How Alcohol Can Affect You As You Age
Alcohol can affect many aspects of your health. We’ve discussed in prior blogs about how alcohol can adversely affect your heart, brain, and liver as well as how it can affect your sleep and mental health. Heavy alcohol consumption can also affect how you function and how you age.
According to recent research published on WorldHealth.net, “binge drinking may be linked to the onset and severity of Alzheimer’s disease.” Scientists are studying how excessive drinking is connected to this form of dementia. Research indicates that it may be related to the toxicity of alcohol and how it may alter “a normal brain protein.”
Read more about the study: “Binge Drinking May Cause Alzheimer’s Disease.”
As noted by the Alzheimer’s Society in the UK, heavy alcohol consumption can result in short- and long-term health problems including brain damage. Scientists believe that this brain damage may lead to a person developing Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
According to research documents by the group, people who consumed large amounts of alcohol or engaged in binge drinking were more likely to develop Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia than people who engaged in moderate alcohol use.
Alcohol can also cause a brain disorder known as alcohol-related brain damage and is linked to a number of conditions as outlined by the Alzheimer’s Society. Generally, the more alcohol a person consumed or the more often they engaged in binge drinking, the more likely they were to have negative health effects such as brain damage or increased potential for dementia.
The Alzheimer’s Society and other organizations recommend reducing alcohol consumption as much as possible, particularly in mid-life. Alcohol is known to adversely affect almost every organ in the body. If you have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol it is important to seek treatment immediately.