Pub date
2008-06-09
A drink a day may slow mental decline to dementia
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A drink a day may slow mental decline to dementia
In older people with mild cognitive impairment, having a drinknowand then -- up to an average of one drink of alcohol each day-- maydelay progression to dementia , new research suggests.
In older people with mild cognitive impairment, having a drinknowand then -- up to an average of one drink of alcohol each day-- maydelay progression to dementia , new research suggests.
While many studies have assessed alcohol consumptionandcognitive n in the elderly, this is the first study to look athowalcohol consumption affects the rate of progression ofmildcognitive impairment to dementia, study authors Dr.VincenzoSolfrizzi and Dr. Francesco Panza, from the University ofBari inItaly, said in a statement.
In the study, reported in the medical journal Neurology,theresearchers assessed the occurrence of mild cognitive impairmentin1445 subjects and the progression to dementia in 121 patientswithmild cognitive impairment.
The participants were between 65 and 84 years of age at thestartof the study, and they were followed for 3.5 years. Alcoholuse wasassessed before the survey.
Drinking was not associated the development of mildcognitiveimpairment, according to the report. However, once mildimpairmentoccurred, subjects who had up to one drink per day ofalcohol hadan 85 percent reduced risk of dementia compared withthose whoabstained.
The benefit was seen with both alcohol in general and with wineinparticular.
Having more than one drink a day, however, offered noprotectionagainst dementia compared with abstaining, thereportindicates.
The mechanism responsible for why low alcohol consumptionappearsto protect against the progression to dementia isnt known.However,it is possible that the arrangement of blood vessels inthe brainmay play a role, Solfrizzi and Panza conclude.
In older people with mild cognitive impairment, having a drinknowand then -- up to an average of one drink of alcohol each day-- maydelay progression to dementia , new research suggests.
In older people with mild cognitive impairment, having a drinknowand then -- up to an average of one drink of alcohol each day-- maydelay progression to dementia , new research suggests.
While many studies have assessed alcohol consumptionandcognitive n in the elderly, this is the first study to look athowalcohol consumption affects the rate of progression ofmildcognitive impairment to dementia, study authors Dr.VincenzoSolfrizzi and Dr. Francesco Panza, from the University ofBari inItaly, said in a statement.
In the study, reported in the medical journal Neurology,theresearchers assessed the occurrence of mild cognitive impairmentin1445 subjects and the progression to dementia in 121 patientswithmild cognitive impairment.
The participants were between 65 and 84 years of age at thestartof the study, and they were followed for 3.5 years. Alcoholuse wasassessed before the survey.
Drinking was not associated the development of mildcognitiveimpairment, according to the report. However, once mildimpairmentoccurred, subjects who had up to one drink per day ofalcohol hadan 85 percent reduced risk of dementia compared withthose whoabstained.
The benefit was seen with both alcohol in general and with wineinparticular.
Having more than one drink a day, however, offered noprotectionagainst dementia compared with abstaining, thereportindicates.
The mechanism responsible for why low alcohol consumptionappearsto protect against the progression to dementia isnt known.However,it is possible that the arrangement of blood vessels inthe brainmay play a role, Solfrizzi and Panza conclude.
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