Every Drink Raises Dementia Risk, Major New Study Finds
WASHINGTON – A extensive new study involving nearly 560,000 individuals has overturned long-held beliefs about alcohol consumption, finding that any amount of alcohol intake increases the risk of developing dementia. Researchers say even light drinking elevates the risk, and the more alcohol consumed, the greater the danger.
The research, published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, analyzed data from 559,754 people aged 56 to 72. Initial observations suggested light drinkers might have a lower dementia risk than heavy drinkers or those who abstain. However, after accounting for genetic predispositions related to alcohol consumption, scientists determined that each additional alcoholic beverage significantly increases brain vulnerability.
Specifically, individuals who averaged 12 glasses of alcohol per week showed a 9% higher likelihood of developing dementia. This risk climbed to 15% for each additional pair of drinks consumed weekly. The findings challenge previous assumptions that moderate alcohol consumption could offer cognitive benefits.
“These new figures point to the opposite,” researchers state,concluding that all forms of alcohol consumption are harmful and that moderate drinking has no demonstrably protective affect.
The study’s release comes as the U.S. Surgeon General considers requiring warning labels on alcoholic beverages, similar to those found on cigarette packaging, to alert consumers to the increased risk of cancer. A recent report indicated alcohol consumption contributes to approximately 4,000 new cancer cases annually.
