Drinking too much alcohol can lead to dementia in later life

Did you know that over nine million people in the UK drink more than the recommended daily amount?

Statistics from Alcohol Concern show an estimated 7.5 million people are unaware of the damage that drinking could be causing to their body- a seriously worrying figure.

Other statistics:

·         5.9% of global deaths were down to alcohol consumption

·         Harmful use of alcohol results in the death of 2.5 million people annually

·         Alcohol is the 3^rd leading lifestyle-related cause of death in the nation

·         Alcohol misuse costs England around £21 billion per year in healthcare, crime and lost productivity costs

·         Worldwide about 16.0% of drinkers aged 15 years or older engage in heavy episodic drinking

A recent study, from Alzheimer’s Society, shows that by drinking more than four and a half units of alcohol a day, your brain will age faster, increasing your chance of developing dementia.

The 850,000 people in the UK currently living with dementia is expected to rise to over 1 million in the next 10 years. The economic impact exceeds cancer and heart disease- an alarming fact, since there is no cure.

Some small lifestyle changes can significantly decrease your chances of developing dementia:

• eat a healthy diet
• maintain a healthy weight
• exercise regularly
• don't drink too much alcohol
• stop smoking
• keep your blood pressure at a healthy level

With alcohol awareness week upon us, we want people to know what support is available to those who are suffering or know someone with alcohol misuse issues.

At Embrace-Learning, we offer the course ‘Awareness of Alcohol and Substance Misuse’. This course aims to help learners identify the signs that service users are using illegal drugs or misusing legal drugs like alcohol. It enables learners to provide people in their care with more effective guidance and non-judgemental advice about ways of tackling their issues.

We also have a range of e-learning courses for the health and social care sector here. For more information about any of our courses, or to purchase one today, call Embrace-Learning on 0161 928 9987.

Alcohol Awareness Week runs from the 16-22^nd November. For more information visit https://www.alcoholconcern.org.uk