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Alcohol intake in relation to brain magnetic resonance imaging findings in older persons without dementia
den Heijer T, Vermeer SE, van Dijk EJ, Prins ND, Koudstaal PJ, van Duijn CM, Hofman A, Breteler MM.. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 2004-10-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Consumers of light-to-moderate amounts of alcohol have a lower risk of dementia and, possibly, Alzheimer disease than do abstainers. Because vascular disease may contribute to symptoms of Alzheimer disease, reduction of cerebrovascular disease in consumers of light amounts of alcohol could account for that observation. However, a low concentration of alcohol may also have direct effects on the hippocampus, a brain structure highly affected by Alzheimer disease. Objective We investigated alcohol intake in relation to brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of presumed vascular origin (ie, white matter lesions and infarcts) and findings more specifically found in early Alzheimer disease (ie, hippocampal and amygdalar atrophy). Design In a population-based sample of 1074 older persons without dementia (aged 60-90 y), we made brain MRIs from which we rated white matter lesions and brain infarcts. In a subset of 509 people, hippocampal and amygdalar volumes on MRI were measured. Alcohol intake was assessed by using a structured questionnaire. We categorized alcohol intake as lifetime abstention and very light ( /=1 drink/wk to /=1 drink/d to /=4 drinks/d) intakes. Results Persons whose alcohol consumption was light to moderate had less severe white matter lesions and brain infarcts on MRI than did abstainers or heavy drinkers. Abstainers and very light drinkers had smaller hippocampal and amygdalar volumes on MRI than did light-to-moderate drinkers, but only if the former carried an apolipoprotein (APOE) epsilon4 allele. Conclusion Light-to-moderate alcohol intake is associated with a lower prevalence of vascular brain findings and, in APOE epsilon4 carriers, hippocampal and amygdalar atrophy on MRI.
Key findings
- Background Consumers of light-to-moderate amounts of alcohol have a lower risk of dementia and, possibly, Alzheimer disease than do abstainers.
- Results Persons whose alcohol consumption was light to moderate had less severe white matter lesions and brain infarcts on MRI than did abstainers or heavy drinkers.
- Conclusion Light-to-moderate alcohol intake is associated with a lower prevalence of vascular brain findings and, in APOE epsilon4 carriers, hippocampal and amygdalar atrophy on MRI.
Why it matters
This observational study found that people who drank light to moderate amounts of alcohol had less severe white matter lesions and brain infarcts on MRI than abstainers or heavy drinkers. It does not show that drinking alcohol prevents or treats Alzheimer's disease, and the findings are associations, not proof of cause and effect.
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Study details
- Participants509
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 46/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The American journal of clinical nutrition) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: journal h-index 499 (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 | 2004 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 509 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 95 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 4.0 citations a year over 24 year(s) since 2004 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 3 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 7 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) |
| Multi-centre 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 15447910) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 46 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/80.4.992
- PubMed: 15447910
- Original source →
- Free full text: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
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 8 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.
APA 7th
den Heijer, T., Vermeer, S. E., van Dijk, E. J., Prins, N. D., Koudstaal, P. J., van Duijn, C. M., et al. (2004). Alcohol intake in relation to brain magnetic resonance imaging findings in older persons without dementia. The American journal of clinical nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/80.4.992
Vancouver
den Heijer T, Vermeer SE, van Dijk EJ, Prins ND, Koudstaal PJ, van Duijn CM, et al. Alcohol intake in relation to brain magnetic resonance imaging findings in older persons without dementia. The American journal of clinical nutrition. 2004. doi:10.1093/ajcn/80.4.992. PMID: 15447910.
BibTeX
@article{denheijer2004-15447910,
author = {den Heijer, T. and Vermeer, S. E. and van Dijk, E. J. and Prins, N. D. and Koudstaal, P. J. and van Duijn, C. M. and Hofman, A. and Breteler, M. M.},
title = {{Alcohol intake in relation to brain magnetic resonance imaging findings in older persons without dementia}},
journal = {The American journal of clinical nutrition},
year = {2004},
doi = {10.1093/ajcn/80.4.992},
pmid = {15447910},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/80.4.992}
}
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