Subscribe to get Updates
Healthy Legacy
  • Home
  • Mind Memory Focus
  • Exercise & Fitness
  • Longevity & Anti Aging
  • Nutrition & Supplements
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Mind Memory Focus
  • Exercise & Fitness
  • Longevity & Anti Aging
  • Nutrition & Supplements
No Result
View All Result
Healthy Legacy
No Result
View All Result

Dementia: Both too much and too little alcohol may raise risk

admin by admin
September 9, 2020
in Longevity & Anti Aging
0
Dementia: Both too much and too little alcohol may raise risk
Some studies have suggested that drinking alcohol in moderation lowers the risk of dementia, but the evidence may have been prone to certain biases. A new study follows more than 9,000 people over a 23-year period to draw robust conclusions on the link between alcohol consumption and dementia risk.
While moderate drinking may be good for brain health, excessive alcohol consumption may put seniors at risk of dementia.

As the world population grows increasingly older, more and more people are at risk of developing dementia.

In fact, according to recent estimates, almost 50 million people worldwide are currently living with dementia, and this number is expected to double every 2 decades, reaching over 130 million by 2050.

In the United States, 5.7 million Americans are thought to have Alzheimer’s disease, and experts estimate that by 2050, this number will have reached 14 million.

In this context, research into the risk factors for developing dementia is vital. From a lack of physical activity to high blood pressure and even sleep troubles, the range of dementia risk factors that are being uncovered by the latest studies is varied.

But what about alcohol? Some studies have suggested that moderate alcohol intake may have protective effects on the brain, whereas excessive consumption is thought to raise the risk of dementia.

However, most of these studies have looked only at alcohol intake in later life, without accounting for the lifetime consumption. Such an approach may have skewed the results.

So, a team of researchers from Inserm — the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Paris, France — in collaboration with scientists from University College London (UCL) in the United Kingdom set out to rectify this by looking at patterns of alcohol consumption from mid-life into old age.

The first author of the paper is Séverine Sabia, a researcher affiliated with both of the above institutions, and the findings were published in The BMJ.

Studying alcohol intake and dementia risk

Sabia and colleagues examined 9,087 study participants who were aged between 35 and 55 at the beginning of the study.

The team assessed their alcohol consumption and potential dependence regularly using standard questionnaires and by looking at alcohol-related hospital admissions.

The researchers also examined hospital records for cases of dementia, as well as for any diagnoses of cardiometabolic conditions, such as heart disease or diabetes.

For the purposes of the study, anything over 14 standard U.K. alcohol units per week counted as heavy drinking. In the U.K., a standard glass of wine counts as 1 unit of alcohol, and 14 weekly units is the maximum threshold for what is considered harmful drinking.

In the U.S., the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that men should not drink more than two drinks per day and women should not exceed one drink per day.

The average follow-up period for the study was 23 years. During this time, 397 people developed dementia. Sabia and team accounted for various sociodemographic factors that may have influenced the results.

Moderate drinking may benefit brain health

The findings revealed that both abstaining from alcohol in midlife and drinking heavily raised the risk of dementia when compared with light-to-moderate drinking.

More specifically, alcohol-related hospital admissions raised the risk of dementia by fourfold.

Long-term abstinence, on the other hand, also correlated with a higher risk of dementia, due to a higher incidence of cardiometabolic conditions.

Sabia and colleagues comment on the findings, saying that they “strengthen the evidence that excessive alcohol consumption is a risk factor for dementia.”

The results also “encourage use of lower thresholds of alcohol consumption in guidelines to promote cognitive health at older ages,” write the authors.

However, the researchers warn, the results of this study “should not motivate people who do not drink to start drinking given the known detrimental effects of alcohol consumption for mortality, neuropsychiatric disorders, cirrhosis of the liver, and cancer.”

In an editorial comment, Sevil Yasar, from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD, also weighs in on the findings.

“[A]lcohol consumption of 1-14 units/week may benefit brain health; however, alcohol choices must take into account all associated risks, including liver disease and cancer.”

Sevil Yasar

Tags: Alzheimer's / Dementia
Advertisement Banner
Previous Post

Individual training of parents is best for small children with ADHD

Next Post

Machine learning links dimensions of mental illness to abnormalities of brain networks

admin

admin

Next Post
Machine learning links dimensions of mental illness to abnormalities of brain networks

Machine learning links dimensions of mental illness to abnormalities of brain networks

Recommended

intermittent fasting

Is 48-Hour Fasting For You?

6 months ago
How does your brain take out the trash?

How does your brain take out the trash?

2 years ago

Don't Miss

What Are the Benefits of Eating Cantaloupe? 10 Benefits

What Are the Benefits of Eating Cantaloupe? 10 Benefits

January 22, 2021
How Would You Know If a Person Has Scurvy?

How Would You Know If a Person Has Scurvy?

January 22, 2021
AHA News: Trendy Microgreens Offer Flavor You Can Grow at Home

AHA News: Trendy Microgreens Offer Flavor You Can Grow at Home

January 13, 2021
AHA News: To Battle Food Inequity, a Nonprofit Helps Neighbors Eat Healthy

AHA News: To Battle Food Inequity, a Nonprofit Helps Neighbors Eat Healthy

January 7, 2021
Healthy Legacy

Follow us

Recent News

What Are the Benefits of Eating Cantaloupe? 10 Benefits

What Are the Benefits of Eating Cantaloupe? 10 Benefits

January 22, 2021
How Would You Know If a Person Has Scurvy?

How Would You Know If a Person Has Scurvy?

January 22, 2021

Categories

  • Beauty
  • disease
  • Exercise & Fitness
  • immunity
  • Longevity & Anti Aging
  • Mind Memory Focus
  • Nature
  • Nutrition & Supplements
  • Seniors
  • Spices
  • Uncategorized

Tags

Acid Reflux / GERD ADHD / ADD Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs Alzheimer's / Dementia Anxiety / Stress Bipolar Cancer / Oncology Cardiovascular / Cardiology Cholesterol Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine COPD Dentistry Depression Dermatology Diabetes Diabetes Type 2 Eating Disorders Eye Health / Blindness GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology Heart Disease Immune System / Vaccines Men's Health Mental Health Multiple Sclerosis Neurology / Neuroscience Nutrition / Diet Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness Osteoarthritis Osteoporosis Parkinson's Disease Pharmacy / Pharmacist Psychology / Psychiatry Respiratory Rheumatoid Arthritis Schizophrenia Seniors / Aging Sexual Health / STDs Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia Sports Medicine / Fitness Stroke Urinary Tract Infection Urology / Nephrology Vegan / Vegetarian Veterinary Women's Health / Gynecology
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2018 Healthy Legacy

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Mind Memory Focus
  • Exercise & Fitness
  • Longevity & Anti Aging
  • Nutrition & Supplements

© 2018 Healthy Legacy