Study: The more you drink, the more your brain shrinks
Reported by:
Allison Dugaw
Email: adugaw@abc15.com
Last Update: 10/15/2008 8:59 am
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A new study has found the more alcohol a person consumes, the smaller his or her brain will be, according to a study published in the October issue of Archive of Neurology.
In contrast to studies on heart disease, moderate alcohol consumption does not protect the brain from aging or disease.
Instead, researchers found a significant negative relationship between consumption and total cerebral volume.
The study also found the effect is significantly higher in women than in men.
Although men were more likely to drink alcohol, the association between drinking and brain volume was stronger in women.
This could be due to biological factors, including women’s smaller size and greater susceptibility to alcohol’s effects.
“The public health effect of this study gives a clear message about the possible dangers of drinking alcohol,” the authors write.
Moderate alcohol consumption has been associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
Some researchers think that small amounts of alcohol may also attenuate age-related declines in brain volume.
Brain volume decreases with age at an estimated rate of 1.9 percent per decade, accompanied by an increase in white matter lesions, according the study.
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Copyright 2008 The E.W. Scripps Co. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
