Late-life Binge Drinking And Other Patterns Of Alcohol Use May Increase Risk Of Cognitive Decline

Late-life Binge Drinking And Other Patterns Of Alcohol Use May Increase Risk Of Cognitive Decline PR Newswire VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 18, 2012 VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Light to moderate alcohol consumption has generally been considered to have some health benefits, including possibly reducing risk of cognitive decline. However, two studies reported today at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference® 2012 (AAIC® 2012) in Vancouver suggest that moderate alcohol use in late-life, heavier use earlier in life, and "binge" drinking in late-life increase risk of cognitive decline. "The many dangers of misuse of alcohol, and some of its possible benefits, have been widely reported, and there needs to be further clarification by the scientific community," said William Thies, PhD, Alzheimer's Association® chief medical and scientific officer. "Certainly no one should start drinking in order to reduce Alzheimer's risk, as these two new reports attest." "We need to know more about what factors actually raise and lower risk for cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease. To do that, we need longer term studies in larger and more diverse populations, and we need more research funding to make that happen. We have learned incredible amounts about heart disease and stroke risk from long-term research like the Framingham Study – we have solidly proven lifestyle risk factors that people can act on every day.