Alcohol consumption increases a risk of dementia

New Delhi : Alcohol consumption puts you at a high risk of dementia, finds a study.

According to a research by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, alcohol consumption was found to be one of the prime factors for the onset of all types of dementia, especially early-onset dementia.

“The findings indicate that heavy drinking and alcohol use disorders are the most important risk factors for dementia, and especially important for those types of dementia which start before age 65, and which lead to premature deaths,” said study co-author Jürgen Rehm. “Alcohol-induced brain damage and dementia are preventable, and effective preventive and policy measures can make a dent in premature dementia deaths.”

The study was conducted over one million people suffering from dementia in France. Of the 57,000 cases of early-onset dementia (before the age of 65), the majority (57%) were related to chronic heavy drinking. 

According to World Health Organisation (WHO), heavy drinking means a person taking more than 60 grams pure alcohol on average per day for men (4-5 Canadian standard drinks) and 40 grams (about 3 standard drinks) per day for women.

The findings from the study are published in the journal Lancet Public Health.