Alcohol Does Not Increase The Risk Of Parkinson's Disease - Study

Alcohol does not increase the risk of Parkinson's disease - study

Drinking alcoholic beverages has long been considered a potential risk factor for Parkinson's disease. Major research may have permanently removed binge drinking from the list of possible risk factors for the condition.

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The causes of Parkinson's disease are poorly understood. Recent scientific work has unexpectedly shown that the disease occurs less frequently in people who smoke and drink coffee frequently. This prompted scientists to test whether alcohol is actually a risk factor. The new study is published in the journal Movement Disorders.

Alcohol consumption is an external factor that has been considered one of the potential causes of Parkinson's disease.

To test the relationship between alcohol consumption and the risk of Parkinson's disease, scientists analyzed data on 210 thousand people (alcohol consumption, demographic data, lifestyle information). The study participants were followed for an average of 12 years, 694 people by the end of the study were diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

In their analysis, the scientists clarified the consequences of drinking various alcoholic beverages - wines, beer, spirits. But none of them, according to new data, are associated with the risk of Parkinson's disease.

Scientists have found a link between alcohol and Parkinson's disease in only one parameter. It was 50% more likely to develop in men who drank alcohol in low doses (0.1-4.9 grams of alcohol per day) compared with men who drank in moderation (5-29.9 grams per day). But statistical analysis showed that this relationship is very weak.

“Overall, our data support data from previous large American prospective studies that did not show an association between alcohol use and the risk of Parkinson's disease,” the researchers said in the study's findings.