Cranial MRI was performed on subjects ≥ 40 years residing in a rural community in Japan (n = 385; mean age, 67.2). Alcohol intake and type was determined using a detailed questionnaire; subjects were categorized into three groups: non-drinkers, light drinkers (< 7 drinks per week), and moderate drinkers (≥ 7 drinks per week). Former drinkers were considered non-drinkers. Periventricular WMLs, deep WMLs and cerebral atrophy were measured quantitatively using a computer-assisted processing system ( % PVWML, % DWML, and % Brain, respectively).
Compared with non-drinkers, the prevalence odds ratios for SBI were significantly higher in light and moderate drinkers, after multivariate adjustment. After adjusting for age, sex, and other related factors, the geometric mean % PVWML volumes in light and moderate drinkers were 1.27 % and 1.52 % , respectively, significantly larger than those for non-drinkers (0.95 % ). The geometric mean % DWML volume in light drinkers was 0.10 % , which was larger than the value for non-drinkers (0.06 % ); the value for moderate drinkers (0.13 % ) was significantly larger than that for non-drinkers. The geometric mean % Brain values for non-, light, and moderate drinkers were 92.1, 91.9 and 90.8 % , respectively; a statistically significant difference was found between non-drinkers and moderate drinkers.
The present study indicates that regular drinking, including even low levels of consumption, may be a risk factor for subclinical findings detected on MRI in community-dwelling Japanese people.