title: Association between alcohol consumption and cognitive impairment in Southern Chinese older adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is limited data on the effects of alcohol consumption on cognitive impairment in Chinese populations.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between alcohol consumption and the risk of cognitive impairment in Southern Chinese older adults in Hong Kong.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study of 314 Chinese older participants, aged 65 years or over. Participants' socio-demographic, co-morbid diseases, alcohol drinking habits, and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) for cognitive function were obtained by a face-to-face interview. Participants were categorized into normal cognitive and cognitively impaired groups by education-adjusted MMSE cut-off scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean (SD) age of the participants was 79.9 (6.5) years. The average weekly alcohol consumption in the cognitively impaired group was significantly higher than that of the normal cognition group [mean (SD): 861.89 (673.03) versus 241.21 (276.26) grams per week respectively; p < 0.001, t-test]. Drinkers with light to moderate alcohol consumption were associated with higher MMSE scores than non-drinkers and heavy drinkers. Logistic regression analyses showed that heavy drinkers (> 400 g alcohol for men and > 280 g for women) were associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment (OR = 4.99, 95%CI = 1.8-13.82), while light drinkers and moderated drinkers (< 400 g for men and < 280 g for women) were associated with reduced risks (OR = 0.32, 95%CI = 0.12-0.86; OR = 0.17, 95%CI = 0.06-0.51, respectively). Exercise and age were independent protective and risk factors respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Heavy alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment while light to moderate alcohol consumption is associated with reduced risk among Southern Chinese older adults in Hong Kong.
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Ka Kin King
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Ka Chun
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Leung Wing
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Chu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors