Moderate alcohol drinking may cut dementia risk
Adults who consume a moderate amount of alcohol may have a lower risk of
Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia.
That is the key finding of a new study presented at the International
Conference on Alzheimer's Disease by researchers at Wake Forest University.
The team studied the incidence of dementia in 3,069 over-75s, none of whom had
been diagnosed with dementia at the start of the six-year study.
Over the course of the study, researchers found that moderate alcohol
consumption - one to two drinks per day - was associated with a 37 per cent
lower risk of dementia among people who originally had normal cognition.
However, among people who started the study with mild cognitive impairment, any
level of alcohol consumption was linked with faster rates of cognitive decline.
Dr Kaycee Sink, assistant professor of medicine at Wake Forest University
School of Medicine, commented: 'Our findings suggest mild to moderate alcohol
intake may reduce the risk of dementia.
'However, this does not appear to be true for those who already have mild
cognitive impairment.'
The expert added that the findings support recommendations for women not to
exceed one drink per day, and men to consume no more than two daily alcoholic
beverages.
A spokesperson for the Alzheimer's Society confirmed that people should stay
within drinking guidelines as heavy drinkers 'double their risk' of dementia.
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