Regular heavy drinking can be more damage to your brain than just clouding your memories of a wild night – and what is “heavy” drinking can be much less than you think.
A new study suggests that people who consume eight or more alcoholic beverages a week – just more than one a day – have a higher risk of developing serious brain injury related to memory and cognitive problems.
The finding comes as health experts are increasingly sounding the alarm about the risks of excessive drinking, which is a leading cause of preventable death in the US
For the study, researchers analyzed brain autopsy from 1,781 people who started the bucket at an average age of 75 years. They also surveyed family members about the customs of drinking participants.
The team then divided the participants into four groups: 965 who never drank, 319 moderate drinks (seven or fewer drinks per week), 129 heavy drinks (eight or more drinks per week) and 368 ex -heavy cheeks.
The researchers defined a drink as 14 grams of alcohol – about 350 milliliters of beer, 150 milliliters of wine or 45 milliliters of distilled souls.
They found that heavy drinks were 133% more likely to develop brain lesions compared to those who never drank as they were adjusted for factors such as age, smoking and physical activity.
Lesions are a sign of hyaline arteriolosclerosis, a condition that makes small blood vessels thicken and harden, limiting blood flow and causing brain damage.
Over time, this leads to cognitive issues such as loss of memory, difficulty thinking and trouble solving problems.
If you think you are sure because you have rejected the bottle, think again: Former heavy spirits were 89% more likely to develop these brain lesions than those who stayed sober, while moderate drinks had a 60% greater chance.
Researchers also found that heavy and previous heavy drinkers had higher chances of developing Tangles Tau, a major sign of Alzheimer’s disease, with 41% and 31% greater chances, respectively.
The real hit? Heavy drinks died, on average, 13 years ago than those who completely abstained.
“We found that severe drinking is directly related to signs of brain damage, and this can cause long -term effects on brain health, which can affect memory and thinking skills,” said Dr. Alberto Fernando Oliveira Justo, lead author of the study and a researcher at the University of Sao Paulo University School.
“Understanding these effects is essential for public health awareness and continuing the implementation of preventive measures to reduce severe drinking,” he added.
Drinking leads to more than bad decisions
Alcohol is not just confusing with your balance and coordination. In the short term, Boza digs at the speed of your brain’s processing, making it difficult to unite the words together and delay your reflexes, according to the CDC.
Add to the inhibition loss, and suddenly you are more prone to dangerous, impulsive behavior – often leading to accidents, car crashes, falling and even drowning.
At higher levels, drinking can also lead to alcohol poisoning, which can close body vital functions such as breathing and heartbeat.
But for most people, real troubles start on the road: Over time, excessive drinking can destroy your health. In fact, more than 20,000 Americans die from alcohol -related cancers each year.
This startling statistic made former US surgeon General Vivek Murty seeking warning labels for alcoholic beverages about their cancer risks.
Severe long -term drinking can also lead to chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, liver disease, stroke and mental health issues.
Of the 178,000 Americans who die each year from excessive alcohol use, government data show that about two -thirds are victims of chronic conditions caused by years of heavy drinking.
The remaining third of alcohol -related deaths are associated with excessive drinking or excessive drinking in a single landing, resulting in car collision, drug overdoses, alcohol poisoning and suicide.
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