Higher amyloid deposition and lower white matter volume in cognitively healthy seniors exceeding French alcohol recommendations.

BACKGROUND

Older adults are particularly vulnerable to alcohol's effects. Our aim was to establish whether differences in neurocognitive health exist between cognitively healthy seniors, depending on whether they follow recent French health recommendations for stricter drinking limits beyond age 65.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study including 133 community-dwelling cognitively healthy participants aged over 65 from the Age-Well Study. Based on their compliance with recommendations, participants were classified as lower-risk or higher-risk. Neurocognitive health was assessed comprehensively through standard cognitive testing, and voxel-wise analyses of structural integrity and cortical amyloid PET burden.

FINDINGS: Higher-risk participants displayed more neocortical amyloid deposition (F = 7.577; p = 0.007; d = 0.553) and lower cerebral volume, in the absence of a difference in cognition (p > 0.1).

INTERPRETATION: These results highlight that alcohol consumption exceeding age-specific recommendations is associated with lower brain integrity, notably including elevated amyloid burden, a biomarker strongly linked with higher risk of Alzheimer's disease-related cognitive decline and dementia. Our findings emphasise the importance of strict adherence to lower-risk thresholds in older populations.

FUNDING: European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (No 667696); Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM); Fondation Entrepreneurs MMA; FONDATION ALZHEIMER; Région Normandie; Fondation Recherche Alzheimer; Association France Alzheimer; Fondation de France; Institut pour la Recherche en Santé Publique (IRESP).