Middle-aged people are significantly more likely to suffer serious memory problems later in life if they have a history of problem drinking, a new study has found.

It involved over 6,500 middle-aged adults who were first assessed in 1992. They were then followed up every year between 1996 and 2010.

All of the participants were assessed for a history of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) using what is known as the CAGE* questionnaire - four questions aimed at picking up on alcohol problems.

They were also assessed for cognitive and memory impairment.

The study found that middle-aged adults with a history of AUDs were at least twice as likely to develop severe memory impairment later in life.

According to lead researcher, Dr Iain Lang of the University of Exeter in the UK, it is already known that there is a link between the risk of dementia and levels of current alcohol consumption.

"That understanding is based on asking older people how much they drink and then observing whether they develop problems. But this is only one part of the puzzle and we know little about the consequences of alcohol consumption earlier in life.

"What we did here is investigate the relatively unknown association between having a drinking problem at any point in life and experiencing problems with memory later in life," he said.

Dr Lang believes that this findings suggests three things, ‘that this is a public health issue that needs to be addressed, that more research is required to investigate the potential harms associated with alcohol consumption throughout life, and that the CAGE questionnaire may offer doctors a practical way to identify those at risk of memory/cognitive impairment and who may benefit from help to tackle their relationship with alcohol'.

Details of these findings are published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

*The CAGE questionnaire asks the following questions:
-Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?
-Have other people annoyed you by criticising your drinking?
-Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?
-Have you ever consumed alcohol first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover?