Drinking alcohol lowers mortality risk among patients with mild Alzheimer's Disease: study

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Those who enjoy moderate alcohol intake are in for a treat, as researchers have found that this has a good effect on health, TIME reports. A new study published in the journal BMJ Open analyzed people with mild Alzheimer's and discovered that those who moderately consume alcohol, meaning having two to three drinks per day, were about 77 percent less likely to die over the three-year period it took to conduct the study, compared to those who consumed one or fewer drinks per day.

Researchers analyzed data from the Danish Alzheimer’s Intervention Study (DAISY), in which 321 Danish people with mild Alzheimer's were followed for a period of three years. This included data about how much the participants drank, reported by their caregivers. Factors such as age, sex, cognitive functioning, quality of life, smoking and education were controlled, while the differences between the types of alcohol were not differentiated.

BT reports that according to a spokesman for Danish Alzheimer's Intervention Study, which conducted the research, "The results of our study point towards a potential, positive association of moderate alcohol consumption on mortality in patients with Alzheimer's disease."

"However, we cannot solely, on the basis of this study, either encourage or advise against moderate alcohol consumption in (these) patients," the researchers claim.

Research senior author Frans Boch Waldorff, a professor in the Department of Public Health at University of Southern Denmark, commented, "It came as a surprise. We thought perhaps if you had a brain disease, you would not tolerate alcohol in the way of people without brain disease."

Senior director of medical and scientific operations for the Alzheimer's Association Heather Snyder told Healthline that the research results were not so surprising, as social lifestyle aspects linked to drinking have been shown to help people with memory. She said, "It’s tough to tease those things out. This study is adding to what might be those lifestyle factors that are increasing or decreasing those risks."

According to Snyder, the Alzheimer's Association recommends several lifestyle changes that are effective in preserving memory and brain function, such as exercise, reading, and smoking cessation.

"Those are actually things we’ve seen in larger studies that help people later in life," Snyder said. She also warns those with Alzheimer's to take the study results with a grain of salt and not supplement their diet with alcohol.

Alzheimer's disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and the most common type of dementia, as per the Alzheimer's Association. The 2014 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures is a useful report that sheds light on the the current statistic in the U.S. and a special report on women and Alzheimer's Disease.