Relationship between alcohol consumption and neurological outcomes in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a major public health issue associated with low survival rates and poor neurological outcomes. Comorbidities and various triggers are associated with OHCA incidence and outcomes. However, the association between alcohol consumption and the neurological prognosis in patients with OHCA remains unknown. A study examined the potential association between the frequency of alcohol consumption and neurological outcomes in patients with OHCA.
The retrospective observational study used data from the Korean Cardiac Arrest Research Consortium registry, encompassing 62 hospitals in Korea. Patients aged > 18 years who experienced OHCA and were transported by the public emergency medical service system were included. Alcohol consumption was categorised into four groups: never drinkers, light drinkers, moderate drinkers, and heavy drinkers. The primary outcome measured was a favourable neurological outcome at hospital discharge (cerebral performance category score 1 or 2).
Among the 6,671 enrolled patients, 14.7% had favourable neurological outcomes. The odd ratio of achieving a good neurologic outcome was reduced by 0.597 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.444-0.802), 0.650 (95% CI, 0.431-0.983), and 0.666-fold (95% CI, 0.448-0.989) for never, light, and heavy drinkers, respectively, compared to moderate drinkers.
The study revealed a nonlinear association between the frequency of alcohol consumption and neurological prognosis in patients with OHCA. Therefore, future studies should focus on investigating the mechanism underlying the potential brain-protective effects of alcohol to further understand its impact on neurological recovery following OHCA.
Source: Choi A, Park I, You JS, Chung SP, Park YS. Non-linear relationship between alcohol consumption and neurological outcomes in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest presenting to the Emergency Department. Journal of Korean Medical Science, 2025, 40(21):e96.