Elderly men and women with a history of mild-to-moderate drinking may experience less mental decline over time than seniors who do not consume alcoholic drinks, study findings suggest. The findings imply that mild-to-moderate alcohol consumption may play a role in helping preserve cognitive function."Health professionals have generally paid more attention to alcohol abuse and dependence and their adverse consequences,” study author Dr. Mary Ganguli, of the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, told Reuters Health."Our study suggests that we should also consider the potential benefits of more modest patterns of alcohol use."Some prior studies have pointed to the potential benefits of mild-to-moderate alcohol drinking. One recent study, reported earlier this year by Reuters Health, showed that women over 70 years old who reported having about one alcoholic drink per day were less likely than teetotalers to show signs of mental decline two years later. Other studies have also pointed to the heart-healthy effects of alcohol drinking, particularly red wine.The current findings are based on data collected from more a thousand Southwestern Pennsylvania residents, aged 65 years and older, over an average seven-year period.
