HIV Plus Binge Drinking Could Hinder Memory

A new Stanford University study suggests that short-term memory is hampered in people who have HIV and drink heavily, USA Today reported Aug. 3.

More than half of the patients with HIV who participated in the study were found to be binge drinkers, and these subjects seemed to have more trouble with their immediate memory. The finding suggested that HIV-positive binge drinkers had impaired ability to learn or decipher information.

The participants were able to remember information over time, which suggested that their long-term memory remained intact.

The study will appear in the October 2009 issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.