Mild cognitive impairment didn’t play a role for seniors who consume between seven and 14 alcoholic beverages each week after a study found they were less likely to develop dementia that those who typically abstain from drinking.
The findings, however, flipped when seniors drank more. Harvard University researchers also found that seniors with mild cognitive impairment had a higher risk of dementia when they consumed more than 14 drinks each week when compared to those who drink less than one each week.
Patients without mild cognitive impairment, who drank less than the recommended daily limit for alcohol consumption, were less likely to develop dementia when compared to those who did not drink on a regular basis but engaged in binge drinking.
“These findings suggest that physicians caring for older adults need to carefully assess the full dimensions of drinking behavior and cognition when providing guidance to patients about their alcohol consumption,” researchers concluded.
Researchers analyzed alcohol intake in 3,021 seniors aged 72 and older.
The findings were published Friday in JAMA Network Open.
