Some studies attempt to adjust for this by inflating the levels of drinking to match those expected from alcohol sales, says Peter Sarich, an epidemiologist at the Daffodil Centre, a cancer research centre in Sydney, Australia. Analyses first focused on the categorical alcohol use variable and were conducted in the full sample with current abstainers as the reference category. All analyses were then repeated in the sample of 11 cohorts where life‐time abstainers and former drinkers could be separated, with life‐time abstainers as the reference category. These analyses included inverse probability of censoring weights and were adjusted for age, sex and smoking status, as well as a random effect for cohort using the coxme package in R 31. To identify sex‐specific relationships between alcohol use and dementia, these analyses were repeated in males and females. The interplay between Alzheimer and alcohol consumption is particularly concerning.
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The two terms “alcoholism” and “aging” retrieved about 1,350 papers; adding phrases—for example, “postmortem” or “magnetic resonance”—limited the number to fewer than 100 papers. Using the traditional term, “alcoholism” with “dementia” resulted in 876 citations, but using the currently accepted term “alcohol use disorder (AUD)” with “dementia” produced only 87 papers. As pertinent postmortem pathology papers were published in the 1950s and recent animal models of Alzheimer’s disease were created in the early 2000s, articles referenced span the years 1957 to 2024. In total, more than 5,000 articles were considered; about 400 are herein referenced. A flawless study to answer this question would involve recruiting many hundreds of identical twins.
Late Onset Alzheimer’s Disease (LOAD):
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). Rehm says the answer is clearest for breast cancer in women thanks in part to several large cohort studies that included many people who didn’t drink much. A systematic review6 of such studies, which was published last year, found that cancer risks were raised slightly in those who had half a drink (5 g of ethanol) per day — the lowest level examined. “And frankly, it probably doesn’t make a lot of sense to go down further, because I mean, who drinks one-quarter of a drink?
Alcohol and Alzheimer’s Disease
An increasing number of cohort studies from different countries continue to be published. The results are heterogeneous concerning light to moderate consumption, while there is a consensus regarding high consumption and elevated dementia risk (see Table 2). Taking these three exemplary studies together, it may be argued that light-to-moderate alcohol consumption is protective against dementia in middle to late life, while the effect abates in the very elderly, but other cohort studies show different trends. Crunching the numbers, the researchers found that people who drink at least one sugary soda beverage per day were at a 4.87 times greater risk of developing OCC than their counterparts who had less than one such drink per month. Another recent study revealed that drinking two to three cups of green tea per day had a significantly reduced risk of cognitive decline — although the same effects were not observed after four cups or more.
However, this does limit the interpretation of these results toother ethnic groups. Fifth, non-random selection is alcoholic dementia real into the analytical cohorts 41, particularly in the UK Biobank datasetswhere the response rate for recruitment was low and individuals had higher averagelevels of educational attainment and general health. Finally, canalization whereby thegenetic effect of alcohol consumption on AD is modified via compensatory mechanismsmay attenuate the association of genetically determined alcohol intake with AD43. For example, upregulation ofALDH2 gene expression in response to excessive alcoholconsumption. Overall, the level of evidence and the methodological quality of the reviews were judged to be only moderate (for a systematic evaluation of the reviews, see 23, 28).
Chronic alcohol abuse can lead to cognitive impairment and, in severe cases, alcohol-related dementia. This condition profoundly impacts memory, reasoning, and the ability to perform everyday tasks, underscoring the importance of professional treatment. Alcohol may also directly impact the formation and clearance of beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles. Some studies have found that moderate alcohol consumption might help reduce the accumulation of beta-amyloid, while others suggest that heavy drinking could increase tau protein levels in the brain.
- The link between tinnitus and brain changes might contribute to the increased risk of dementia in those who have had it.
- Fifth, non-random selection into the analytical cohorts 41, particularly in the UK Biobank datasetswhere the response rate for recruitment was low and individuals had higher averagelevels of educational attainment and general health.
- By working with data from the French health care system, researchers were able to analyse hospital admission records of 1.3 million people with a dementia diagnosis.
Sizing up alcohol consumption
The first part of the review will give an overview about alcohol effects on the central nervous system and summarize findings with different methodological approaches (biochemical methods, histopathological findings, animal models, neuroimaging). In the second part, we will present the results of a systematic literature search we conducted. We will then address the question whether alcohol consumption constitutes a potential target for dementia prevention. A 2024 meta-analysis supported this association between tinnitus and dementia. Data from 17 studies linked tinnitus to a higher risk of a decline in learning skills due to dementia, reduced attention to sound, anxiety, depression, and worse sleep.
Current drinking and dementia risk
Medical detox is the first step to safely eliminating alcohol from the body. During this process, individuals receive medical supervision to manage withdrawal symptoms and prevent complications such as seizures or delirium tremens. Heavy drinking often leads to poor dietary habits and malabsorption of nutrients. Alcoholics are especially prone to thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency, which is critical for brain function.
Alcohol-related ‘dementia’ and memory problems
- Harmonized SNP exposure–outcome datasets and SNPs indicated asoutliers are available in Supplementary Table 2.
- Replenishing essential nutrients, particularly thiamine, is vital for repairing brain function and preventing further cognitive decline.
- For decades, scientists have been building a case that alcohol causes cancer.
- If a loved one frequently forgets recent conversations, appointments, or everyday tasks, it may indicate alcohol-related cognitive impairment.
- Similar relationships were found in the fully adjusted model and competing risk model, as well as in the subsample of males.
Early signs include memory lapses, difficulty Twelve-step program concentrating, poor coordination, irritability, and struggles with daily tasks. These symptoms often mimic general forgetfulness or stress but worsen over time if untreated. Learn about alcohol-related dementia to better understand your loved one’s condition and how to support them effectively. Chronic abuse can shrink brain volume, particularly in the hippocampus, the area responsible for memory and learning.