Drink a Day Delays Dementia's Dawn

Progression from mild cognitive impairment -- a transitional stage between normal aging and dementia -- to dementia can be delayed by drinking an average of one glass of wine a day, according to new research out of Italy.

"While many studies have assessed alcohol consumption and cognitive function in the elderly, this is the first study to look at how alcohol consumption affects the rate of progression of mild cognitive impairment [(MCI)] to dementia," study authors Dr. Vincenzo Solfrizzi and Dr. Francesco Panza, from the University of Bari in Italy, said in a statement.

The study, which followed 1,445 people with MCI over 3.5 years, saw 121
patients progress to dementia. The authors note that consumption of alcohol was not related to the development of MCI, but a correlation existed among those drinking a glass a day and slower progression to dementia. The drinkers progressed 85% slower than those who abstained from alcohol.

See previous coverage of loneliness' relationship to dementia here, or find out if you want to know that your prone to dementia.

A Drink a Day May Slow Mental Decline to Dementia [ABC News]