Study: Heavy drinkers have smaller brains than non-drinkers

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The brain shrinks with age and drinking more alcohol just hastens that process, according to a study published in the Archives of Neurology.

The long-term study was conducted by researchers from Wellesley College, Massachusetts, Boston University, the Framingham Heart Study and the University of California, Davis. They studied more than 1,839 adults since 1971 as part of the Framingham Offspring Study.

The participants were asked about drinking habits and classified them into four groups: abstainers, former drinkers or low drinkers (they drank one to seven drinks per week), moderate consumers (eight to 14 drinks per week) or high consumers (more than 14 drinks per week).

The participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a health examination. The results showed that participants in the lowest drinking group had brain volumes of 78 per cent of their total cranial volume, compared with 78.7 per cent in the group of abstainers. Heavy drinkers had brain volumes of 77.3 percent.

The researchers found that that increasing alcohol consumption was associated with decreasing total cerebral brain volume, which remained significant after adjustment for head circumference, age, sex, education, body mass index, and Framingham Stroke Risk Profile score.

They also found that this association was more pronounced in women because their typically smaller body sizes make them more vulnerable to alcohol. Women also absorb alcohol more rapidly and have less blood to dilute alcohol.

The brain volume decreases with age at an estimated rate of 1.9 per cent per decade. Alcohol abuse hastens this process. Previously studies have found that drinking and smoking are two of the most important risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. They found that drinking and smoking damages brain health.

Some studies have found that drinking two glasses a day is beneficial to health but this study clearly showed even drinking moderate amounts doesn’t help the brain.

The researchers concluded: “The public health effect of this study gives a clear message about the possible dangers of drinking alcohol.”