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Alcohol use disorder accelerates age-related cognitive decline
Hartz, S. M.; Meyers, J.; Plawecki, M. H.; Bucholz, K. K.; Chan, G.; Dick, D.; Dong, F.; Edenberg et al.. medRxiv (preprint), 2026-09-23
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
ObjectiveTo investigate whether a lifetime history of DSM-5 AUD and correlated indices of alcohol consumption are associated with accelerated age-related cognitive decline in middle-aged and older adults. ResultsAt the time of cognitive assessment, the overall sample had a mean age of 52.5 years (SD = 14.5) with a mean longitudinal observation period of 25.0 years (SD = 4.7). While baseline mean cognitive composite scores were similar between those with and without AUD, lifetime AUD was significantly associated with steeper age-related decline for both the Total Composite score (interaction estimate = -0.092, 95% CI [-0.173, -0.010], p = 0.03) and Fluid Composite score (interaction estimate = -0.13, 95% CI [-0.220, -0.040], p = 0.005). No significant AUD-by-age interaction was observed for Crystallized Composite scores (interaction estimate = -0.026, 95% CI [-0.092, 0.041], p = 0.449). Measures of current (past-year) drinking status and current drinks per week showed no significant interaction with age. ConclusionsA lifetime history of AUD acts as a catalyst for cognitive aging, significantly steepening the trajectory of age-related decline in total and fluid cognitive functioning well before the onset of clinical dementia.
Key findings
- ObjectiveTo investigate whether a lifetime history of DSM-5 AUD and correlated indices of alcohol consumption are associated with accelerated age-related cognitive decline in middle-aged and older adults.
- ResultsAt the time of cognitive assessment, the overall sample had a mean age of 52.5 years (SD = 14.5) with a mean longitudinal observation period of 25.0 years (SD = 4.7).
- While baseline mean cognitive composite scores were similar between those with and without AUD, lifetime AUD was significantly associated with steeper age-related decline for both the Total Composite score (interaction estimate = -0.092, 95% CI [-0.173, -0.010], p = 0.03) and Fluid Composite score (interaction estimate = -0.13, 95% CI [-0.220, -0.040], p = 0.005).
- No significant AUD-by-age interaction was observed for Crystallized Composite scores (interaction estimate = -0.026, 95% CI [-0.092, 0.041], p = 0.449).
- Measures of current (past-year) drinking status and current drinks per week showed no significant interaction with age.
Why it matters
People with a lifetime history of alcohol use disorder showed faster age-related decline in total and fluid thinking skills over about 25 years, well before any dementia would typically appear. This suggests heavy lifetime drinking may speed up cognitive aging, but it does not test whether treating alcohol use disorder prevents dementia.
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Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Participants1,421
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 16/100
Preprint — not yet peer-reviewed. It scored 37 on the same rubric, but non-peer-reviewed sources are capped at 16, so it shows as 16. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on impact for its field and year, so that was left out: it earned 35 of the 94 points we could judge it on, which is 37 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 2 / 10 | Tier 4 — not a peer-reviewed journal (medRxiv (preprint)) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Not a journal article, so the journal's record does not count |
| Study design | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 4 / 10 | Preprint — not yet peer-reviewed. Hosted on a preprint server. |
| How recent | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 1,421 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 | 0 / 7 | Cited 0 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.0 citations a year over 2 year(s) since 2026 |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Laura Jean Bierut: h-index 101 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Washington University in St. Louis: institution h-index 1,962 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 6 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 1 / 2 | Not in PubMed, but has a DOI |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 35 / 94 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 35 of the 94 points we could judge it on is 37 out of 100. |
| Total | 37 / 100 | Capped to 16 because this is not a peer-reviewed article. |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Hartz, S. M., Meyers, J., Plawecki, M. H., Bucholz, K. K., Chan, G., Dick, D., et al. (2026). Alcohol use disorder accelerates age-related cognitive decline. medRxiv (preprint). https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.22.26363720
Vancouver
Hartz SM, Meyers J, Plawecki MH, Bucholz KK, Chan G, Dick D, et al. Alcohol use disorder accelerates age-related cognitive decline. medRxiv (preprint). 2026. doi:10.64898/2026.09.22.26363720.
BibTeX
@article{hartz2026-e63c43ee,
author = {Hartz, S. M. and Meyers, J. and Plawecki, M. H. and Bucholz, K. K. and Chan, G. and Dick, D. and Dong, F. and Edenberg and others},
title = {{Alcohol use disorder accelerates age-related cognitive decline}},
journal = {medRxiv (preprint)},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.22.26363720},
url = {https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.22.26363720}
}
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