A major South Korean cohort study has suggested that mild-to-moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a lower risk of death in people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The findings, published in the Journal of Neural Transmission, indicate a potential protective role of drinking in disease progression.
The study, published online ahead of print in the Journal of Neural Transmission, is the first large-scale, nationwide investigation to examine how alcohol consumption influences all-cause mortality in Parkinson’s disease.
Drawing on data from the Korea National Health Insurance Service, the authors followed 32,419 newly diagnosed PD patients between 2009 and 2017, using self-reported alcohol consumption habits from the National Health Screening Program. Over an average follow-up of 4.37 years, 9,049 deaths were recorded.
Drinking linked to lower mortality
The findings were striking. Compared with non-drinkers, mild drinkers had a 22% lower risk of death (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.71–0.84) and moderate drinkers a 31% lower risk (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.58–0.82). Heavy drinkers also showed a reduced mortality risk (HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.69–1.02), though this did not reach statistical significance.
In sensitivity analyses, using never-drinkers as the reference group, PD patients who drank showed an overall 20% reduction in mortality. Notably, those who continued drinking after diagnosis (“constant drinkers”) had the lowest mortality (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.65–0.83), while former drinkers fared worse than never-drinkers (HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.02–1.41).
Possible neuroprotective effects
The authors suggest that alcohol may exert neuroprotective effects, potentially slowing disease progression. This aligns with earlier observational work linking moderate alcohol consumption, particularly beer and red wine, with lower risk of PD. Compounds such as polyphenols, niacin and resveratrol have been implicated in reducing inflammation and supporting brain clearance systems such as the glymphatic pathway.
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Curiously, former drinkers had the poorest survival, a pattern researchers describe as the “sick-quitter” effect, where ill health leads people to give up drinking, thereby skewing results.
A J-shaped relationship
The survival analysis in this South Korean cohort mirrors the classic J-shaped curve seen in alcohol epidemiology, whereby light-to-moderate consumption is linked to the greatest longevity benefit. Forum reviewer James McIntosh said that “all levels of alcohol consumption are associated with longer lifespans, with the moderate drinking category providing the greatest benefit for Koreans who have suffered from PD.”
This J-shape has also been reported in alcohol’s relationship to cardiovascular outcomes, cancer, and neurological decline, though critics caution against causal interpretation.
Caveats and cultural context
While the findings are compelling, limitations remain. Alcohol intake was self-reported at a single time point, without differentiation by beverage type, although in South Korea, beer and soju account for more than 99% of alcohol consumed. Diagnostic codes were relatively new at the study’s outset, raising reliability concerns.
Also, alcohol consumption in this population was relatively low, especially among women, 93% of whom were abstinent.
What it means for wine and health
For the drinks sector, the headline is reassuring: alcohol consumption did not appear harmful to PD patients, and may in fact be beneficial. As per the authors, “alcohol consumption appears to be associated with reduced all-cause mortality in PD, suggesting potential neuroprotective effects on disease progression”.
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This news item came from: https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/09/moderate-drinking-linked-with-lower-mortality-in-parkinsons-patients/
