A new study published in the journal Neurobiology of Stress shows that two common problems, drinking and stress combine together to greatly increase the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. Researcher Nikki Crowley, is a professor of biology and director of the Penn State Neuroscience Institute. She says that “Alcohol consumption and stress are going to have a synergistic effect on Alzheimer’s Disease risk and general cognitive decline. This means that when an individual is exposed to both a high amount of stress and drinks alcohol, the combination of the two has a greater impact on that person’s risk of Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline. And it’s really going to depend on how much, and how long, an individual experiences stress and alcohol, either together or separately, as well. For instance, some people consume alcohol to cope with stress, and this can have further cascading negative health effects.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Alzheimer’s disease affects nearly 6 million Americans. Alzheimer’s disease is a common form of dementia, characterized by memory loss and cognitive decline. It is a progressive condition for which there is neither a cure nor any very effective treatment. This makes it essential that methods of prevention which are related to lifestyle choices be understood and communicated to the population at large so that action can be taken.

Dr Crowly says, “If you have a family history of an alcohol use disorder, or of Alzheimer’s Disease or related dementias, you can talk to your family doctor about whether a zero-alcohol lifestyle is best for you.” She also recommends, “taking care of any chronic health issues, working on your diet, getting more physical activity (and sleep!), and limiting alcohol and tobacco use will all have beneficial effects. And of course, reducing stress—this can include increasing the amount of time you spend socializing and in mentally stimulating environments.”

Dr Crowley also points out that “The National Institutes of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at the National Institutes of Health does not recommend a safe level of alcohol consumption. They do have some guidelines to help you make healthy decisions though—they suggest less than two alcoholic drinks a day for men and one alcoholic drink a day for women. But any alcohol consumption comes with risks.”

Alzheimer’s disease is associated with an abnormal buildup of proteins called amyloid plaque around brain cells. What the underlying cause of this buildup is, and whar may exacerbate it is still unclear although it has been the focus of extensive research over many years.  It does appear that the risk of developing Alzheimer’s depends upon a number of factors, both environmental and genetic.

And one of these environmental factors is alcohol consumption, which is a particular risk for the devastating diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer’s .

 https://drsobo.com/excessive-alcohol-intake-is-high-risk-for-early-onset-dementia/ 

Research published by The Lancet Public Health journal, shows that alcohol abuse is the most important preventable risk factor for the onset of dementia, and particularly early onset dementia. They studied over one million adults in France who had been diagnosed with dementia. The WHO (World Health Organization) defines heavy drinking as drinking more than 60 grams pure alcohol men (4-standard drinks), and 40 grams (about 3 standard drinks) per day for women.

Study author Prof. Jr. Rehm says that alcohol use disorders shorten life expectancy by as much as 20 years, and dementia is one of the leading causes of death for these people. He explains that “The findings indicate that heavy drinking and alcohol use disorders are the most important risk factors for dementia, and especially important for those types of dementia which start before age 65, and which lead to premature deaths. Alcohol-induced brain damage and dementia are preventable, and known-effective preventive and policy measures can make a dent into premature dementia deaths.”

Dr Crowley and her  colleagues also  published a meta-analysis published in the journal Neurobiology of Stress. Although more work needs to be done to understand the mechanism by which it occurs, she says, “Work out of my lab using animal models, which allow us to investigate the mechanism of these changes in the brain on a really rapid timescale, suggests that even moderate amounts of alcohol consumption in midlife can lead to long-lasting changes in the brain that are unlikely to return to their baseline trajectories.”

Alcohol consumption may cause changes in glutamate signaling, which is important for learning and memory. The same changes in glutamate signaling are generally seen as a part of cognitive decline.

“While there’s a lot to be done, I think the field is likely going to converge on both alcohol, stress, and other risk factors influencing brain glutamate signaling and inflammation—something researchers have colloquially named ‘inflammaging’—in key brain regions related to cognition and memory,” she said.

Another Reasons Not To Drink Heavily

Increased Stroke Risk- Heart Problems

A study published in the scientific journal STROKE of 11,000 subjects participants compared the effect of drinking an average of more than two drinks daily, to those who on average drank less than half a drink per day.

The data revealed that:

• Heavy drinkers (more than two drinks per day) had a 34 percent greater risk of stroke compared to light drinkers (less than 2 per day).
• The risk of stroke for heavy drinkers was even greater than the risks from having high blood pressure or diabetes. Heavy drinkers suffered a stroke approximately five years earlier in life than light drinkers who had a stroke.

The risk of other cardiovascular conditions are also increased with heavy drinking- high blood pressure, heart failure and cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats).

https://drsobo.com/heavy-drinking-middle-age-increase-stroke-risk-traditional-factors/