Any Amount Of Alcohol Use Can Increase Your Risk For Dementia, Study Finds

There is no safe amount of alcohol consumption when it comes to your risk for dementia, according to a recent study.

While past research has suggested that moderate alcohol consumption may even be associated with some health benefits, more recent research has shown that even moderate alcohol consumption is associated with several types of cancers and other health concerns. And the new study published in the BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine journal last month found a relationship between all levels of alcohol use and an increased risk for dementia.

The researchers in the study investigated observational data from nearly 560,000 participants ages 56-72, as well as genetic analyses — used to predict how likely people were to drink alcohol — from data from multiple studies with 2.4 million participants.

The results from the observational data, which relied on self-reported alcohol use, showed that those with higher risk for dementia were heavy drinkers, people with alcohol use disorder and non-drinkers — suggesting that light levels of alcohol consumption may have a protective effect.

But the result of the genetic analyses did not support that finding.

Instead, it identified an increase in the risk of dementia with any level of alcohol use. The authors of the study suggested that the protective effect found from the observational data could have stemmed from the fact that some who report themselves as current non-drinkers — including those who were shown to reduce their drinking when diagnosed with early dementia — may have had different drinking habits in the past.

The results found that a doubled increase in a person’s genetic risk for alcohol use disorder increased their risk of dementia by 16%. Also, an increase of drinks per week was associated with an increased risk of dementia.

“There is a 15% higher dementia risk for three drinks per week compared to one drink per week across life,” Anya Topiwala, lead study author and a senior clinical researcher in the department of psychiatry at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, told CNN.

Topiwala said in an article published for the University of Oxford in September that the findings from the study “challenge the common belief that low levels of alcohol are beneficial for brain health.”

“Genetic evidence offers no support for a protective effect — in fact, it suggests the opposite,” she said. “Even light or moderate drinking may increase the risk of dementia, indicating that reducing alcohol consumption across the population could play a significant role in dementia prevention.”

With so much ongoing research about the effects of alcohol, it continues to be important to stay informed and understand any associated risks with alcohol consumption.

As Dr. Ryan Marino, an emergency physician, medical toxicologist and assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, previously told HuffPost. “There is no amount of alcohol that is safe to consume.”

“Alcohol is directly toxic to every cell and tissue in the human body. It is a known carcinogen,” he said. “This doesn’t mean that a glass of wine or other drink will necessarily harm someone, but it does not have health benefits and so the possible risks are always greater.”

Dr. Aashish K. Didwania, vice chair for education in the department of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine general internal medicine physician, previously emphasized to HuffPost that it’s important to know the definition of alcohol consumption levels — and that heavy alcohol use is “dangerous.”

A standard serving size of an alcoholic drink is considered a 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce wine and a 1.5-ounce spirit, Didwania explained. Heavy use is considered more than seven drinks per week for women and more than 14 drinks per week for men. As for moderate use, it’s generally considered to be 1-7 drinks per week for women and 1-14 drinks per week for men.

In addition to participating in several trends and non-drinking challenges like “Dry January,” there’s been a rise in popularity in adult nonalcoholic beverages.

And Didwania recommended a list of steps to consider if you’re wanting to drink less alcohol:

1. First, have an honest assessment about alcohol intake. If you find you are in a high level consumption category, it may help motivate you to lower your consumption faster as the health risks are much greater.
2. Tell someone — it helps to be accountable to a partner or primary care physician.
3. Be aware of when you drink — if [it’s] always in the same settings where one drink becomes three, avoid or drastically change the environment.
4. Switch to nonalcoholic beverages. There has been an explosion of craft nonalcoholic beers, wines and cocktails.
5. Try a temporary abstinence challenge and repeat it frequently!

As always, discuss any concerns you may have about your alcohol use with your primary provider.

Need help with substance use disorder or mental health issues? In the U.S., call 800-662-HELP (4357) for the SAMHSA National Helpline.