Re: Lifetime perspective on alcohol and brain health
Dear Editor,
In older people, alcohol use disorders were recently shown to be a strong modifiable risk factor for all types of dementia (particularly early onset) [1]. The term “alcoholic dementia”, used in the former Soviet Union, does not exactly correspond to the term “alcohol-related dementia” used in other countries because the latter concept comprises repeated head trauma, undernourishment, protein and vitamin (especially thiamine) deficiency, toxicity by substances other than ethanol that may contribute to the damage of neural structures. In Russia, there is still a need to prevent the right violations of people suffering from alcoholism and alcohol-related dementia, aimed at appropriation of their residences and other properly, as well as suboptimal treatment of such people in governmental medical institutions [2].
References
1. Mewton L, Lees B, Rao RT. Lifetime perspective on alcohol and brain health. BMJ 2020;371:m4691.
2. Jargin SV. Alcohol abuse and alcoholism in Russia. IJEMHHR 2015;17(3):603-4. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282876325_Alcohol_abuse_and_alc...
Rapid Response:
Re: Lifetime perspective on alcohol and brain health
Dear Editor,
In older people, alcohol use disorders were recently shown to be a strong modifiable risk factor for all types of dementia (particularly early onset) [1]. The term “alcoholic dementia”, used in the former Soviet Union, does not exactly correspond to the term “alcohol-related dementia” used in other countries because the latter concept comprises repeated head trauma, undernourishment, protein and vitamin (especially thiamine) deficiency, toxicity by substances other than ethanol that may contribute to the damage of neural structures. In Russia, there is still a need to prevent the right violations of people suffering from alcoholism and alcohol-related dementia, aimed at appropriation of their residences and other properly, as well as suboptimal treatment of such people in governmental medical institutions [2].
References
1. Mewton L, Lees B, Rao RT. Lifetime perspective on alcohol and brain health. BMJ 2020;371:m4691.
2. Jargin SV. Alcohol abuse and alcoholism in Russia. IJEMHHR 2015;17(3):603-4.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282876325_Alcohol_abuse_and_alc...
Competing interests: No competing interests