Not drinking in middle age increases dementia risk

Abstinence from alcohol in middle age has been linked to a heightened risk of dementia, a new study suggests.

Both people who drink over the recommended limits and those who are teetotal in midlife are at an increased risk, researchers found.

A new study, published in the British Medical Journal, examined data on more than 9,000 people taking part in the Whitehall II study - which tracked the health of civil servants working in London.

The participants were aged between 35 and 55 when the study began in the mid 1980s.

Alcohol consumption was measured during assessments between 1985 and 1993, when the participants had an average age of 50.

They were followed up for an average of 23 years.