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A 23-year study in Scandinavia found that people who drank no alcohol and those consuming a lot were worst affected by reduced thinking ability and memory. Those who drank a little fared the best. What does booze do for your thinking ability and memory as you age? Some people have suspected alcohol is all bad while others think it's the same story as for the heart: a moderate amount is good while a lot is bad. Scandinavian researchers have done a 23-year follow up of 1500 men and women, comparing their drinking in middle age with their later chances of impaired thinking ability and dementia. The results showed what's called a U-shaped curve for mild cognitive impairment - that's reduced thinking ability and memory that's not as bad as dementia. The U shape means that those taking no alcohol and those consuming a lot were most at risk and those in the middle were least impaired. It's not clear why the non-drinkers were at increased risk. It may just be that they weren't getting the protective benefits of alcohol. So heavier drinking was harmful but in this study was only linked with out-and-out dementia in those people carrying a gene called ApoE4 known to increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease. So before bashing the booze and your brain - and before you forget - it may be handy to look up your genes.
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