Another study reported at the International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease suggests that light alcohol consumption may help prevent dementia in healthy older people. But senior citizens who already have some memory loss appear to be harmed by even modest alcohol consumption. Heavy drinking among older subjects with mild memory loss nearly doubled their risk of developing dementia.
The study included more than 3,000 Americans over 75 and was carried out over the course of approximately six years. This isn’t the first time that light or moderate alcohol consumption was found to be beneficial, but heavier reliance on alcohol is harmful. The scientists defined light drinking as one to seven drinks per week.
[International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease, Vienna, Austria July 13, 2009]
