title: Alcohol consumption in midlife and cognitive performance assessed 13 years later in the SU.VI.MAX 2 cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Associations between alcohol consumption and cognitive function are discordant and data focusing on midlife exposure are scarce.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the association between midlife alcohol consumption and cognitive performance assessed 13 y later while accounting for comorbidities and diet.
  
  
  METHODS
  3,088 French middle-aged adults included in the SU.VI.MAX (1994) study with available neuropsychological evaluation 13 y later. Data on alcohol consumption were obtained from repeated 24h dietary records collected in 1994-1996. Cognitive performance was assessed in 2007-2009 via a battery of 6 neuropsychological tests. A composite score was built as the mean of the standardized individual test scores (mean=50, SD=10). ANCOVA were performed to estimate mean differences in cognitive performance and 95% confidence intervals (CI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In women, abstainers displayed lower cognitive scores than did low-to-moderate alcohol drinkers (1 to 2 drinks/day) (mean difference= -1.77; 95% CI: -3.29, -0.25). In men, heavy drinkers (>3 drinks/day) had higher cognitive scores than did low-to-moderate (1 to 3 drinks/day) (mean difference=1.05; 95% CI: 0.10, 1.99). However, a lower composite cognitive score was detected in male drinkers consuming ≥ 90 g/d (≈8 drinks/d). A higher proportion of alcohol intake from beer was also associated with lower cognitive scores. These associations remained significant after adjustment for diet, comorbidities and sociodemographic factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In men, heavy but not extreme drinking was associated with higher global cognitive scores. Given the known harmful effects of alcohol even in low doses regarding risk of cancer, the study does not provide a basis for modifying current public health messages.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00272428.
authors.affiliation: UMR Inserm U557; Inra U1125; Cnam; Université Paris 13 Sorbonne Paris-Cité, CRNH Ile-de-France, Bobigny, France. e.kesse@uren.smbh.univ-paris13.fr
authors.forename: Emmanuelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kesse-Guyot
authors.forename: Valentina A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Andreeva
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jeandel
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferry
authors.forename: Mathilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Touvier
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hercberg
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Galan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests