking for increased stroke and neurodegenerative changes are well established, the effects on the brain of low to moderate alcohol intake are unclear. Subclinical cerebral abnormalities identified on MRI have been associated with neurocognitive decline and incident stroke. We examined the associations of alcohol intake with MRI-defined cerebral abnormalities in a middle-aged, population-based cohort.


METHODS
During 1993-1994, a total of 1909 middle-aged adults (40% men and 49% blacks) from 2 communities in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study (Forsyth County, North Carolina, and Jackson, Miss) underwent a cerebral MRI examination. Trained neuroradiologists coded the images for the presence of infarction and the extent (10-point scale) of white matter lesions, ventricular size, and sulcal size.


RESULTS
In logistic regression analyses, there was no association between alcohol intake and the presence of MRI infarction. In linear regression analyses, alcohol intake was not associated with white matter grade. However, intake of each additional alcoholic drink per week was associated with a 0.01 grade greater ventricular size (P=0.03) and a 0.009 grade greater sulcal size (P=0.02) after adjustment for age, sex, race, body mass index, smoking, income, sports index, and diabetes. The positive associations of alcohol intake with ventricular and sulcal size were consistent across sex and race subgroups.


CONCLUSIONS
A protective effect of low to moderate alcohol intake on cerebral infarction was not found; moreover, increased alcohol intake was associated with brain atrophy.
Ding
Jingzhong
J
Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Room 6009, Baltimore, Md 21205, USA. jding@jhsph.edu
Eigenbrodt
Marsha L
ML
Mosley
Thomas H
TH
Hutchinson
Richard G
RG
Folsom
Aaron R
AR
Harris
Tamara B
TB
Nieto
F Javier
FJ
D017677:Age Distribution; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001284:Atrophy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D008922:Mississippi / Q000453:epidemiology; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012306:Risk; D017678:Sex Distribution; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001741:Black or African American