The intoxicants in alcohol are known to damage brain tissue and impair brain cells. But the impact on neurological health is much more widespread than previously thought, researchers aver.
Findings of the study
The results of the study are based on an American trial that found consuming more than two drinks a day can speed up the onset of Alzheimer's by as much as 4.8 years.
Drinking binge is responsible for up to one in four of the 700,000 dementia cases in Britain, the researchers caution. Making the situation grave, the brain-wasting effects of alcohol start early, in the 40s to be precise, researchers warn.
“People think that dementia is something that happens to people over 65. But a lot of those under 65 have got cognitive problems and a large proportion of the problems in that group are related to alcohol,” study’s co-author, Dr Jane Marshall, consultant psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital in south London, stated.
“Alcohol-related brain damage may account for 10 to 24 percent of all cases of all forms of dementia. We know that alcohol is associated with serious cognitive impairment. It reduces memory and general cognition” she added.
Moreover, women are more susceptible to the brain-wasting effects of alcohol, the study found.
“Women metabolise alcohol in a different way and alcohol seems to have more toxic effects on the brain and also on the body,” she said.
Furthermore, just the same amount of drinks’ intake affect men and women differently. “Women face a higher risk of cognitive impairment for that reason, in the same way that they are at higher risk of getting alcohol-related liver disease,” researchers assert.
The findings feature in a special edition of the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism.
About dementia
Dementia is a neurological disorder marked by a progressive decline in cognitive function. It results in a loss of mental abilities such as thinking, remembering and reasoning. Though typically age related, dementia can also be caused by alcohol-related brain damage.
According to the National Health Services (NHS), “It is not a disease, but a group of symptoms that may accompany some diseases or conditions affecting the brain."
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