Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-tn8tq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-13T17:51:04.808Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A retrospective, population-based cohort study of driving under the influence, Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, and survival

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 October 2018

Margaret Miller ,
Dennis Orwat ,
Gelareh Rahimi  and
Jacobo Mintzer
Margaret Miller
Affiliation:
University of South Carolina, Office for the Study of Aging, Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
Dennis Orwat
Affiliation:
Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
Gelareh Rahimi
Affiliation:
University of South Carolina, Office for the Study of Aging, Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
Jacobo Mintzer*
Affiliation:
Roper St. Francis Clinical Biotechnology Research Institute and the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Jacobo Mintzer, Roper St. Francis Clinical Biotechnology Research Institute and the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, 316 Calhoun Street, 5th Floor CBRI, Charleston, South Carolina 29401, USA; Phone: 843-367-4260. Fax: 843-724-2018. Email: jacobo.mintzer@rsfh.com.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Introduction:

The relationship between Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and alcohol addiction is poorly characterized. Arrests for driving under the influence (DUI) can serve as a proxy for alcohol addiction. Therefore, the potential association between DUI and AD could be helpful in understanding the relationship between alcohol abuse and AD.

Materials and methods:

A retrospective, population-based cohort study using state health and law enforcement data was performed. The study cross-referenced 141,281 South Carolina Alzheimer’s Disease Registry cases with state law enforcement data.

Results:

Of the 2,882 registry cases (1.4%) found to have a history of at least one DUI arrest, cases were predominantly White (58.7%) and male (77.4%). Results showed a correlation coefficient of 0.7 (p < 0.0001) between the age of first DUI arrest and the age of AD diagnosis. A dose-response relationship between the number of DUIs and age of AD onset was found to exist, where those with a history of DUI arrest were diagnosed an average of 9.1 years earlier, with a further 1.8 years earlier age at diagnosis in those with two or more arrests for DUI. A history of DUI arrest was also found to be negatively associated with survival after diagnosis, with a 10% decreased life expectancy in those with a DUI arrest history.

Conclusions:

Driving under the influence, a potential indicator of alcohol addiction, is associated with an earlier onset of AD registry diagnosis and shortened survival after diagnosis. This study contributes to the growing body of evidence suggesting that some cases of AD are alcohol related and, possibly, postponable or preventable.

Keywords

Alzheimer’s diseasedementiaalcoholalcohol-use disorderepidemiologydriving under the influence
Type
Original Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 31 , Issue 4: Issue Theme: Aging and Well-Being , April 2019 , pp. 571 - 577
Copyright
© International Psychogeriatric Association 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anstey, K. J., Mack, H. A. and Cherbuin, N. (2009). Alcohol consumption as a risk factor for dementia and cognitive decline: meta-analysis of prospective studies. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 17, 542–555. doi: 10.1097/JGP.0b013e3181a2fd07.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bayer, A., Phillips, M., Porter, G., Leonards, U., Bompas, A. and Tales, A. (2014). Abnormal inhibition of return in mild cognitive impairment: is it specific to the presence of prodromal dementia? Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 40, 177–189. doi: 10.3233/JAD-131934.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beach, T. G., Monsell, S. E., Phillips, L. E. and Kukull, W. (2012). Accuracy of the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer disease at national institute on aging Alzheimer disease centers, 2005-2010. Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology, 71, 266–273. doi: 10.1097/NEN.0b013e31824b211b.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bozzali, M., et al. (2015). The impact of cognitive reserve on brain functional connectivity in Alzheimer’s disease. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 44, 243–250. doi: 10.3233/JAD-141824.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Broe, G., et al. (1998). Health habits and risk of cognitive impairment and dementia in old age: a prospective study on the effects of exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 22, 621–623. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-842X.1998.tb01449.x.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clark, C. B., Zyambo, C. M., Li, Y. and Cropsey, K. L. (2016). The impact of non-concordant self-report of substance use in clinical trials research. Addictive Behaviors, 58, 74–79. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.02.023.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crews, F. T., Sarkar, D. K., Qin, L., Zou, J., Boyadjieva, N. and Vetreno, R. P. (2015). Neuroimmune function and the consequences of alcohol exposure. Alcohol Research: Current Reviews, 37, 331.Google ScholarPubMed
Downer, B., Zanjani, F. and Fardo, D.W. (2014). The relationship between midlife and late life alcohol consumption, APOE e4 and the decline in learning and memory among older adults. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 49, 17–22. doi: 10.1093/alcalc/agt144.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Furr-Holden, C. D., Voas, R. B., Lacey, J., Kelley-Baker, T., Romano, E. and Smart, M. (2009). Toward national estimates of alcohol use disorders among drivers: results from the national roadside survey pilot program. Traffic Injury Prevention, 10, 403–409. doi: 10.1080/15389580903131498.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
García, A. M., Ramón-Bou, N. and Porta, M. (2010). Isolated and joint effects of tobacco and alcohol consumption on risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 20, 577–586. doi: 10.3233/JAD-2010-1399.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hagger-Johnson, G., et al. (2013). Combined impact of smoking and heavy alcohol use on cognitive decline in early old age: Whitehall II prospective cohort study. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 203, 120–125. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.112.122960.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Handing, E. P., Andel, R., Kadlecova, P., Gatz, M. and Pedersen, N. L. (2015). Midlife alcohol consumption and risk of dementia over 43 years of follow-up: a population-based study from the Swedish twin registry. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 70, 1248–1254. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glv038.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harwood, D. G., et al. (1999). A cross-ethnic analysis of risk factors for AD in white Hispanics and white non-Hispanics. Neurology, 52, 551–551. doi: 10.1212/WNL.52.3.551.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harwood, D. G., et al. (2010). The effect of alcohol and tobacco consumption, and apolipoprotein E genotype, on the age of onset in Alzheimer’s disease. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 25, 511–518. doi: 10.1002/gps.2372.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hebert, L. E., et al. (1992). Relation of smoking and alcohol consumption to incident Alzheimer’s disease. American Journal of Epidemiology, 135, 347–355. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a116296.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lapham, S. C., et al. (2001). Prevalence of psychiatric disorders among persons convicted of driving while impaired. Archives of General Psychiatry, 58, 943–949. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.58.10.943.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Liappas, I., Theotoka, I., Kapaki, E., Ilias, I., Paraskevas, G. P. and Soldatos, C. R. (2007). Neuropsychological assessment of cognitive function in chronic alcohol-dependent patients and patients with Alzheimer’s disease. In Vivo, 21, 1115–1118.Google ScholarPubMed
Neafsey, E. J. and Collins, M. A. (2011). Moderate alcohol consumption and cognitive risk. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 7, 465–484. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S23159.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pedrero-Perez, E. J., Rojo-Mota, G., Ruiz-Sánchez, d. L. J., Fernandez-Mendez, L. M., Morales-Alonso, S. and Prieto-Hidalgo, A. (2014). Cognitive reserve in substance addicts in treatment: relation to cognitive performance and activities of daily living. Revista de Neurologia, 59, 481–489.Google ScholarPubMed
Piazza-Gardner, A. K., Gaffud, T. J. and Barry, A. E. (2013). The impact of alcohol on Alzheimer’s disease: a systematic review. Aging & Mental Health, 17, 133–146. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2012.742488.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
SAMHSA (2014). Results from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings, NSDUH Series H-48. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Google Scholar
Shaffer, H. J., Nelson, S. E., LaPlante, D. A., LaBrie, R. A., Albanese, M. and Caro, G. (2007). The epidemiology of psychiatric disorders among repeat DUI offenders accepting a treatment-sentencing option. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 75, 795–804. doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.75.5.795.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
South Carolina Alzheimer’s Disease Registry (2017). 2017 Annual Report; Available at: https://www.sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/public_health/documents/sc_alzheimers_disease_registry_annual_report_2017.pdf.Google Scholar
Taragano, F. E., et al. (2009). Mild behavioral impairment and risk of dementia. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 70, 584–592. doi: 10.4088/JCP.08m04181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tom, S. E., et al. (2015). Characterization of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in an older population: updated incidence and life expectancy with and without dementia. American Journal of Public Health, 105, 408–413. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.301935.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
von Elm, E., Altman, D. G., Egger, M., Pocock, S. J., Gotzsche, P. C. and Vandenbroucke, J. P. (2014). The strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies. International Journal of Surgery, 12, 1495–1499. doi: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2014.07.013.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weyerer, S., et al. (2011). Current alcohol consumption and its relationship to incident dementia: results from a 3-year follow-up study among primary care attenders aged 75 years and older. Age and Ageing 40, 456–463. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afr007.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed