Drinking any amount of alcohol may increase dementia risk, study finds
Study explores link between alcohol consumption and dementia risk
- New research indicates that any amount of alcohol consumption could increase the risk of developing dementia, challenging the common belief that low levels are beneficial for brain health.
- The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Oxford, Yale University, and the University of Cambridge, analyzed data from over 559,000 individuals and genetic information from 2.4 million people.
- Observational data initially showed heavy drinkers and non-drinkers had a 41 percent higher risk of dementia compared to light drinkers, with alcohol-dependent individuals facing a 51 percent increased risk.
- However, genetic analysis revealed that a higher genetic predisposition for alcohol consumption was consistently associated with an increased risk of dementia, undermining the idea of a protective effect from low alcohol intake.
- Experts, including Dr. Anya Topiwala, suggest that genetic evidence offers no support for a protective effect and indicates that reducing alcohol consumption across the population could play a significant role in dementia prevention.