A new study showed that moderate drinking by women aged 65 and older may have benefits for the brain. The study appears in the early online edition of the journal Neuroepidemiology. Researchers included Mark Espeland, PhD, of the public health sciences department at Wake Forest University’s medical school. Espeland and colleagues studied data on women aged 65 and older who took part in the Women’s Health Initiative, a study on hormone therapy. Espeland’s team found that, out of nearly 2,300 participants, those who reported at least one alcoholic drink (beer, wine, or liquor) per day scored higher on tests of verbal skills — although not other mental skills — than teetotalers. This does not recommend that anyone starts drinking or expect mental sharpness from alcohol. In the study, the women reported their drinking habits over the previous three months. These self-reports showed:
- No current alcohol use: 27%
- Less than one daily drink: 43%
- One or more daily drinks: 12%
- Former drinker: 17%
It was also realized in the study that, drinkers tended to have more education, be mostly white folks, have higher family income, be current smokers, have lower BMI (body mass index), not be taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, and have no history of diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease. This study does not and should not encourage any individual to start drinking, as the reverse might be your case.
source:WebMD
Tags: Alcohol, Heart disease, drinking habits
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