(April 16, 2008 - Insidermedicine) From Florida - Those who smoke and drink heavily develop Alzheimer's disease at a younger age. Researchers evaluated nearly 1000 patients with Alzheimer's to determine if smoking, drinking and the presence of a variant of the APOE influenced the age of Alzheimer's presentation.  Those who had all 3 risk factors developed Alzheimer's disease 8.5 years earlier than those with none.

From Bethesda - In a study that followed over 180,000 postmenopausal women for an average of 7 years, those that drank 1-2  small drinks per day were 32 percent more likely to develop a hormone-sensitive breast tumor. Those who drank three or more drinks had a 51% increased risk. The risk was noted regardless of whether a woman's preference was for beer, wine, or hard liquor. 

And finally, from California - Mutations in genes that govern our ability to break down alcohol may also influence the risk of developing breast cancer. In a study in which nearly 1000 women with breast cancer were compared to nearly 1,700 without, those with variations in 2 genes that code for enzymes that metabolize alcohol had a 2-fold higher risk for breast cancer.

For Insidermedicine in 60, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.