Alcohol and dementia risk

This guide explores the damaging effects of alcohol on the brain, the symptoms, causes, and treatment options, and offers practical can drinking cause dementia advice for prevention and support. While light or moderate drinking may protect against the development of Alzheimer’s disease, chronic alcohol use over an extended period can cause irreversible brain damage. This excessive consumption puts a person at risk of various brain diseases, including AD, stroke, and heart disease. On the other hand, there is no rationale either, to recommend cutting down on alcohol consumption to reduce dementia risk if consumption is moderate (disregarding other risks of alcohol consumption).

Projected number of adults with Alzheimer’s disease by 2060

The hazard ratio for abstinence compared to consumption of 1–14 drinks per week for developing any kind of dementia was 1.47, after adjusting for confounders (extensive assessment of sociodemographic data and cardiovascular health data). Diagnosis was made through linkage with mental health services data set, mortality register and national hospital episode statistics. Marchiafava-Bignami disease is another outcome linked to alcohol, predominantly affecting malnourished, heavy drinkers. It involves the deterioration of the corpus callosum, the major fiber tract that connects the brain’s two hemispheres. The resulting damage can cause a range of severe symptoms, including cognitive decline, inability to walk, slurred speech and muscle spasms. Alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) is a brain disorder which covers several different conditions including Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and alcohol-related dementia.

General Health

• It aims to stop the person drinking alcohol and make their health more stable.
• However, if the person keeps drinking alcohol and doesn’t eat well, alcohol-related ‘dementia’ is very likely to get worse.
• The most common part that is injured is called the mammillary bodies, which is important for memory processing — people with this injury can have a lot of difficulty with short-term memory loss.
• Researchers estimate that the average person consumes between 78,000 and 211,000 microplastic particles every year through drinking water, foods contaminated by microplastics, and breathing microplastics-containing air.

Alcohol-induced hypertension and other cardiovascular complications can significantly increase the likelihood of strokes. Seeking professional help and committing to sobriety are Alcoholics Anonymous the first steps to recovery and preventing further brain damage. Alcohol abuse contributes to vascular dementia by damaging blood vessels and reducing blood flow to the brain.

• For people who drink daily and heavily, there isn’t always a safe or moderate amount of alcohol consumed.
• Drinking more than 28 units per week can lead to a sharper decline in thinking skills as people get older.
• Therapy for alcoholic dementia can include management of AUD, nutritional supplementation to compensate for nutrient deficiencies, and exercises to help improve cognition (thinking abilities) and motor skills.
• Evidence links alcohol with the growing problem of memory impairment.
• “Despite this rapid rise, much remains to be uncovered about how MNPs may pose potential risks to human health.

Alcohol and Dementia – What is the Link? A Systematic Review

If you already drink alcohol within the recommended guidelines, you do not need to stop on the grounds of reducing the risk of dementia. Without treatment, the damage and symptoms of alcohol-related brain injury will get worse over time. Memory loss and mood swings are hallmark symptoms of alcohol-related brain damage. Some of the common symptoms of alcohol-related ‘dementia’ may make it harder for a person to take part in an alcohol treatment programme.

Many of the disorders due to alcohol intake are related to large amounts of consumed alcohol. About 10% of the population drinks 75% of the alcohol consumed in the United States 22. Moderate wine drinking may have some health benefits; excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of several cancers, heart disease, other chronic diseases, and mental health problems.

Dementia: Are microplastics accumulating in our brains a risk factor?

• That’s why the Surgeon General issued an advisory in January 2025 recommending that alcoholic beverages carry new labels warning of the alcohol-cancer link and highlighting that no safe low level of alcohol consumption has been established.
• Additionally, medications that are indicated for treating dementia, such as Namenda (memantine), may be prescribed, but the benefits are not established for alcoholic dementia.
• You may also find value in joining a support group for people who are living with alcoholic dementia or for caregivers so that you can meet with others who are coping with the same life stressors as you are.

The doctor will also do a full physical examination and take a detailed history of the person’s symptoms and how they are affecting their life. They should also take an account from someone who knows the person well, as this can help if the person has gaps in their memory. The doctor may also ask about problems with mood, such as anxiety or depression. Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle, with ways to fight inflammation and improve cognitive health, plus the latest advances in preventative medicine, diet and exercise, pain relief, blood pressure and cholesterol management, and more. Of course, no one needs to wait for new guidelines or warning labels to curb their drinking. Many are exploring ways to cut back, including the Dry January Challenge or alcohol-free drinks.