Alcohol Use Can Dramatically Increase the Risk of Dementia

Source: Bianca Van Dijk from Pixabay

A substantial body of research demonstrates that drinking alcohol, even in relatively moderate amounts, can have serious adverse health effects that include high blood pressure, liver disease, and even cancer.[1] In fact, the International Agency for Research on Cancer categorizes alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen, the highest risk classification for a cancer-causing substance.

More recently, alcohol use has been linked to cognitive decline[2], and a new study published in the journal Neurology found that consuming a certain number of drinks each week increases the chance of micro brain injuries that can increase risks for dementia. Researchers in Brazil studied 1,781 people after death via autopsy and found that those who had up to seven and more than eight drinks weekly had higher chances of the kinds of brain injuries that are connected to loss of memory function and dementia.[3]

The drinking habits of subjects in this study were reported retrospectively by their relatives. The subjects were then divided into four categories: those who never drank, moderate drinkers—those who consumed up to seven standard drinks each week, heavy drinkers—those who consumed eight or more standard drinks each week, and former drinkers who had not consumed alcohol in at least three months but were heavy drinkers previously. A standard drink was considered 14 grams of alcohol, or the equivalent to 12 ounces of beer or 5 ounces of wine.

The most obvious limitation of this study is that family members may have been less than immaculately accurate reporters, potentially misremembering, or not truly knowing, how much their relative drank. This notwithstanding, the study underscores the considerable negative impacts that alcohol has on brain health, and that consistent/chronic drinking can directly contribute to dementia.

Of special note: The amount of alcohol that can lead to brain function decline is lower than many people might expect, in that study researchers defined “heavy” drinking as eight or more drinks each week. That’s a beer or glass of wine each night with two on Friday or Saturday, markedly less than what many people might consider to be heavy drinking.

Not surprisingly, study results indicated that having eight or more drinks per week contributed most to dementia-related brain injury. However, seven or fewer drinks each week also proved to be harmful. Subjects in the heavy drinker category had 133% higher risk of hyaline arteriolosclerosis—thickening and hardening of the arteries. This condition makes it harder for blood to travel through brain tissue, which can lead to mini strokes which may be so small as to be imperceptible but negatively impact memory function and result in increased risk of dementia. Former heavy drinkers had an 89% higher risk and moderate drinkers had a 60% increased risk of hyaline arteriolosclerosis.

Healthy blood circulation is essential to brain and overall health and well-being. Our blood supply is what delivers all the necessary nutrients (such as vitamins and minerals) to cells throughout our body, including to the neurons in our brain, in addition to helping to remove waste products. As blood vessels harden and thicken, it becomes increasingly difficult for nutrients to get where they need to go as well as for accumulated toxins to get out—both of which can impair cognitive functioning.

Study researchers also found that heavy drinkers and former heavy drinkers were more likely to develop neurofibrillary tangles, better known as tau tangles (41% and 31% more likely respectively). These are distinctive protein structures in the brain, the presence of which is closely associated with the occurrence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, especially in their more severe later stages.

Importantly, even though after discontinuing alcohol use former drinkers are still at increased risk of dementia, it’s never too late to begin to make healthier lifestyle changes. If you’re reading this and you (or someone you care about) are in the heavy or moderate drinking categories, it’s probably advisable to reduce your alcohol consumption as much as you can as soon as you can. This will not only benefit your brain health, but your overall health as well.

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The best strategy for achieving and maintaining mental, emotional, and physical well-being and maximizing quality of life (especially into older age) combines regular exercise/physical movement, paying conscious attention to nutrition, hydration, and sleep hygiene, self-calming and emotional regulation practices, and making or continuing social relationships, and whenever possible participating in a community of interest, while limiting if not minimizing ingestion of/exposure to things that are health-harming.

There is a natural, normal human tendency to think I wish I had done these things years ago, and indeed, that might have been the best time to begin to make such beneficial changes. However, the next best time is right now. It’s always possible to make healthy life changes. As Maya Angelou put it so eloquently yet simply: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

Copyright 2025 Dan Mager, MSW