Alcohol makes brains shrink
- Published: 21 October 2008 11:52
- Last Updated: 21 October 2008 11:52
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Drinking alcohol appears to be linked to brain shrinkage, according to US researchers.
They found that the more alcohol an individual drank, the smaller their brain volume was, with the relationship strongest in women.
The study looked at 1,839 people, with an average age of 60.
'There was a significant negative linear relationship between alcohol consumption and total cerebral brain volume,' the researchers say.
Archives of Neurology (2008) 65: 1363–1367
'This study suggests that, unlike the associations with cardiovascular disease, alcohol consumption does not have any protective effect on brain volume.'
