It's not uncommon to hear someone say they don't remember the night before, after a night of heavy drinking. It's so common that we laugh it off and move on with our lives, thinking we've only suffered a few hours of cognitive impairment. But, does heavy drinking and blacking out eventually lead to long-term memory loss?
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Barely being able to speak or walk are obvious signs that alcohol affects the brain. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), a person who drinks heavily over a long period of time may have brain deficits that persist well after they achieve sobriety.
“Large quantities of alcohol, especially when consumed quickly and on an empty stomach, can produce a blackout, or an interval of time for which the intoxicated person cannot recall key details of events, or even entire events,” according to NIAAA.
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How alcohol affects your brain depends on a number of variables including, age, weight, gender, genetic background, medical history and level of education according to the NIAAA.
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Because of the way we metabolize alcohol, women tend to have lower alcohol tolerance than men and are more likely to experience a blackout. Women are also more likely to experience milder forms of alcohol–induced memory impairments than men, after consuming the same amount of alcohol, according to NIAA.There are studies that suggest the effects of heavy drinking can be as mild as a short memory lapse or as crucial as causing a condition that warrants permanent medical attention.
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In one survey, conducted by Severine Sabia, a research associate in the department of epidemiology and public health at University College London, middle-aged men who drink 2.5 or more alcoholic beverages per day were found to have greater declines in memory, attention and reasoning skills up to six years sooner than men who drink less.
According to Time, researchers believe alcohol interferes with blood flow to the brain and has the ability to damage nerve cells that affect the brain’s overall cognitive functions.
“We have lots of clinical experience to suggest that heavy drinking can have adverse effects on cognition. But what was new about this study, at least in men, was that it didn't seem that light or moderate drinking [was more harmful than not drinking alcohol at all],” said Dr. Marc Gordon, chief of neurology at Zucker Hillside Hospital.
According to NIAAA, low-risk drinking levels for men are no more than four drinks per day and no more than 14 drinks per week. For women, low-risk drinking levels are three drinks per day and no more than seven drinks per week. Both daily and weekly limits must be followed to be considered low-risk. The low-risk levels for men over 65 are the same as women.
