Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Parkinson's Disease: Data From a Large Prospective European Cohort

Mov Disord. 2020 Jul;35(7):1258-1263. doi: 10.1002/mds.28039. Epub 2020 May 1.

Abstract

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) etiology is not well understood. Reported inverse associations with smoking and coffee consumption prompted the investigation of alcohol consumption as a risk factor, for which evidence is inconclusive.

Objective: To assess the associations between alcohol consumption and PD risk.

Methods: Within NeuroEPIC4PD, a prospective European population-based cohort, 694 incident PD cases were ascertained from 209,998 PD-free participants. Average alcohol consumption at different time points was self-reported at recruitment. Cox regression hazard ratios were estimated for alcohol consumption and PD occurrence.

Results: No associations between baseline or lifetime total alcohol consumption and PD risk were observed. Men with moderate lifetime consumption (5-29.9 g/day) were at ~50% higher risk compared with light consumption (0.1-4.9 g/day), but no linear exposure-response trend was observed. Analyses by beverage type also revealed no associations with PD.

Conclusion: Our data reinforce previous findings from prospective studies showing no association between alcohol consumption and PD risk. © 2020 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Keywords: EPIC; Parkinson; alcohol; epidemiology; prospective cohort.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alcohol Drinking / adverse effects
  • Alcohol Drinking / epidemiology
  • Coffee
  • Cohort Studies
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Parkinson Disease* / epidemiology
  • Parkinson Disease* / etiology
  • Prospective Studies
  • Risk Factors

Substances

  • Coffee