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A new study just published by the American Academy of Neurology has claimed that heavy drinking and smoking can lead to an early onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Heavy drinking, which for the purposes of the study was defined as more than two drinks a day, brought the onset forward by 4.8 years and heavy smoking, defined as more than twenty cigarettes a day, by 2.3 years. Someone who drank and smoked heavily, therefore, could be accelerating the onset of the disease by as much as 7 years.

On top of this there is a gene which predisposes certain people to Alzheimer’s. The gene which is known as APOE variant 4 brought forward the onset of the disease by three years.

Someone who fulfilled all these criteria that is to say was a heavy drinker, heavy smoker and was in possession of the APOE variant 4 gene could, on average, expect to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s eight and a half years earlier than someone who did not drink, smoke or have the APOE variant 4 gene.

What the survey did not deal with was whether or not lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking, eating habits or lack of exercise were actual causes of the disease.

There have been other studies which have suggested that drinking a couple of alcoholic beverages a day can actually lower the risk of dementia. A Dutch study revealed that dementia was 42 percent lower in drinkers compared with non-drinkers.

Another study presented at the conference made claims that high cholesterol levels doubled a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s

Susanne Sorenson of the Alzheimer’s society said, “The best way to reduce your risk is to eat a balanced diet rich in antioxidants and vitamins and to exercise regularly. Not smoking, drinking only in moderation and getting your blood pressure and cholesterol checked regularly throughout life are also important.”