Drinking, Dementia and Doubt

Those who take comfort in reports suggesting drinking can be healthy (and you know who we are) have a new bit of research to savor--in moderation, of course.

A new report shows that drinking up to 1 alcoholic drink per day may be linked to lower risk of the dreaded shift from "mild cognitive impairment" to full-blown dementia, of which Alzheimer's disease is the most fearsome.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a state of creeping brain dysfunction where others notice your memory loss but it doesn't (yet?) affect your daily life.

What midlifer doesn't have those what-did-I-stand-up-for moments? But since MCI often precedes Alzheimer's, it's worth knowing more about.

Unfortunately, media reports on this study notwithstanding, this research sheds little light.

This study in 75 words or less
Italian researchers used data gathered as part of a long-term population study. They found people with MCI and who had around 1 alcoholic drink per day (15 grams, if you're measuring) were less likely to progress to dementia than abstainers. Subjects who had more than one drink per day saw no benefit. Researchers followed the subjects, who were 65 to 84 years old when the study began, for about four years.

Yes, but. . .
The study group was tiny (only 121 people were followed, of whom 55 were about-a-drink-a-day-ers). The study shows, at best, an association between a little drinking and lower chance of getting dementia, not a cause-and-effect relationship. In terms of its power to guide decision-making, this study gets a D.

So what are you going to do about it?

• If you drink around one drink a day, hey, good for you. Other research suggests a variety of health benefits associated with drinking around a drink a day for women and up to two per day for men. Most significant possible benefit: lower risk of cardiovascular diseases.
• If you don't drink, don't start. Nobody should begin drinking for its health benefits. The chance of driving-related accidents, a possible increase in some cancer risks, a potential evolution into alchohol dependency, and significantly elevated lifetime risks for regrettable behavior, are well-documented too.
  

Oh, one more thing
Nobody really knows how alcohol may deliver health benefits. One theory is that it relaxes blood vessels, keeping pathways flexible and open. One theory about Alzheimer's suggests a link between poor circulation and the disease. It's tempting to connect these dots. Don't. A lot more research needs to be done.

Elsewhere in the Midlifescape
The popular midlife-improvement blog LifeTwo has a good item on three recent reports on sleep apnea: It's linked to diabetes, heart attacks and car crashes. . . .and blogger Susan Anderson on ThirdAge has an amusing take on the indignity of someone thinking you're (a lot) older than you are.