PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Heavy drinking in middle age may speed memory loss by up to 6 years in men

Study finds moderate drinking may not harm memory and executive function

2014-01-16
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Rachel Seroka
rseroka@aan.com
612-928-6129
American Academy of Neurology
Heavy drinking in middle age may speed memory loss by up to 6 years in men Study finds moderate drinking may not harm memory and executive function MINNEAPOLIS – Middle-aged men who drink more than 36 grams of alcohol, or two and a half US drinks per day, may speed their memory loss by up to six years later on, according to a study published in the January 15, 2014, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. On the other hand, the study found no differences in memory and executive function in men who do not drink, former drinkers and light or moderate drinkers. Executive function deals with attention and reasoning skills in achieving a goal.

"Much of the research evidence about drinking and a relationship to memory and executive function is based on older populations," said study author Séverine Sabia, PhD, of the University College London in the United Kingdom. "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."

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. Then, when the participants were an average age of 56, they took their first memory and executive function test. The tests were repeated twice over the next 10 years.

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 20 grams, or less than two US 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.

INFORMATION:

The study was supported by the British Medical Research Council, British Heart Foundation, the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the U.S. National Institute on Aging.

To learn more about brain health, please visit http://www.aan.com/patients.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 26,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit http://www.aan.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.

Media Contacts:
Rachel Seroka, rseroka@aan.com, (612) 928-6129
Michelle Uher, muher@aan.com, (612) 928-6120

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Dolphin-power sufficient for propulsion without tricks

2014-01-16
Dolphin-power sufficient for propulsion without tricks Gray's paradox laid to rest When Mr E. F. Thompson stood on a ship cruising through the Indian Ocean in the 1930s and observed a dolphin speed past the vessel in 7 seconds, he had no idea that this ...

Camera-carrying falcons reveal mystery of raptor pursuit

2014-01-16
Camera-carrying falcons reveal mystery of raptor pursuit Falcons head off prey for interception Hurtling through the air, a falcon locks its sights onto a victim as they engage in mortal combat. Intrigued by how flocks of birds respond to aerial attack, ...

No evidence of survival advantage for type 2 diabetes patients who are overweight or obese

2014-01-16
No evidence of survival advantage for type 2 diabetes patients who are overweight or obese Boston, MA - Being overweight or obese does not lead to improved survival among patients with type 2 diabetes. The large-scale study led by Harvard School of Public ...

New drug combo cures toughest cases of hepatitis C, hints to future injection-free therapies

2014-01-16
New drug combo cures toughest cases of hepatitis C, hints to future injection-free therapies Study shows safe and simpler treatment for potentially deadly, liver-damaging disease Efforts to cure hepatitis C, the liver-damaging infectious disease that has for years ...

Heart attack damage slashed with microparticle therapy

2014-01-16
Heart attack damage slashed with microparticle therapy First therapy to target damage after heart attack could transform field CHICAGO --- After a heart attack, much of the damage to the heart muscle is caused by inflammatory cells that rush to the scene of ...

UK rates of gout soaring, but treatment remains poor

2014-01-16
UK rates of gout soaring, but treatment remains poor 1 in 40 people now affected; highest rates in Wales and North East of England UK rates of gout have soared since the late1990s, with one in every 40 people now affected by the condition - the highest in ...

UK law to stop further sales of booze to drunk customers routinely flouted

2014-01-16
UK law to stop further sales of booze to drunk customers routinely flouted Bartenders readily sell more drink to those obviously incapacitated by alcohol; prosecutions rare Bar tenders in clubs and pubs are routinely flouting UK legislation intended to prevent ...

Speech means using both sides of our brain, NYU & NYU Langone researchers find

2014-01-16
Speech means using both sides of our brain, NYU & NYU Langone researchers find We use both sides of our brain for speech, a finding by researchers at New York University and NYU Langone Medical Center that alters previous conceptions about neurological activity. The ...

'Barcode' profiling enables analysis of hundreds of tumor marker proteins at once

2014-01-16
'Barcode' profiling enables analysis of hundreds of tumor marker proteins at once A new technology developed at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Systems Biology (CSB) allows simultaneous analysis of hundreds of cancer-related protein ...

Living in densely populated neighborhoods can actually decrease risk of diabetes and obesity

2014-01-16
Living in densely populated neighborhoods can actually decrease risk of diabetes and obesity TORONTO, Jan. 15, 2014 – Torontonians living in neighbourhoods that aren't conducive to walking have a 33 per cent greater risk of developing diabetes or being obese, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

AI can spot which patients need treatment to prevent vision loss in young adults

Half of people stop taking popular weight-loss drug within a year, national study finds

Links between diabetes and depression are similar across Europe, study of over-50s in 18 countries finds

Smoking increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, regardless of its characteristics

Scientists trace origins of now extinct plant population from volcanically active Nishinoshima

AI algorithm based on routine mammogram + age can predict women’s major cardiovascular disease risk

New hurdle seen to prostate screening: primary-care docs

MSU researchers explore how virtual sports aid mental health

Working together, cells extend their senses

Cheese fungi help unlock secrets of evolution

Researchers find brain region that fuels compulsive drinking

Mental health effects of exposure to firearm violence persist long after direct exposure

Research identifies immune response that controls Oropouche infection and prevents neurological damage

University of Cincinnati, Kent State University awarded $3M by NSF to share research resources

Ancient DNA reveals deeply complex Mastodon family and repeated migrations driven by climate change

Measuring the quantum W state

Researchers find a way to use antibodies to direct T cells to kill Cytomegalovirus-infected cells

Engineers create mini microscope for real-time brain imaging

Funding for training and research in biological complexity

The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Ahead-of-Print Tip Sheet: September 12, 2025

ISSCR statement on the scientific and therapeutic value of human fetal tissue research

Novel PET tracer detects synaptic changes in spinal cord and brain after spinal cord injury

Wiley advances Knowitall Solutions with new trendfinder application for user-friendly chemometric analysis and additional enhancements to analytical workflows

Benchmark study tracks trends in dog behavior

OpenAI, DeepSeek, and Google vary widely in identifying hate speech

Research spotlight: Study identifies a surprising new treatment target for chronic limb threatening ischemia

Childhood loneliness and cognitive decline and dementia risk in middle-aged and older adults

Parental diseases of despair and suicidal events in their children

Acupuncture for chronic low back pain in older adults

Acupuncture treatment improves disabling effects of chronic low back pain in older adults

[Press-News.org] Heavy drinking in middle age may speed memory loss by up to 6 years in men
Study finds moderate drinking may not harm memory and executive function