A Couple Drinks Daily May Prevent Dementia: Study

Moderate drinkers developed dementia less often than teetotalers

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 13, 2009 5:52 PM CDT

(Newser) – Moderate drinking may prevent the onset of dementia, MedPage Today reports. A study found that adults aged 75 and over who had one or two drinks daily were 37% less likely to develop dementia. Across the study’s 6-year window, adults who drank more than two drinks a day were more likely to develop dementia than the moderate drinkers—but so were those who abstained completely.

But the researchers don’t suggest taking up drinking to try to prevent dementia—subjects who already had mild signs of dementia fared worse with any kind of alcohol consumption than abstainers. It’s also possible that moderate drinking commonly accompanies certain lifestyle choices which, rather than the alcohol itself, reduce the likelihood of dementia.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

"This study does not give license to drink beyond 1-2 alcoholic beverages a day since excessive consumption is associated with alcoholic dementia and other medical problems," a researcher says. (Getty Images)

"Physicians need to be clear with their patients exactly what is meant by 'light,' 'moderate' and 'heavy' drinking," one researcher says. (AP Photo)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Among cognitively normal older adults, one to two alcoholic drinks a day is associated with a 37% decreased risk of dementia over 6 years.
- Kaycee Sink, MD

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

AP Photo

35 Brutally Honest Reasons Men Say No to Sex (The Stir)

Man in Mugshot Explains Why He Has Half a Head (HuffPost)

Another Sign Rihanna and Chris Brown Might Get Back Together? (Celebuzz)

These Exes Were Spotted Making Out … and That's a Bad Thing (Bleacher Report)

Did We All Kill Whitney Houston---Or Did We Prolong Her Life? (Slate)

Partner Links

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

Showing 3 of 6 comments

DeniseVB

Jul 14, 2009 12:56 PM CDT

Wish they'd make their up minds with these booze studies :p I wonder how many non-drinkers start drinking because of these?

rajanKazhmin

Jul 14, 2009 12:10 PM CDT

Goodbye, sober day.

OWLWOMANXXXX

Jul 14, 2009 1:28 AM CDT

depends on what you call "moderate drinking" I guess those idiot doctors never saw a pickled brain or liver....alcohol consimption can also lead to strokes...and heart attacks....seen it happen too many times...no thanks...I'll stick with sobriety....amd 67 years old and folks tell me that I look fifty...also...I still work 32 hours a week...know a few more seniors in my shoes ...and they are sober too

What's Popular Now on Facebook

Rick Santorum: Birth Control Is 'Not OK'

E-Cigarette Explodes in Man's Mouth

MedPage Today (Source Grid »)

Health

dementia • alcohol • drinking • cognitive decline • old age • drinkers • mild cognitive impairment • older people

More Newser Stories

1 in 6 Americans Is a Binge Drinker

Nation's heaviest boozers are in Wisconsin, study finds

(NEWSER) - Federal health officials have released their most detailed study yet of America's binge drinkers—and if you're a college-educated, high-earning young white man from Wisconsin, you may already be drunk by the time you read this. Researchers found that 38 million Americans, roughly a sixth of the adult population, are binge drinkers who over-indulge an average of 4.4 times a month, Bloomberg reports. A binge was defined as five or more drinks in the space of two hours for men, and four or more drinks for women. More»

Do Your Brain a Favor: Meditate

Other coping mechanisms do more harm than good: research

(NEWSER) - Humankind has developed plenty of coping mechanisms over the centuries, from long walks to hard drugs. While many of these methods have endured, not all of them are in our brains’ best interests, writes Alice Walton at Forbes . Smoking and drinking, for example, can lead to a vicious cycle of craving. Meditation, on the other hand, has long helped us get away from ourselves—and now there’s hard data showing it works. More»

Could Sleep Apnea Cause Dementia?

Study links sleep disorder to cognitive degeneration in older women

(NEWSER) - Sleep apnea disrupts the sleep of 10% to 20% of middle-aged and older adults—and the damage may not end there. Older women who suffer from the condition are twice as likely to face memory decline and other symptoms of dementia, according to a new study that followed 289 women with a mean age of 82 over five years, all of whom tested cognitively "normal" at the study's start. Researchers think the elevated risk could be an effect of decreased oxygen getting to the brain, but they said there is not enough data to be sure yet—a separate pathology could be causing both. More»

Arizona Prof's Research: Getting Students Drunk

They're paid $60 for night at the 'bar'

(NEWSER) - An Arizona State professor wants his students to get smashed—and he’s willing to pay them to do it. That’s because William Corbin is researching the effects of alcohol on behavior, and ASU students are his subjects. Several nights a week, he converts his lab into a bar, complete with top 40 music and jeans-clad research assistants as bartenders, the Arizona Republic reports. Only one kind of drink is served, vodka mixed with 7UP and juice, whose strength is adjusted according to the subject’s weight and sex. More»

50% of Alzheimer's Cases May Be Preventable

Tackling risk factors could cut number of cases, researchers say

(NEWSER) - At least half of all cases of Alzheimer's disease are linked to common risk factors, and researchers believe the number of cases could be sharply reduced if people took steps to tackle those underlying issues. To reduce the risk, researchers say people need to stay active both mentally and physically, quit smoking, and improve their diets, the Globe and Mail reports. The biggest risk factor is having a low level of education, which researchers say is linked to almost a fifth of cases worldwide. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

A Couple Drinks Daily May Prevent Dementia: Study