Heavy drinking biggest risk factor for dementia

 Toronto, Feb 21: Heavy drinkers are at increased risk of developing dementia, a progressive brain disease that generally begins with mild memory loss, suggests the largest study of its kind ever conducted. Alcohol use disorders are the most important preventable risk factors for the onset of all types of dementia, especially early-onset dementia, showed the study of over one million adults diagnosed with dementia in France. This study included only the most severe cases of alcohol use disorder — ones involving hospitalisation.  Of the 57,000 cases of early-onset dementia (before the age of 65) reported in the study, the majority (57 per cent) were related to chronic heavy drinking. (IANS)