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Alcohol may reduce brain injury risk

23 September 2009

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More research will help us understand what these findings means in real terms. Dr Karen Woo, associate medical director for Bupa

Drinking alcohol may protect you if you suffer from a moderate or severe brain injury, US research suggests.

In many situations, alcohol is part of the cause of accidents or injuries. However, recent research published in the Archives of Surgery outlines the possible protective effect of alcohol in people with a brain injury.

The study was conducted over five years and looked at 38,000 people who had suffered a brain injury. Of those studied just over half had alcohol in their blood.

The researchers found that the people who tested positive for alcohol were less likely to die from their injury, spent less time on a ventilator (assisted breathing machine) and were in intensive care for a shorter period of time than those who had no alcohol in their blood. However, those who tested positive for alcohol did have more health-related complications.

The researchers think that alcohol may slow down swelling and inflammation in the damaged areas of the brain. Alcohol also seems to slow the breathing rate, as well as reduce pressure and lower blood flow in the blood vessels in the brain - all of which adds to this protective effect. However, findings about these mechanisms have only been confirmed in animal studies so far.

Karen Woo, associate medical director for Bupa said: "There are many things which need clarification in this research. The group who had an increased rate of survival were younger than the group who had a lower chance of survival. Being younger may mean they are more able to respond to treatment and recover quicker. The type of injury they had or how much alcohol was in their blood also was outlined. This could vary significantly between individuals and needs to be taken into account.

"The findings can't be directly applied to humans as the research was carried out in animals. And it certainly shouldn't mean people should drink to try reduce their risk of injury as alcohol is a potential cause of injury. More research will help us understand what these findings means in real terms."

Key facts

  • Two million people have a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the US each year.
  • 56,000 people die of TBI each year in the US.
  • More than half of all traffic-related deaths in South Africa in 2001 had alcohol listed as a contributing factor.
  • Worldwide over half of people who go to hospital with a trauma in the have alcohol in their blood.