Occasional drink may protect against Alzheimer's Disease?

Researchers claim they have found a link that suggests the occasional drink keeps the illness at bay especially in women and non-smokers. Spanish researchers compared the personal and health backgrounds of subjects affected with Alzheimer's disease with healthy people of the same age and gender mix.

They found that the risk of Alzheimer's was unaffected by the amount of cigarettes smoked, but a protective effect of moderate alcohol consumption was observed, this effect was more evident in non-smoking women.

Dr Ana Garcia, of the University of Valencia, said: "Our results suggest a protective effect of alcohol consumption, mostly in non-smokers, and the need to consider interactions between tobacco and alcohol consumption, as well as interactions with gender, when assessing the effects of smoking and/or drinking on the risk of Alzheimer's disease."

"Interactive effects of smoking and drinking are supported by the fact that both alcohol and tobacco affect brain neuronal receptors."

The study conducted by interviews with the relatives of 176 Alzheimer’s patients and a further group of 246 healthy people across Spain. The study acknowledged that little research was done into other environmental factors that influence the disease.

Rebecca Wood, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said: “While the idea that alcohol might protect us from dementia is enticing, we don’t yet know this with certainty.

“The most compelling evidence we have for reducing dementia risk is to eat a healthy diet, take plenty of exercise, and to keep blood pressure and cholesterol levels in check, particularly in midlife.”

“We desperately need more studies like this to determine conclusively the lifestyle choices we can all make to help reduce dementia risk."


/Telegraph.co.uk/