Is Eight Drinks a Week Too Much for Brain Health? Study Finds Out - Video

People who consume eight or more alcoholic drinks per week may face a higher risk of developing brain lesions known as hyaline arteriolosclerosis—markers of brain damage linked to issues with memory and thinking—according to a study published in Neurology®. The study does not prove that heavy drinking causes brain injury; it only shows an association.

The study included 1,781 people who had an average age of 75 at death. All had brain autopsies. Researchers examined brain tissue to look for signs of brain injury including tau tangles and hyaline arteriolosclerosis. They also measured brain weight and the height of each participant.

Family members answered questions about participants' alcohol consumption. Researchers then divided the participants into four groups: 965 people who never drank, 319 moderate drinkers who had seven or fewer drinks per week; 129 heavy drinkers who had eight or more drinks per week; and 368 former heavy drinkers. Researchers defined one drink as having 14 grams of alcohol, which is about 350 milliliters (ml) of beer, 150 ml of wine or 45 ml of distilled spirits.

Of those who never drank, 40% had vascular brain lesions. Of the moderate drinkers, 45% had vascular brain lesions. Of the heavy drinkers, 44% had vascular brain lesions. Of the former heavy drinkers, 50% had vascular brain lesions.

After adjusting for factors that could affect brain health such as age at death, smoking and physical activity, heavy drinkers had 133% higher odds of having vascular brain lesions compared to those who never drank, former heavy drinkers had 89% higher odds and moderate drinkers, 60%.

Researchers also found heavy and former heavy drinkers had higher odds of developing tau tangles, a biomarker associated with Alzheimer's disease, with 41% and 31% higher odds, respectively.

Former heavy drinking was associated with a lower brain mass ratio, a smaller proportion of brain mass compared to body mass, and worse cognitive abilities. No link was found between moderate or heavy drinking and brain mass ratio or cognitive abilities.

Reference: https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/Home/PressRelease/5251