Alcohol & Dementia

Consuming alcohol has an effect on an your brain and your overall health. Scientists have found a link between alcohol use and dementia. Ironically, excessive alcohol use may cause an increased risk of developing dementia; yet moderate alcohol use could possibly reduce the risk.

Dementia Defined

• Dementia is a collective term for a variety of symptoms that show impaired intellectual functioning. These symptoms include memory loss, behavioral problems, personality changes, confusion, difficulties with language and a decrease in judgment and problem-solving skills. People who suffer from dementia struggle with daily activities and relationships. Dementia is diagnosed by a physician if two or more brain functions show significant impairment without a loss of consciousness occurring.

Considerations

• Prolonged alcohol abuse can lead to several forms of dementia, although memory is not usually affected. Dementia caused by alcohol use does not seem to be an indicator of Alzheimer's disease. The amount of alcohol that increases the risk of dementia is more than six standard alcoholic drinks per day for men, and more than four standard alcoholic drinks per day for women. The condition can appear as early as in the sufferer's early 30s, but it is more common in the 50s and beyond.

Complications

• Consuming large amounts of alcohol has a direct effect on the nervous system as a neurotoxin. Over time, complications may develop including numbness in one's hands and feet, confusion and dementia. Ongoing heavy use of alcohol can also lead to poor nutrition and vitamin deficiencies (particularly vitamin B and thiamine), which can cause brain damage. Excessive alcohol use also directly affects the body's ability to absorb and use thiamine. Alcohol abuse also causes liver damage which can lead to brain damage and shrinkage.

Prognosis

• When treated early, dementia caused by alcohol may be reversed if the patient abstains from alcohol, improves his diet and replaces lost vitamins. In other situations, the brain damage is too severe and the dementia is irreversible. It is important to ensure that the sufferer receives positive support to maintain abstinence and to manage the dementia.

Possible Benefits

• Recent research suggests that moderate alcohol use (one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men) provides a lowered risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than those who drink heavily or who do not drink at all. It is believed that the protective effects of antioxidants in some alcoholic beverages, such as red wine, may be the reason.