Beer, wine, and spirits differentially influence body composition in older white adults-a United Kingdom Biobank study.

BACKGROUND: Aging is characterized by body composition alterations, including increased visceral adiposity accumulation and bone loss. Alcohol consumption may partially drive these alterations, but findings are mixed. This study primarily aimed to investigate whether different alcohol types (beer/cider, red wine, white wine/Champagne, spirits) differentially associated with body composition. METHODS: The longitudinal UK Biobank study leveraged 1869 White participants (40-80 years; 59% male). Participants self-reported demographic, alcohol/dietary consumption, and lifestyle factors using a touchscreen questionnaire. Anthropometrics and serum for proteomics were collected. Body composition was obtained via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Structural equation modeling was used to probe direct/indirect associations between alcohol types, cardiometabolic biomarkers, and body composition. RESULTS: Greater beer/spirit consumptions were associated with greater visceral adiposity (ß = 0.069, p < 0.001 and ß = 0.014, p < 0.001, respectively), which was driven by dyslipidemia and insulin resistance. In contrast, drinking more red wine was associated with less visceral adipose mass (ß = -0.023, p < 0.001), which was driven by reduced inflammation and elevated high-density lipoproteins. White wine consumption predicted greater bone density (ß = 0.051, p < 0.005). DISCUSSION: Beer/spirits may partially contribute to the "empty calorie" hypothesis related to adipogenesis, while red wine may help protect against adipogenesis due to anti-inflammatory/eulipidemic effects. Furthermore, white wine may benefit bone health in older White adults.1.

APOE, TOMM40, and sex interactions on neural network connectivity.

The Apolipoprotein E ε4 (APOE ε4) haplotype is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). The Translocase of Outer Mitochondrial Membrane-40 (TOMM40) gene maintains cellular bioenergetics, which is disrupted in AD. TOMM40 rs2075650 ('650) G versus A carriage is consistently related to neural and cognitive outcomes, but it is unclear if and how it interacts with APOE. We examined 21 orthogonal neural networks among 8,222 middle-aged to aged participants in the UK Biobank cohort. ANOVA and multiple linear regression tested main effects and interactions with APOE and TOMM40 '650 genotypes, and if age and sex acted as moderators. APOE ε4 was associated with less strength in multiple networks, while '650 G versus A carriage was related to more language comprehension network strength. In APOE ε4 carriers, '650 G-carriage led to less network strength with increasing age, while in non-G-carriers this was only seen in women but not men. TOMM40 may shift what happens to network activity in aging APOE ε4 carriers depending on sex.

Genetic Factors of Alzheimer's Disease Modulate How Diet is Associated with Long-Term Cognitive Trajectories: A UK Biobank Study.

BACKGROUND: Fluid intelligence (FI) involves abstract problem-solving without prior knowledge. Greater age-related FI decline increases Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk, and recent studies suggest that certain dietary regimens may influence rates of decline. However, it is uncertain how long-term food consumption affects FI among adults with or without familial history of AD (FH) or APOE4 (ɛ4). OBJECTIVE: Observe how the total diet is associated with long-term cognition among mid- to late-life populations at-risk and not-at-risk for AD. METHODS: Among 1,787 mid-to-late-aged adult UK Biobank participants, 10-year FI trajectories were modeled and regressed onto the total diet based on self-reported intake of 49 whole foods from a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). RESULTS: Daily cheese intake strongly predicted better FIT scores over time (FH-: ß= 0.207, p < 0.001; ɛ4-: ß= 0.073, p = 0.008; ɛ4+: ß= 0.162, p = 0.001). Alcohol of any type daily also appeared beneficial (ɛ4+: ß= 0.101, p = 0.022) and red wine was sometimes additionally protective (FH+: ß= 0.100, p = 0.014; ɛ4-: ß= 0.59, p = 0.039). Consuming lamb weekly was associated with improved outcomes (FH-: ß= 0.066, p = 0.008; ɛ4+: ß= 0.097, p = 0.044). Among at risk groups, added salt correlated with decreased performance (FH+: ß= -0.114, p = 0.004; ɛ4+: ß= -0.121, p = 0.009). CONCLUSION: Modifying meal plans may help minimize cognitive decline. We observed that added salt may put at-risk individuals at greater risk, but did not observe similar interactions among FH- and AD- individuals. Observations further suggest in risk status-dependent manners that adding cheese and red wine to the diet daily, and lamb on a weekly basis, may also improve long-term cognitive outcomes.