Dementia is one of the most serious concerns among the world’s aging population, as it causes a loss of mental and physical independence.
Alcohol consumption has been linked to an increased risk of dementia. Its ability to be modified makes it particularly appealing.
Alcohol Consumption Linked To Having Dementia
A recent study looks at the relationship between alcohol usage and dementia risk, as well as changes in drinking habits. The findings could help shape drinking-related health advice.
Over 4 million South Koreans revealed that restricting alcohol consumption to one or two glasses a day can lessen the likelihood of developing dementia. According to the study, which was published in the journal JAMA Network Open, consuming more than two drinks per day increases the risk of dementia.
Dr. Keun Hye Jeon, an assistant professor at South Korea’s CHA Gumi Medical Center, said that “maintaining mild to moderate alcohol use as well as reducing alcohol consumption from a heavy to a moderate level were connected with a decreased risk of dementia.”
Experts warn against reading the findings too far. Dr. Richard Isaacson, an Alzheimer’s researcher and preventive neurologist, has warned that alcohol usage can be a risk factor for a variety of health problems, including dementia.
He went on to say that drinking is especially risky for people who have one or two copies of the APOE4 gene variation, which increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
The new study looked at the medical records of people who were covered by the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), which gives a free health exam to insured South Koreans aged 40 and up twice a year. In addition to administering numerous exams, examiners inquired about each individual’s drinking, smoking, and exercise habits.
The study examined data obtained between 2009 and 2011 and classified persons based on their self-reported drinking levels. Mild drinkers were defined as those who consumed less than 15 grams (about 0.5 ounces) of alcohol per day.
The researchers then compared that data to medical records from 2018 — seven or eight years later — to discover if anyone in the study had dementia.
Researchers discovered that persons who drank at a modest level over time — around a drink a day — were 21% less likely to get dementia than people who never drank after controlling for age, gender, smoking, exercise level, and other demographic characteristics.
According to the study, people who continued to drink at a moderate level, or around two drinks per day, were 17% less likely to acquire dementia.
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Risk Of Increased Alcohol Consumption
As drinking grew, the good pattern did not continue. The study discovered that people who drank significantly — three or more drinks per day — were 8% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia.
Heavy drinkers who reduced their drinking to a moderate level over time reduced their risk of Alzheimer’s by 12% and their risk of all-cause dementia by 8%.
The current study also discovered that beginning to drink at a low level was related to a lower risk of Alzheimer’s and all-cause dementia, “which, to our knowledge, has never been documented in previous studies,” the authors noted.
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