A warning has been issued over drinking habits that could actually accelerate Alzheimer’s disease.
New research published in the eNeuro journal has uncovered that Alzheimer’s and alcohol use disorder (AUD) share similar patterns of gene expression in the brain. This means that drinking alcohol could speed up the progression of Alzheimer’s.
Scientists used brain cell samples from 75 patients at different stages of Alzheimer’s disease to analyse their ribonucleic acid (RNA), which produces proteins for the body.
They did the same with ten patients without Alzheimer’s and found that both AUD and Alzheimer’s are associated with similar changes in the brain, including increased inflammation, disruption to cell signalling and cell-death-related pathways, and changes to blood vessel cells, SurreyLive reports.
Senior study author Pietro Paolo Sanna, from Scripps Research, said: “We found several cell-type-specific genes and pathways that are dysregulated in both Alzheimer’s disease and alcohol.
“This supports the hypothesis that alcohol use disorder can accelerate Alzheimer’s disease progression by impinging on some of the same molecular mechanisms that are affected by Alzheimer’s.
“By understanding these dysregulations, we can understand what’s causing these diseases, and we can also identify targets that could be used therapeutically.”
Arpita Joshi, first author of the study, remarked: “This deepens our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and what the three stages of Alzheimer’s entail. It underscores the importance of considering alcohol use disorder as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s.”
Joshi added: “We are eagerly awaiting the release of larger alcohol use datasets so that we can test the robustness of these findings and examine the commonalities between the two disorders with finer cell-type granularity.
“This is a global effort to unravel complex diseases at the single-cell level, which will lead to a better understanding of the molecular and cellular perturbations in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, alcohol use disorder, and their interactions.”
The Alzheimer Society warns that the following factors can raise your risk of Alzheimer’s disease:
High blood pressure
Smoking
Diabetes
Obesity
Lack of physical activity
Poor diet
High alcohol consumption
Low levels of cognitive engagement
Depression
Traumatic brain injury
Hearing loss
Social isolation
Air pollution
Age
Gender (women have a higher risk)
Genetics.
If you are concerned about your drinking habits you should speak to your GP or visit nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/alcohol-support for information.