Here’s something to toast: Moderate drinking offers long-term cognitive protection and reduces the risk of dementia in older adults, according to new research from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Over the six-year study, researchers found that individuals who had no cognitive impairment at the start of the study and drank one to two alcoholic beverages per day experienced an average 37 percent reduction in the risk of developing dementia compared to individuals who did not drink at all and were classified as abstainers. The type of alcohol consumed did not matter.

"As of yet, we still have no cure for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, so it is important to look for things that might help people prevent the disease," says senior study author Kaycee Sink, a geriatrician. “Moderate alcohol intake has been linked to lower risk of heart attacks, stroke, dementia, and death in middle-aged adults, but there is still controversy about alcohol intake in older adults."

Researchers say this is the largest and longest U.S. study to look at the effects of regular alcohol intake on dementia in seniors, both with and without memory problems. Previous studies that have shown that moderate alcohol intake is linked to lower risk of heart attacks and dementia have been done in middle-aged people, researchers say. The study was presented at the Alzheimer's Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Vienna.

For the study, researchers began by examining and interviewing 3,069 individuals, 75 years or older and most without any memory or thinking problems, about their drinking habits. The study subjects were then examined and interviewed every six months for six years to determine changes in their memory or thinking abilities and to monitor who developed dementia. Those who began with no cognitive impairment and drank moderately saw the greatest reduction—37 percent—regardless of the type of alcohol consumed.

But for older adults who started the study with mild cognitive impairment, consumption of alcohol, at any amount, was associated with faster rates of cognitive decline. What’s more, the researchers found that those who were classified in the heavy drinker category, consuming more than 14 drinks per week, were almost twice as likely to develop dementia during the study compared to non-drinkers with mild cognitive impairment.

"We were excited to see that even in older adults, moderate alcohol intake decreases the risk of dementia," Sink says. "It is important to note, however, that our study found a significantly higher risk of dementia for heavy drinkers who started the study with mild cognitive impairment." The researchers' findings support current recommendations not to exceed one drink per day for women and two for men.