Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai

Mumbai, Apr 10: A groundbreaking international study has highlighted the serious risks alcohol consumption poses to brain health, challenging the long-standing belief that moderate drinking is harmless. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health.” This message was reinforced by a 2023 declaration and further validated by new findings published in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Led by Dr Alberto Fernando Oliveira Justo from the University of Sao Paulo Medical School in Brazil, the recent study has found that consuming eight or more alcoholic drinks per week can be significantly linked to memory issues and cognitive decline.

“Heavy alcohol consumption is a major global health concern, associated with increasing mortality and brain damage as people age,” said Dr Justo. While the study does not claim alcohol causes brain injury, it strongly points to an association between alcohol intake and harmful neurological changes.

Alarming Signs Found in the Brain

The researchers examined the brains of 1,781 deceased individuals, with an average age of 75 at death. The focus was on identifying damage markers like tau tangles (associated with Alzheimer’s disease) and hyaline arteriolosclerosis, a condition causing the thickening of small blood vessels that hampers brain blood flow and leads to tissue damage.

Based on data provided by family members, participants were classified into four groups:

• Never drank: 965 individuals

• Moderate drinkers (7 or fewer drinks/week): 319

• Heavy drinkers (8 or more drinks/week): 129

• Former heavy drinkers: 368

One drink was defined as 14g of alcohol — roughly equivalent to 350 ml beer, 150 ml wine, or 45 ml spirits.

Results revealed that:

• Vascular brain lesions were found in 40% of non-drinkers, 45% of moderate drinkers, 44% of heavy drinkers, and 50% of former heavy drinkers.

• Heavy drinkers had 133% higher odds of these brain lesions compared to those who never drank.

• Former heavy drinkers showed 89% higher odds, while moderate drinkers showed a 60% increased risk.

• Heavy and former heavy drinkers were also more prone to tau tangles, raising the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Additionally, former heavy drinkers exhibited lower brain mass ratios (indicating brain shrinkage) and poorer cognitive function. The data also revealed that heavy drinkers died, on average, 13 years earlier than lifelong abstainers.

“Our findings clearly link heavy alcohol use to direct signs of brain damage. These changes can lead to long-term cognitive impairment, memory loss, and even early death,” added Dr Justo. He stressed the urgent need for greater public health awareness and prevention measures to address the risks of alcohol consumption.

The study serves as a wake-up call, urging people to reconsider their drinking habits in light of potential long-term consequences on brain health and lifespan.