Dementia The risk of alcohol consumption increases so much

Frequent drinking affects the likelihood of dementia

Generally, people should be careful when handling alcohol to avoid health problems. Researchers now found that high alcohol consumption significantly increases the risk of dementia.

Researchers at the INSERM-Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité in France found in their study that heavy middle-aged drinkers are at an increased risk of developing dementia. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "The Lancet".

High alcohol consumption increases the risk of dementia. (Image: Aliaksandr Marko / fotolia.com)

Most early dementias are alcohol-related

For the study, the experts analyzed the data from more than 31 million French hospital patients from 2008 to 2013. Among these subjects, there were more than one million participants diagnosed with dementia. About five percent of dementia patients had a so-called early onset dementia, which began before the age of 65 years. The physicians found out that most of these illnesses were alcohol-related.

Alcohol consumption is a modifiable risk factor

Chronic heavy drinking was the main modifiable risk factor for dementia in both sexes, and remained so even after controlling for all known risk factors for the onset of dementia, explains study author Dr. Michael Schwarzinger from INSERM University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cite. Surprisingly, former heavy drinkers who drank no more alcohol had no lower risk of dementia than their peers, who continued to be problem drinkers, the expert adds.

Heavy drinking leads to irreversible brain damage

The result of the study supports that chronic heavy drinking leads to irreversible brain damage. While some previous research suggests that alcohol can lead to cognitive impairment, including the risk of dementia, other studies have linked mild or moderate alcohol consumption to a healthier brain.

How is defined strong drinking?

According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), 3.3 million people worldwide die each year as a result of alcohol abuse, which accounts for around six percent of all deaths. The WHO defines chronic heavy drinking as consuming more than 60 grams of pure alcohol or at least six drinks daily for men and over 40 grams or at least four drinks a day for women.

Nearly a million participants had alcohol problems

During the study, alcohol problems were diagnosed in 945,512 participants. Most of those affected suffered from alcohol dependence. Overall, about three percent of dementia cases were due to alcohol-related brain damage and nearly five percent of cases were due to other alcohol-related illnesses.

Alcohol has a strong effect on early onset dementia

However, in early onset dementia, the association with alcohol seemed to be even greater. About 39 percent of these cases were due to alcohol-related brain damage, another 18 percent were due to other alcohol-related diseases, say the medical profession. Alcohol consumption disorders were associated with three times the risk of dementia and twice the risk of early onset dementia. Apart from alcohol-related brain damage, alcohol consumption disorders were still associated with a two-fold higher risk of vascular and other dementias. Alcohol use disorders have also been associated with all other independent risk factors for dementia such as tobacco smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, low education, depression and hearing loss.

Many people in Germany regularly drink alcohol. This consumption can lead to various health problems. (Image: Rawpixel.com/fotolia.com)

There were limitations in the study?

The study was not a controlled experiment to prove whether or how alcohol consumption in middle age can lead to dementia or cognitive problems. Another limitation was that researchers used hospital management records to identify cases of dementia. It is possible that the condition of the participants was recorded when the patients had several medical problems. Similarly, alcohol abuse disorders have been identified by records of rehabilitation programs that may not include all persons with alcohol problems.

Strong drinking leads to cognitive problems

Because the study focuses on heavy drinkers, it also does not tell how much one or two drinks a day are associated with an increased risk of dementia - if anything, the experts explain. However, the study results confirm that heavy drinking can lead to cognitive problems. (As)