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Alcohol consumption and risk of dementia: the Rotterdam Study
Ruitenberg A, van Swieten JC, Witteman JC, Mehta KM, van Duijn CM, Hofman A, Breteler MM.. Lancet (London, England), 2002-01-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. Because vascular disease is associated with cognitive impairment and dementia, we hypothesised that alcohol consumption might also affect the risk of dementia. Methods We examined the relation between alcohol consumption and risk of dementia in individuals taking part in the Rotterdam Study--a prospective population-based study of 7983 individuals aged 55 years and older. We studied all participants who did not have dementia at baseline (1990-93) and who had complete data on alcohol consumption (n=5395). Through follow-up examinations in 1993-94 and 1997-99 and an extensive monitoring system, we obtained nearly complete follow-up (99.7%) until the end of 1999. We used proportional hazards regression analysis, adjusted for age, sex, systolic blood pressure, education, smoking, and body-mass index, to compare the risk of developing dementia between individuals who regularly consumed alcohol and individuals who did not consume alcohol. Findings The average follow-up was 6.0 years. During this period, 197 individuals developed dementia (146 Alzheimer's disease, 29 vascular dementia, 22 other dementia). The median alcohol consumption was 0.29 drinks per day. Light-to-moderate drinking (one to three drinks per day) was significantly associated with a lower risk of any dementia (hazard ratio 0.58 [95% CI 0.38-0.90]) and vascular dementia (hazard ratio 0.29 [0.09-0.93]). We found no evidence that the relation between alcohol and dementia varied by type of alcoholic beverage. Interpretation These findings suggest that light-to-moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a reduced risk of dementia in individuals aged 55 years or older. The effect seems to be unchanged by the source of alcohol.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Ruitenberg, A., van Swieten, J. C., Witteman, J. C., Mehta, K. M., van Duijn, C. M., Hofman, A., et al. (2002). Alcohol consumption and risk of dementia: the Rotterdam Study. Lancet (London, England). https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(02)07493-7
Vancouver
Ruitenberg A, van Swieten JC, Witteman JC, Mehta KM, van Duijn CM, Hofman A, et al. Alcohol consumption and risk of dementia: the Rotterdam Study. Lancet (London, England). 2002. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(02)07493-7. PMID: 11830193.
BibTeX
@article{ruitenberg2002-11830193,
author = {Ruitenberg, A. and van Swieten, J. C. and Witteman, J. C. and Mehta, K. M. and van Duijn, C. M. and Hofman, A. and Breteler, M. M.},
title = {{Alcohol consumption and risk of dementia: the Rotterdam Study}},
journal = {Lancet (London, England)},
year = {2002},
doi = {10.1016/s0140-6736(02)07493-7},
pmid = {11830193},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(02)07493-7}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Because vascular disease is associated with cognitive impairment and dementia, we hypothesised that alcohol consumption might also affect the risk of dementia.
- Light-to-moderate drinking (one to three drinks per day) was significantly associated with a lower risk of any dementia (hazard ratio 0.58 [95% CI 0.38-0.90]) and vascular dementia (hazard ratio 0.29 [0.09-0.93]).
- We found no evidence that the relation between alcohol and dementia varied by type of alcoholic beverage.
- Interpretation These findings suggest that light-to-moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a reduced risk of dementia in individuals aged 55 years or older.
Why it matters
This population study found that light-to-moderate drinking was associated with a lower risk of any dementia and vascular dementia, but it did not test whether alcohol prevents Alzheimer's disease. It is an observational study and does not establish that drinking alcohol treats, cures, or prevents Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Participants5,395
- Effect size99.7%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 61/100
Published in a top-tier journal. Scored zero for study design and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 10 / 10 | Tier 1 — top-tier general journal (Lancet (London, England)) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | The Lancet: journal h-index 1,205 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2002 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 5,395 participants |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 555 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 21.3 citations a year over 26 year(s) since 2002 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 22.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 17 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 31 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Monique M.B. Breteler: h-index 162 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Erasmus MC: institution h-index 1,321 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 11830193) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 61 / 100 | — |
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