Alcohol and dementia: What's the truth?

Research shows that heavy drinking can increase the risk of developing dementia.

Alcohol abuse is toxic to the brain and can damage memory. It has also been shown to accelerate vascular brain damage. In other words, it's bad for your brain.

The Lancet Public Health has published new research from France on more than one million adults with dementia. Researchers found that being hospitalised with alcohol dependence or a health issue caused by continuous heavy drinking was a strong risk factor for the progressive brain condition, especially in the under-65s.

Their risk of dementia was three times greater than other people's.

But it's difficult to know whether it was a direct cause or just one factor among many.

Heavy drinkers are more likely to be smokers, have depression and lead unhealthy lives, which increases the risk of dementia.


Source : bbc