A glass of wine a day has been shown to have protective health effects, helping people live longer. Now, in new research, light to moderate alcohol consumption has been found to help minimize the chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Is this information helpful or the practice recommended for all people? Your doctor should be prepared to help you decide.
A Link Between Alcohol and Alzheimer’s Prevention?
Beta amyloid is the protein that forms the brain plaques of Alzheimer’s disease. Compared with people who do not drink, those who had one to 13 standard drinks a week had a 66 percent lower rate of beta amyloid deposits in their brains. Standard drinks are measured as five ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or one-and-a-half ounces of hard liquor.
To gather this information, which was published in PLOS Medicine, Korean researchers studied 414 men and women, all with an average age of 71, who were free of dementia or alcohol-related disorders. The candidates underwent physical exams and tests of mental acuity, as well as PET and MRI scans. They underwent detailed interviews about their drinking habits. And the study controlled for age, sex, education, body mass index, vascular health, and socioeconomic status.
The key to this study’s results: The fewer deposits in the brain, the lower the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s. However, the findings only applied to those participants who had already been drinking moderately for decades. If you recently began drinking moderately or drank more than 13 standard drinks a week, the benefits do not apply.
The author of the study cautioned that this was an observational study at just one point in time and does not prove cause and effect. Nevertheless, he said that people without dementia and without an alcohol abuse or dependency appear to gain help with brain health when it comes to moderate drinking.
Keeping Alzheimer’s Disease at Bay
Doctors have the important job of monitoring patients’ health at every age. Alzheimer’s disease is a health condition that is terrifying for many people, especially if a loved one has suffered with the disease. Scientists believe that there is a hereditary component to Alzheimer’s and that people with parents or siblings with the disease are at a slightly higher risk for developing the condition.
However, Alzheimer’s disease is not fully understood yet, and research results like this recent study offer insight into things that could be done to help curb the onset of Alzheimer’s. Doctors should be prepared to recommend any and all measures that can be taken to prevent or slow the development of any health condition, Alzheimer’s included.
If you believe you or a loved one is the recipient of a delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or alcohol dependency, you may be a victim of medical malpractice. Contact the Michigan personal injury attorneys at Thurswell Law to get the compensation you deserve. Schedule a consultation by calling (248) 354-2222 today. We do not charge any fees until we win.
