Blogfinger

Source: LA Times

One national news broadcast, several major newspapers, one wire source, and numerous consumer online medical sources report a study suggesting that mental decline is associated with heavy drinking in middle-aged men.

ABC World News (1/15, story 8, 1:40, Sawyer) reported that a study (1/16) published online Jan. 15 in the journal Neurology “shows that beer and wine speeds up memory loss, but it seems only if you drink a certain amount.”

The Los Angeles Times (1/15, Healy) reports, “Middle-aged men who consume an average of more than 2½ alcoholic drinks per day accelerate the rate at which their memories decline by almost six years over a 10-year span,” the study found. What’s more, “while a higher consumption of spirits such as vodka, gin, whiskey or scotch was linked to the fastest rates of mental decline in men, researchers saw little difference between the cognitive loss seen in heavy beer drinkers (who drank more than 2½ 12-ounce beers per day) and that seen in men who quaffed a half-bottle of wine or more per day.”

USA Today (1/15, Painter) reports that the study, which also “looked at women…found no clear results for them.” The research suggests that “lighter drinking does not contribute to cognitive decline.” The study’s lead author said, “The findings are in agreement with previous studies and suggest that moderate alcohol consumption is probably not deleterious for cognitive outcomes.”

BLOGFINGER MEDICAL COMMENTARY:  By Paul Goldfinger, MD, FACC

I don’t suppose too many of you would be surprised by this study since most of us have experienced the effects of alcohol on our brains. Most of us also understand that as we get on past middle age, a certain amount of mental  (i.e. cognitive) function deterioration might occur due to aging.  But this trial from England of 7,000 government workers  ages 44-69  (mean age 56)  shows that fairly heavy drinking will accelerate the progress of cognitive decline. The study was published on January 15 in the journal Neurology.  You can read the definitions by clicking on the links above.  Note that there weren’t enough women in the trial to come to any credible conclusions about them.

The USA Today article mentions adverse effects of alcohol drinking which include “increased car crashes.”   I’m sure you all are shocked by that disclosure.

As a cardiologist, I have the peculiar task of advocating mild alcohol use , especially red wine, for prevention of coronary disease, while preaching against heavy drinking because of risk of some forms of heart failure.   But that advice is consistent with the results of this trial which showed no cognitive impairment for those who are light or moderate drinkers. Only the heavy drinkers had brain problems.

Other serious disorders which can be increased by alcohol  include breast cancer, brain damage, and liver disease.