Alcohol linked to brain damage for heavy drinkers, study finds

Drinking eight or more alcoholic beverages each week could have a damaging effect on the brain, according to a new study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN).

That volume of alcohol was linked to a higher risk of developing a type of brain lesion called hyaline arteriolosclerosis, which causes a narrowing and thickening of blood vessels and impedes the flow of blood in the brain.

This can lead to memory and cognition problems, according to a press release from AAN.

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"Heavy alcohol consumption is a major global health concern linked to increased health problems and death," said study author Alberto Fernando Oliveira Justo, PhD, of University of Sao Paulo Medical School in Brazil, in the release. 

"We looked at how alcohol affects the brain as people get older. Our research shows that heavy alcohol consumption is damaging to the brain, which can lead to memory and thinking problems."

The researchers examined brain autopsies of 1,781 people averaging 75 years of age, focusing on any signs of brain injury or damage.

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They then gathered information about the participants' alcohol consumption from family members, the AAN release stated.

Those who were classified as heavy drinkers had a 133% greater risk of having vascular brain lesions (abnormalities in the brain's blood vessels) compared to people who never drank.

The risk was 89% higher than former heavy drinkers and 60% higher than moderate drinkers.

The heavy drinkers and former heavy drinkers were also more likely to develop tau tangles, which are protein deposits in the brain that are a common marker of Alzheimer's disease.

When determining the level of consumption, the researchers defined one drink as containing 14 grams of alcohol, equating to about 350 milliliters (ml) of beer, 150 ml of wine or 45 ml of distilled spirits.

Among those who used to be heavy drinkers, researchers noted a decline in cognitive function and lower brain mass proportional to body mass, an effect that was not found among current heavy drinkers or moderate drinkers, the release stated.

Heavy drinkers had an average 13-year shorter lifespan compared to those who never drank alcohol.

"We found heavy drinking is directly linked to signs of injury in the brain, and this can cause long-term effects on brain health, which may impact memory and thinking abilities," said Justo in the release. 

"Understanding these effects is crucial for public health awareness and for continuing to implement preventive measures to reduce heavy drinking."

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Dr. Frances Lee, who treats alcohol-related liver disease at Mount Sinai Health Systems in New York City, previously spoke with Fox News Digital about the effects of alcohol on the brain.

Lee said that alcohol - a known depressant - readily crosses the blood-brain barrier, which plays a role in its depressive and addictive effects.

Heavy alcohol use has also been found to increase the risk of dementia, she warned.

"Alcohol intake can worsen cognitive decline, causing issues with memory, as well as worsening some behavioral issues like depression," Davis told Fox News Digital.

One key limitation of the study is that it did not assess participants' health before death. There was also a lack of information about how long the alcohol consumption lasted.

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The researchers noted that the study only shows an association and does not prove that heavy drinking causes brain injury.

The study was supported by The São Paulo Research Foundation.