TY - JOUR
T1 - Alcohol consumption and cognitive performance
T2 - A mendelian randomization study
AU - Kumari, Meena
AU - Holmes, Michael V.
AU - Dale, Caroline E.
AU - Hubacek, Jaroslav A.
AU - Palmer, Tom M.
AU - Pikhart, Hynek
AU - Peasey, Anne
AU - Britton, Annie
AU - Horvat, Pia
AU - Kubinova, Ruzena
AU - Malyutina, Sofia
AU - Pajak, Andrzej
AU - Tamosiunas, Abdonas
AU - Shankar, Aparna
AU - Singh-Manoux, Archana
AU - Voevoda, Mikhail
AU - Kivimaki, Mika
AU - Hingorani, Aroon D.
AU - Marmot, Michael G.
AU - Casas, Juan P.
AU - Bobak, Martin
PY - 2014/9/1
Y1 - 2014/9/1
N2 - Aims: To use Mendelian randomization to assess whether alcohol intake was causally associated with cognitive function. Design: Mendelian randomization using a genetic variant related to alcohol intake (ADH1B rs1229984) was used to obtain unbiased estimates of the association between alcohol intake and cognitive performance. Setting: Europe. Participants: More than 34000 adults. Measurements: Any versus no alcohol intake and units of intake in the previous week was measured by questionnaire. Cognitive function was assessed in terms of immediate and delayed word recall, verbal fluency and processing speed. Findings: Having consumed any versus no alcohol was associated with higher scores by 0.17 standard deviations (SD) [95% confidence interval (CI)=0.15, 0.20] for immediate recall, 0.17 SD (95% CI=0.14, 0.19) for delayed recall, 0.17 SD (95% CI=0.14, 0.19) for verbal fluency and 0.12 SD (95% CI=0.09, 0.15) for processing speed. The minor allele of rs1229984 was associated with reduced odds of consuming any alcohol (odds ratio=0.87; 95% CI=0.80, 0.95; P=0.001; R2=0.1%; F-statistic=47). In Mendelian randomization analysis, the minor allele was not associated with any cognitive test score, and instrumental variable analysis suggested no causal association between alcohol consumption and cognition: -0.74 SD (95% CI=-1.88, 0.41) for immediate recall, -1.09 SD (95% CI=-2.38, 0.21) for delayed recall, -0.63 SD (95% CI=-1.78, 0.53) for verbal fluency and -0.16 SD (95% CI=-1.29, 0.97) for processing speed. Conclusions: The Mendelian randomization analysis did not provide strong evidence of a causal association between alcohol consumption and cognitive ability.
AB - Aims: To use Mendelian randomization to assess whether alcohol intake was causally associated with cognitive function. Design: Mendelian randomization using a genetic variant related to alcohol intake (ADH1B rs1229984) was used to obtain unbiased estimates of the association between alcohol intake and cognitive performance. Setting: Europe. Participants: More than 34000 adults. Measurements: Any versus no alcohol intake and units of intake in the previous week was measured by questionnaire. Cognitive function was assessed in terms of immediate and delayed word recall, verbal fluency and processing speed. Findings: Having consumed any versus no alcohol was associated with higher scores by 0.17 standard deviations (SD) [95% confidence interval (CI)=0.15, 0.20] for immediate recall, 0.17 SD (95% CI=0.14, 0.19) for delayed recall, 0.17 SD (95% CI=0.14, 0.19) for verbal fluency and 0.12 SD (95% CI=0.09, 0.15) for processing speed. The minor allele of rs1229984 was associated with reduced odds of consuming any alcohol (odds ratio=0.87; 95% CI=0.80, 0.95; P=0.001; R2=0.1%; F-statistic=47). In Mendelian randomization analysis, the minor allele was not associated with any cognitive test score, and instrumental variable analysis suggested no causal association between alcohol consumption and cognition: -0.74 SD (95% CI=-1.88, 0.41) for immediate recall, -1.09 SD (95% CI=-2.38, 0.21) for delayed recall, -0.63 SD (95% CI=-1.78, 0.53) for verbal fluency and -0.16 SD (95% CI=-1.29, 0.97) for processing speed. Conclusions: The Mendelian randomization analysis did not provide strong evidence of a causal association between alcohol consumption and cognitive ability.
KW - ADH1B
KW - Alcohol intake
KW - Cognition
KW - Memory
KW - Processing speed
KW - Verbal fluency
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84927697650&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/add.12568
DO - 10.1111/add.12568
M3 - Article (Academic Journal)
C2 - 24716453
AN - SCOPUS:84927697650
SN - 0965-2140
VL - 109
SP - 1462
EP - 1471
JO - Addiction
JF - Addiction
IS - 9
ER -