Common drink could raise dementia risk – even ‘modest amounts’

Research has found that even moderate consumption could increase the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease

Academics say that people should think twice before turning to one thing in the fridge. Heavy drinking isn’t merely a recipe for a brutal hangover – it could also be quietly eroding your cognitive function.

According to research, there is a troubling link between regular alcohol consumption and the increased risk of dementia. Analysis from Alzheimer’s Research UK confirmed dementia continues to be the UK’s biggest killer and in 2024, more than 76,000 people across the UK died from the condition.

Among the research examining the link between the illness and drinking is a 2023 peer-reviewed journal article from Atrium Health. Scientists used a ‘chronic drinking approach’, allowing mice to choose between water and alcohol for 10 weeks.

The team were especially keen to examine how alcohol intake was connected to the development of Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for 60% to 80% of dementia cases. Their investigation revealed that even ‘modest amounts’ of alcohol had the capacity to ‘accelerate brain atrophy’.

This includes the deterioration and depletion of brain tissue alongside a rise in ‘amyloid plaques’ – harmful proteins associated with Alzheimer’s. “These findings suggest alcohol might accelerate the pathological cascade of Alzheimer’s disease in its early stages,” said Associate Professor Shannon Macauley, of Wake Forest University School of Medicine, at the time.

“These preclinical findings suggest that even moderate consumption of alcohol can result in brain injury. Alcohol consumption may be a modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.”

Importantly, these thoughts aren’t just limited to mice. Last year, experts at Oxford University rated alcohol among the worst offenders for weakening cognitive health and potentially worsening the risk of Alzheimer’s, reports the Express US.

The team analysed the brain scans of 40,000 people to decipher this. Professor Gwenaëlle Douaud, who led the study, said: “We know that a constellation of brain regions degenerates earlier in ageing, and in this new study we have shown that these specific parts of the brain are most vulnerable to diabetes, traffic-related air pollution − increasingly a major player in dementia − and alcohol, of all the common risk factors for dementia.

“We have found that several variations in the genome influence this brain network, and they are implicated in cardiovascular deaths, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, as well as with the two antigens of a little-known blood group, the elusive XG antigen system, which was an entirely new and unexpected finding.”

Against this backdrop, numerous health organisations recommend consuming a maximum amount of ‘units’. To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level if you drink most weeks, the NHS recommends:

• Men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units a week regularly
• Spread your drinking over 3 or more days if you regularly drink as much as 14 units a week
• If you want to cut down, try to have several drink-free days each week

It explains that “14 units is equivalent to 6 pints of average-strength beer or 10 small glasses of lower-strength wine.” It further explains: “Using units is a simpler way of representing a drink’s alcohol content – usually expressed by the standard measure alcohol by volume (ABV). ABV is a measure of the amount of pure alcohol as a percentage of the total volume of liquid in a drink.”

What are the early signs of dementia?

Dementia is an umbrella term covering a range of conditions linked to a progressive deterioration in brain function.

In the early stages, frequently reported symptoms can include:

1. Memory loss
2. Difficulty concentrating
3. Finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping
4. Struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word
5. Being confused about time and place
6. Mood changes

The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease include:

• Memory problems, such as regularly forgetting recent events, names and faces
• Asking questions repetitively
• Increasing difficulties with tasks and activities that require organisation and planning
• Becoming confused in unfamiliar environments
• Difficulty finding the right words
• Difficulty with numbers and/or handling money in shops
• Becoming more withdrawn or anxious