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18th July 2012

Study finds drinking alcohol can increase dementia risk

A US study has found that drinking alcohol, even in moderation, can increase the risk of dementia in older people.

The study findings, presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Vancouver today (July 18), contradict previous research which had shown that drinking small amounts of alcohol could be beneficial in older people and possibly reduce the risk of dementia.

The study was carried out by the Veterans Health Research Institute in San Francisco. Researchers followed 1,300 women from age 65 and tracked their health over 20 years.

They found the risk, ranging from mild cognitive impairment to full-blown dementia, was higher among those who reported drinking more alcohol.

The scientists found that:

Women who reported drinking more in the past than at the beginning of the study were at 30% increased risk of developing cognitive impairment.
Moderate drinkers at baseline or at midpoint had similar risk of cognitive impairment to non-drinkers; however, moderate drinkers in the late phase of the study were roughly 60% more likely to develop cognitive impairment.
Women who changed from non-drinking to drinking over the course of the study had a 200% increased risk of cognitive impairment.

For more on this story see: www.bbc.co.uk/healthnews

For a fuller description of the paper presented at the conference see: www.alz.org/alcohol_research

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Study finds drinking alcohol can increase dementia risk

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