Moderate drinking linked to a decline in brain health

Alcohol consumption, even at moderate levels, is associated with increased risk of adverse brain outcomes and steeper decline in cognitive skills, according to a new study published in The BMJ. Heavy drinking is known to be associated with poor brain health, but few studies have examined the effects of moderate drinking on the brain — and results are inconsistent. Therefore researchers from the University of Oxford and University College London in the UK investigated whether moderate alcohol consumption had a beneficial or harmful association — or no association at all — with brain structure and function. They used data on…