Extensive media coverage 'alcohol consumption and cognitive decline in early old age' article

The results were featured in a press release, 'Heavy Drinking in Middle Age May Speed Memory Loss by up to Six Years in Men' American Academy of Neurology.

Key Finding

It is known that heavy alcohol consumption increases the risk of several chronic diseases. However, its effect on cognitive function has been less well explored. We found that heavy drinking during midlife was associated with declines in cognitive functioning over the next decade, as measured by tests on memory and reasoning. Men who said they drank more than 4 units of alcohol/day (e.g. 4 glasses of wine or spirits, or two pints of beer a day) on average experienced memory loss similar to that typically observed in respondents 6 years older than them.

Links to a selection of media releases

• Too Much Booze Can Shave 6 Years off Men's Memory ABC's World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer (15 January 2014)
• Heavy Drinking Can 'Age' Men's Memory Good Morning America (15 January 2014)
• Heavy drinking in mid-life men speeds memory loss, study finds The Today Show (15 January 2014)
• Study Links Drinking to Memory Problems for Middle-Aged Men TIME (15 January 2014)
• Men who drink heavily lose memories faster with age USA Today (15 January 2014)
• More than two drinks a day could speed memory loss in men: study New York Daily News (16 January 2014)
• Heavy drinking in middle age speeds cognitive decline, study finds Los Angeles Times (15 January 2014)
• Middle aged men who drink regularly face faster memory loss, scientists warn Daily Mail (15 January 2014)
• For middle-aged men, history of heavy drinking can speed mental decline with aging, study says The Telegram (15 January 2014)
• Heavy drinking linked to early onset of memory decline in men The Guardian (15 January 2014)