Binge drinking increases the risk of dementia, according to doctors. Heavy drinking can cause brain damage and lead to memory loss and other cognitive issues. Doctors estimate that binge drinking may account for 10-24% of dementia cases. Women are particularly vulnerable since their bodies process alcohol differently than men. While moderate drinking of up to two drinks per day may help reduce dementia risk, binge drinking can cause Alzheimer's disease to begin earlier.

1. Binge drinking ‘increases risk’ of dementia
Level 1 Elementary
1 Key words
Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.
dementia condition binge drinking epidemic diagnosis
brain damage liver priority cope with reduce
1. If you give something _____________________, it is more important than anything else.
2. If you _____________________ something, you make it smaller or less in size, amount or importance.
3. A medical _____________________ is an illness or health problem.
4. _____________________ is drinking a lot of alcohol over a short period of time.
5. The _____________________ is an organ in your body that cleans your blood.
6. An _____________________ is a situation in which a large number of people are suffering from a disease.
7. _____________________ is a serious illness that affects the brain and memory and is particularly common
in old people.
8. If you suffer from _____________________, your brain does not function correctly because of an accident or
an illness.
9. A _____________________ is a statement made after a medical examination of a person about what disease
that person has.
10. If you _____________________ a problem, you deal with it successfully.
2 Find the information
Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible.
1. How many people in the UK suffer from dementia?
2. How many dementia sufferers in the UK have Alzheimer’s disease?
3. If you drink more than two drinks a day, how much earlier can Alzheimer’s disease begin?
4. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, what percentage of dementia cases are directly caused by alcohol?
5. In which two countries is Korsakoff’s syndrome becoming more common?
6. How many drinks can help protect against dementia?
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2. Binge drinking ‘increases risk’ of dementia
Level 1 Elementary
Binge drinking ‘increases risk’ drinks a day can cause Alzheimer’s to begin
of dementia by up to 4.8 years earlier. Two thirds of all the
More under-65s – and women in particular – will 700,000 people in the UK with dementia have
suffer alcohol-related brain damage, say doctors Alzheimer’s. “Drink is more likely to cause
dementia in women than men because women
Denis Campbell, health correspondent
have more body water and less body fat, which
10 May, 2009
means that they process alcohol differently and
are in more danger as a result,” said Marshall.
1 Heavy drinking could be the cause of one in four
6 Women who drink the same as men are in more
cases of dementia, a serious brain condition
danger of loss of memory for that reason, in the
which leads to a loss of memory. Doctors have
same way that they are in more danger of getting
identified a connection between drinking alcohol
alcohol-related liver disease. However, if a heavy
and dementia in between 10 and 24% of the
drinker of either sex stops drinking alcohol, their
700,000 people in the UK who have the disease.
brain cells will regenerate and there will be an
They say that binge drinking and increased use
improvement in key areas of brain activity.
of alcohol will probably produce an epidemic of
alcohol-related brain damage in the future, with 7 Gayle Willis of the Alzheimer’s Society said: “We
drinkers beginning to experience serious memory know that the use of alcohol over a long period
problems in their 40s. of time can lead to memory problems. Only one
third of the people with Alzheimer’s are actually
2 Women who drink a lot are in much greater
diagnosed with the disease but the problem of
danger than men of suffering problems because
under-diagnosis of people with alcohol-related
their bodies are less able to cope with the effects
memory loss could be even greater.” But
of alcohol.
the society believes that only a few cases of
3 It is well-known that alcohol kills brain cells, but dementia, perhaps as few as 3%, are directly
an article in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism caused by alcohol.
says that the problem may be much more
8 Marshall and her colleagues studied Korsakoff’s
common than people think. The increase in the
syndrome, a rare form of dementia linked to
amounts that people drink means “it is probable
alcohol use, which leads to short-term memory
that the amount of alcohol-related brain damage
loss, changes in behaviour and confusion. It is
is greater than we thought and may rise in future
becoming more and more common in Scotland
generations”, say the authors of the article.
and the Netherlands, especially among poorer
4 Dr Jane Marshall, one of the co-authors of the people with poor diets. One study of people
report and a consultant psychiatrist at a hospital suffering from the condition found that half of
in London, said: “People think that dementia them were under the age of 50.
is something that happens to people over the
9 Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal
age of 65. But a lot of those under 65 have got
College of Physicians, said: “It is a real worry that
memory problems and a large number of the
some clinical staff do not recognize the important
problems in that group are related to alcohol.
link between alcohol and dementia, because if
Alcohol-related brain damage may be the cause
the early signs of the condition are diagnosed
of 10-24% of all cases of all forms of dementia.
quickly, it is possible to treat it. It is very important
We know that alcohol is associated with serious
that we improve understanding among doctors
problems. It reduces memory and general
and nurses about the links between heavy
awareness,” she added.
drinking and damage to the nervous system. It
5 These findings follow research in America last is equally important that people understand that
year which showed that drinking more than two alcohol-related brain damage can happen at any
time of life.”
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NEWS LESSONS / Binge drinking ‘increases risk’ of dementia / Elementary
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3. Binge drinking ‘increases risk’ of dementia
Level 1 Elementary
10 Other research has shown that drinking up
to two drinks a day, can help protect against
dementia. Dr Allan Thomson, the guest editor of
Alcohol and Alcoholism, has written to the UK
public health minister, warning that the National
Health Service must give alcohol-related brain
damage the same priority it has given to liver
problems linked to heavy drinking.
© Guardian News & Media 2009
First published in The Observer, 10/05/09
3 Comprehension check
Match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text.
1. Dementia is a serious brain condition which …
2. Doctors can treat dementia if …
3. The number of people suffering from alcohol-related brain damage …
4. Women who drink a lot …
5. Women are in more danger because …
6. The use of alcohol over a long period of time can …
a. … their bodies are less able to cope with alcohol.
b. ... cause loss of memory.
c. … leads to a loss of memory.
d. … will probably rise in future generations.
e. … are in more danger than men.
f. … they diagnose the early signs of the disease quickly.
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NEWS LESSONS / Binge drinking ‘increases risk’ of dementia / Elementary
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4. Binge drinking ‘increases risk’ of dementia
Level 1 Elementary
4 Chunks
Rearrange the words to make phrases from the text.
1. the over people 65 age of
2. 4.8 earlier to up years
3. few perhaps as 3% as
4. 50 the under of age
5. period of over long a time
6. time any at life of
5 Phrases with prepositions
Complete the phrases from the text using these prepositions.
of in to
1. _______ the future 5. lead _______ serious problems
2. people _______ their forties 6. up _______ 4 years earlier
3. loss _______ memory 7. the use _______ alcohol
4. _______ danger 8. a rare form _______ the disease
6 Word building
Complete the table.
verb noun
1. lose
2. connect
3. improve
4. behave
5. confuse
6. diagnose
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NEWS LESSONS / Binge drinking ‘increases risk’ of dementia / Elementary
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5. Binge drinking ‘increases risk’ of dementia
Level 1 Elementary
KEY
1 Key words 4 Chunks
1. priority 1. people over the age of 65
2. reduce 2. up to 4.8 years earlier
3. condition 3. perhaps as few as 3%
4. binge drinking 4. under the age of 50
5. liver 5. over a long period of time
6. epidemic 6. at any time of life
7. dementia
8. brain damage
5 Phrases with prepositions
9. diagnosis
10. cope with
1. in
2. in
2 Find the information 3. of
4. in
1. 700,000 5. to
2. two thirds 6. to
3. up to 4.8 years 7. of
4. 3% 8. of
5. Scotland and the Netherlands
6. up to two a day
6 Word building
3 Comprehension check
verb noun
1. c 1. lose loss
2. f 2. connect connection
3. d 3. improve improvement
4. e 4. behave behaviour
5. a
5. confuse confusion
6. b
6. diagnose diagnosis
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NEWS LESSONS / Binge drinking ‘increases risk’ of dementia / Elementary
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