London, Jan 16 (IANS): Here comes a warning for middle-aged men involved in heavy drinking - memory loss.

According to researchers, middle-aged men who consume more than two and a half standard drinks, may speed their memory loss by up to six years later on.

“Our study focused on middle-aged participants and suggests that heavy drinking is associated with faster decline in all areas of cognitive function in men,” said study author Séverine Sabia of the University College London in Britain.

The study found no difference in memory functions in men who do not drink, former drinkers and light or moderate drinkers, said the study published in the journal Neurology.

The study involved 5,054 men and 2,099 women whose drinking habits were assessed three times over 10 years. A drink was considered wine, beer or liquor.

The study found that there were no differences in memory and executive function decline between men who did not drink and those who were light or moderate drinkers - those who drank less than two drinks per day.

Heavy drinkers showed memory and executive function declines between one-and-a-half to six years faster than those who had fewer drinks per day.