Experts warn even low alcohol intake could raise risk of brain decline and dementia

Experts are warning that drinking a moderate level of alcohol below the current recommended limit could notably increase your risk of developing cognitive decline and dementia.

Researchers from the University of Sao Paulo analysed data from the autopsies of almost 1800 people across Brazil and found that those who had up to seven and more than eight drinks weekly had higher chance of developing brain injuries that can lead to loss of memory function and dementia.

Writing in the scientific journal Neurology, the research team explained they separated the participants into four groups, based on their drinking habits as reported by their relatives, which were: those who never drank, then moderate drinkers who who consumed up to seven standard drinks each week, heavy drinkers who imbibed eight or more standard drinks each week and lastly, former drinkers who were previously heavy drinkers but had not consumed alcohol in at least three months.

For clarity, the research team defined a standard drink as 14 grams of alcohol, or approximately a 350ml glass of beer or 147ml of wine.

While the study by the fact that participants drinking habits were reported by others post mortem, the findings showed that even moderate drinkers showed signs of neurofibrillary tangles. These are abnormal nerve structures inside the brain’s nerve cells that primarily associated with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Additionally, all subjects who drank showed traces of hyaline arteriolosclerosis, condition where the walls of the small arteries thicken from a build up of protein called hyaline which restricts blood flow to the brain. This condition can also lead to mini strokes which may be too small to be picked up but negatively impact memory function and result in an increased risk of dementia.

Not surprisingly, those in the heavy drinking category had 133 per cent higher risk of hyaline arteriolosclerosis, while former heavy drinkers had an 89 per cent higher risk and moderate drinkers had a 60 per cent increased risk of the disease.

Though the research team agree that further research is needed, they argued that the presence of hyaline arteriolosclerosis across all categories of drinkers showed that regular alcohol consumption can cause damage to a person’s arteries and negatively impact their cognitive function.

But that doesn’t mean you need to stop living and enjoy yourself. One way that scientists think may help you maintain cognitive health is to improve your social life.

In a study, conducted at the Rush University Medical Center, researchers found that regular social activity could help prevent or delay dementia in later life.

“This study is a follow up on previous papers from our group showing that social activity is related to less cognitive decline in older adults,” Bryan James, PhD, associate professor of internal medicine at Rush, said.

The study included over 1,000 older adults with a median age of 80 who were part of the Rush Memory and Aging Project. Social activity was measured through a questionnaire while cognitive function was assessed using 21 tests for various types of memory.

Researchers found that frequent social activity led to a 38 per cent reduction in dementia risk and a 21 per cent reduction in mild cognitive impairment risk, among participants, compared to those who were less socially active.

James explained that the study demonstrated that “social activity is associated with an increased risk of developing dementia and mild cognitive impairment, and that the least socially active older adults developed dementia an average of five years before the most socially active.”

While the findings offer some hope in the prevention of dementia, James stressed that further research is required to better understand whether social activity can play a role in delaying or preventing cognitive decline.

Given these findings, the importance of staying socially engaged cannot be overstated. A great way to stay social is by joining a social group or club that caters to your interests, such as a book club, a gardening group, a dance group, or a community service group.

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.