| New
research shows that people
who consume moderate
amounts of alcohol have
smaller brains than
non-drinkers, the Milwaukee
Journal Sentinel
reported Dec. 4.
For the study,
researchers at Johns
Hopkins University used
magnetic resonance imaging
to examine the brains of
1,909 individuals in their
mid-50s. The participants
were categorized in groups
according to their
drinking habits, which
ranged from non-drinkers
to moderate (having one to
six alcoholic drinks a
week) to heavy (seven or
more drinks weekly).
Although studies have
shown that moderate
alcohol consumption may be
beneficial for the heart,
the latest study found
that it did not protect
against stroke and may be
linked to brain atrophy.
Researchers speculated
that brain atrophy was a
result of brain-cell
death.
The study 's findings
are published in the Dec.
5, 2003 issue of Stroke,
a journal of the American
Heart Association.
>>
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