HEAVY drinking more than doubles the risk of brain damage compared to teetotallers, say scientists – with eight glasses of wine or pints of beer deemed harmful.
Boozers who down eight or more alcoholic drinks every week were found to have an increased risk of brain lesions associated with memory and thinking problems in a new study.
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Heavy alcohol consumption is a major global health concern linked to increased health problems and deathCredit: Getty
The researchers explained it causes hyaline arteriolosclerosis, which is when small blood vessels narrow and become thick and stiff – making it harder for blood to flow, damaging the brain over time.
The condition appears as lesions, areas of damaged tissue in the brain.
Heavy drinkers also died an average of 13 years earlier than those who never drank, according to the study published online by the journal Neurology.
The Brazilian research team say their findings don’t prove that heavy drinking causes brain injury, but they do show an association.
Study author Dr Alberto Fernando Oliveira Justo, of University of Sao Paulo Medical School, said: “Heavy alcohol consumption is a major global health concern linked to increased health problems and death.
“We looked at how alcohol affects the brain as people get older.
“Our research shows that heavy alcohol consumption is damaging to the brain, which can lead to memory and thinking problems.”
The study included 1,781 people who had an average age of 75 when they died. All had brain autopsies.
The research team examined brain tissue to look for signs of brain injury, including tau tangles – a biomarker associated with Alzheimer’s disease – and hyaline arteriolosclerosis.
They also measured brain weight and the height of each participant, while family members answered questions about the participants’ alcohol consumption.
Binge drinking nearly ruined my life at just 19
The research team 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.
One drink was defined for the study as having 14 grams of alcohol, which is about 350 millilitres (mls) of beer, 150mls of wine or 45ml of distilled spirits.
Four out of 10 (40 per cent) of those who never drank had vascular brain lesions.
Of the moderate drinkers, 45 per cent had vascular brain lesions while 44 per cent of the heavy drinkers had vascular brain lesions.
Of the former heavy drinkers, 50 per cent had vascular brain lesions.
After adjusting for factors that could affect brain health – including age at death, smoking and physical activity – heavy drinkers had 133 per cent higher odds of having vascular brain lesions compared to those who never drank, former heavy drinkers were 89 per cent more likely and moderate drinkers, 60 per cent.
NHS guidelines on drinking alcohol
According to the NHS, regularly drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week risks damaging your health.
To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level if you drink most weeks:
- men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis
- spread your drinking over 3 or more days if you regularly drink as much as 14 units a week
- if you want to cut down, try to have several drink-free days each week
If you’re pregnant or think you could become pregnant, the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all to keep risks to your baby to a minimum.
You read more on the NHS website.
The research team also found heavy and former heavy drinkers were more likely to develop tau tangles with 41 per cent and 31 per cent higher odds, respectively.
Former heavy drinking was also 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.
Dr Justo noted that, in addition to brain injuries, impaired cognitive abilities were observed only in former drinkers.
He said: “We found heavy drinking is directly linked to signs of injury in the brain, and this can cause long-term effects on brain health, which may impact memory and thinking abilities.”
Dr Justo added: “Understanding these effects is crucial for public health awareness and continuing to implement preventive measures to reduce heavy drinking.”
What to do if you think are an alcoholic
IF you’re struggling with alcohol addiction, the most important thing is to recognise the problem and seek support – You don’t have to face it alone.
Seek Professional Help
- GP or Doctor – A medical professional can assess your situation and provide advice on treatment options.
- Therapists or Counsellors – Talking to an addiction specialist can help address underlying causes and develop coping strategies.
- Rehab or Detox Programmes – If physical dependence is severe, medically supervised detox may be necessary.
Consider Support Groups