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grumble11 t1_j8da5o7 wrote

Does this one correct for all the sick and old people not drinking (or quitting) due to illness? In many studies it is a tricky variable to adjust for, I wonder if others think this one was done well

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[deleted] t1_j8dd1g9 wrote

[deleted]

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fucayama t1_j8eqymu wrote

Great point, so in theory the alcohol would have little effect and was just coincident with the higher social activity. Having said that I could still imagine a decent number of mild-moderate drinkers who are minimally social that would muddy that result somewhat.

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TheOneAllFear t1_j8hj2yy wrote

I think the reason low consumption of alcohol is good is because it increases social interaction which in turn decrease the stress hormone (cortisol?), a hormone which impairs the body to regenerate efficiently.

Also too much...it turns to damage, which is logical.

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swampshark19 t1_j8eeyni wrote

Maybe people prone to dementia are affected differently by alcohol and don't like its effects as much?

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Declwn t1_j8e5hyx wrote

Exactly, doing the study on the Korea pop is a huge confound

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Baud_Olofsson t1_j8h95sr wrote

> Exactly, doing the study on the Korea pop is a huge confound

Because... Koreans aren't people, or what's your argument?

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Chickensandcoke t1_j8e17cz wrote

Interesting study, I wonder if they have any way to tease out the difference between drinking and people who are more social so they drink socially more often. I have a feeling it’s the connection and socializing that helps with dementia.

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Brut-i-cus t1_j8f2o09 wrote

I'm just gonna consider it a beer a day keeps dementia away

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Wagamaga OP t1_j8d1r2a wrote

Drinking one or two cocktails a day may protect against dementia, while having three or more could increase risk, new research suggests. Investigators assessed the risk of dementia using changes in alcohol consumption in nearly four million people in Korea and found that after about 7 years, dementia was 21% less likely in mild drinkers and 17% less likely in moderate drinkers. Heavy drinking was linked to an 8% increased risk of getting the disease.

The findings were published in JAMA Network Open on February 6. According to CNN, lead author Dr. Keun Hye Jeon, assistant professor at CHA Gumi Medical Center in Gumi, South Korea, said in an email:

“We found that maintaining mild to moderate alcohol consumption as well as reducing alcohol consumption from a heavy to a moderate level were associated with a decreased risk of dementia.”

The new study examined the health records of people covered by the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) who get free medical examinations twice a year if they are 40 years or older. The current study looked at data collected between 2009 and 2011 and categorized people by their self-reported drinking levels. If a person said they drank about 0.5 ounces daily, they were considered “mild” drinkers. If they consumed the equivalent of two standard drinks in the U.S. (a standard drink is 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits), they were considered to be “moderate” drinkers. If the participants said they drank more than that, researchers considered them “heavy” drinkers

https://www.newsmax.com/health/health-news/alcohol-consumption-drinking/2023/02/09/id/1108060/

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swampshark19 t1_j8ees2t wrote

It could be that those prone to dementia drink at a lower rate for whatever reason.

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FiendishHawk t1_j8eld91 wrote

Lack of social life?

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swampshark19 t1_j8eno92 wrote

Sure, or that alcohol causes more negative effects in those prone to dementia.

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Plane_Chance863 t1_j8eykp4 wrote

I think dementia is a risk for my autoimmune disease. I've stopped drinking because of the inflammation it causes though. So, no.

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PsychologicalLuck343 t1_j8egbgf wrote

Sure would be good to know whether tha 20% of us who take 4x as long to clear alcohol from our bloodstream need to drink 75% less than the rest of you do to be considered moderate. For me that's 1/2 ounce of vodka (can't drink beer or wine).

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PabloBablo t1_j8enj88 wrote

I think you'd have to extrapolate based on this info and what you know about yourself/the 20%.

I'd imagine it's all tared down a bit for you, but somewhat proportional. What is considered mild/moderate drinking for you - and go from there.

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PsychologicalLuck343 t1_j8eq6kh wrote

One drink makes me as drunk as four over four hours would a normal person, but I don't know whether that's doing the same damage as four alcoholic drinks.

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AtuinTurtle t1_j8f27x1 wrote

What about I drink maybe 3 times a year?

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armahillo t1_j8h210x wrote

measuring alcohol in grams of consumption is perhaps more accurate as data but not particularly useful as information.

here is a calculator: https://www.nutritionheart.com/alcohol-drinks-grams-of-alcohol/

15g = roughly “one drink” (5oz wine, 12oz beer, 1.5oz of liquor). If youve ever served alcohol, its that unit that you were trained about.

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