Novel research
Commenting for this news organization, Heather Snyder, PhD, vice president of medical and scientific relations, Alzheimer’s Association, noted the study’s large size as a strength of the research.
She noted previous research has shown an association between higher iron levels and alcohol dependence and worse cognitive function, but the potential connection of brain iron levels, moderate alcohol consumption, and cognition has not been studied to date.
“This paper aims to look at whether there is a potential biological link between moderate alcohol consumption and cognition through iron-related pathways.”
The authors suggest more work is needed to understand whether alcohol consumption impacts iron-related biologies to affect downstream cognition, said Dr. Snyder. “Although this study does not answer that question, it does highlight some important questions.”
Study authors received funding from Wellcome Trust, UK Medical Research Council, National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, BHF Centre of Research Excellence, British Heart Foundation, NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, China Scholarship Council, and Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery. Dr. Topiwala has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.