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Even those who drink in moderation might want to cut back on their alcohol consumption, according to recent findings by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina.
They found that alcohol kills brain cells and is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. The disease is the most common type of dementia. It accounts for 60% to 80% of the cases of the condition, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
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Earlier studies have found that alcohol is linked with dementia, but this study went further by analyzing how alcohol influences the pathology and progression of Alzheimer’s.
Only a Modest Amount
The scientists found that even only a modest amount of alcohol can work in two ways to cause Alzheimer’s disease. It can speed up brain atrophy, or brain cell loss. It also can increase the amount of amyloid plaques, which are the build up of poisonous proteins that cause Alzheimer’s disease.
The findings suggest that alcohol might speed up the development of Alzheimer’s in its earlier stages, says Dr. Shannon Macauley, who is associate professor of physiology and pharmacology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Mouse Models Used
The scientists reached their findings by employing mouse models to analyze the processes related to Alzheimer’s disease. Over 10 weeks the mice were given the option to drink alcohol or water. The approach imitated human behavior as far as drinking alcohol was concerned.
They then checked on what happened when moderate, voluntary consumption of alcohol changed healthy brain behavior and function. They also looked at whether it changed the body’s processes linked with the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
They found that alcohol caused the brain cells to die more quickly. They found, too, that alcohol resulted in more amyloid plaques, particularly smaller plaques. Such action potentially sets the stage for the creation of more and more plaques later in life.
An interesting finding was that the sudden withdrawal of alcohol boosted the levels of amyloid-beta, a key component of the amyloid plaques that increase in Alzheimer’s disease.
Additional analysis indicated that chronic exposure to alcohol caused the brain to be poorly regulated—an additional way in which the development of Alzheimer’s disease can be speeded up.
Increases in Blood Sugar Levels
Macauley found in a previous study that higher than normal increases in blood sugar levels raised the number of amyloid plaques. In this study researchers found that even moderate consumption of alcohol caused blood sugar to be elevated and a higher degree of insulin resistance. Those factors, in turn, raised the risk not only of developing Alzheimer’s but also other diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Another finding in this study was that even moderate use of alcohol raised behavior related to anxiety as well as dementia.
Modifiable Risk Factor
The preclinical findings generally suggest that even the moderate use of alcohol can cause brain injury, says Macauley. For that reason the consumption of alcohol might be a modifiable risk factor for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
The study was led by Macauley as well as Dr. Jeffrey Weiner, professor of physiology and pharmacology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine through the school’s Translational Alcohol Research Center and its Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.
