Dementia risk can be reduced by cutting out one common drink

People can reduce their chances of suffering from by not drinkingwith studies showing the alarming impact on the brain.

Regular alcohol consumption may lead to more than just a hangover - it could be damaging your. Emerging research suggests that heavy drinking can heighten dementia risk at a time when over 944,000 people are affected by this condition in the UK. Scientists have used a 'chronic drinking approach' in which mice were given the option to drink water or alcohol across 10 weeks.

In the study published in the peer-reviewed journal , the US-based team were especially keen to see how alcoholic consumption was related to the onset of Alzheimer's disease, which accounts for between 60% and 80% of dementia cases. Their analysis showed that even 'modest amounts' of the beverage were enough to 'accelerate brain atrophy'.

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This describes the shrinking and loss of brain tissue combined with an increase of 'amyloid plaques' - toxic proteins linked to 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.

"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."

In 2024, scientists at Oxford University ranked alcohol among the worst offenders for weakening cognitive health and potentially worsening the risk of Alzheimer's. The team analysed the brain scans of 40,000 individuals to determine this, reported .

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."

Current UK guidance advises drinking no more than 14 'units' of alcohol per week, spread over three or more days. In context, that's the same as six medium (175ml) glasses of wine, or six pints of 4% beer, according to the .

"Units are a simple way of expressing the quantity of pure alcohol in a drink," the health service explains. "One unit equals 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol, which is around the amount of alcohol the average adult can process in an hour. This means that within an hour there should be, in theory, little or no alcohol left in the blood of an adult, although this will vary from person to person.

"The number of units in a drink is based on the size of the drink, as well as its alcohol strength. For example, a pint of strong lager contains three units of alcohol, whereas the same volume of lower-strength lager has just over two units. Knowing your units will help you stay in control of your drinking."

Potential early-stage dementia symptoms

Dementia is an umbrella term characterising several conditions linked to ongoing cognitive decline. During its onset, common red flags may include:

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