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As a senior who enjoys a glass of wine several times a week, what's the latest about this controversial topic?
Dementia Risk Drops with Moderate Drinking
By Brian Jackson from the Home Instead Senior Care office in San Jose, California
Q. As a senior who enjoys a glass of wine several times a week, what's the latest about this controversial topic? Is it good for us or not?
Your doctor is always the definitive answer on subjects such as this. But here's news that should make you happy. Earlier research had shown that moderate drinking of alcohol, particularly wine, can reduce dementia among middle-aged adults. A new study says the same is true for senior citizens. The moderate drinkers in this study - all age 75 or older - saw their dementia risk drop by 37 percent over six years.
Kaycee Sink, MD, MAS, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., and colleagues sought to determine the relationship between alcohol intake and incident dementia in 3,069 community-living adults aged 75 years and older without dementia.
After adjustment for demographics, smoking, co-morbidities, depression, social activity, and baseline cognition, moderate alcohol intake (1-2 drinks per day) was associated with a 37 percent lower risk of dementia in participants with normal cognition at baseline, but not in those with mild cognitive impairment.
"Our findings suggest mild to moderate alcohol intake may reduce the risk of dementia," Sink said. "However, this does not appear to be true for those who already have mild cognitive impairment. Current recommendations not to exceed one drink per day for women and two for men are supported by these results."
Experts also warn seniors not to make alcohol a substitute for companionship. If you are an active and healthy senior make sure your days are full of activities and volunteerism. If you need assistance, help is available. The answer to both can be a company such as Home Instead Senior Care. Home Instead hires vital and healthy seniors to serve as CAREGivers for other older adults who might need a little extra companionship or assistance around the house.
To learn more information about Home Instead Senior Care, contact Brian Jackson at 408-370-6360. For more information about the study, log on to http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_86795.html
Contact: Brian Jackson, Home Instead Senior Care San Jose- Telephone: 408-422-6826
