A new study examining the relationship between alcohol consumption and the risk of dementia warns that there are no safe restrictions on drinks when it comes to potential risks.
A study published in the BMJ evidence-based medical journal on Tuesday found that any amount of alcohol consumption could lead to an increased risk of dementia.
The report notes that it contrasts with previous research. This suggests that medium-sized lightweight beverages may have protective effects on dementia rather than lacking consumption.
“Our findings challenge the general belief that low levels of alcohol are beneficial for brain health. Genetic evidence does not support protective effects. In fact, it suggests the opposite.”
“Even light or moderate drinking can increase the risk of dementia, indicating that reducing alcohol consumption across the population could play an important role in dementia prevention.”
Increase your alcohol consumption three times increases your risk of developing dementia by 15%. For example, if a person increases their weekly drinks from one to three, it increases their risk of dementia by 15%, the study says.
For those responsible for alcohol dependence development, even a double increase in alcohol consumption increases the risk of dementia by 16%.
Daniel Raybey, a research health scientist at Yale University and one of the study's co-authors, said previous research could be distorted by changing drinking habits.
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“People may stop drinking and show up as non-drinkers, but they have a very high risk of dementia,” he said.
The study was led by researchers from Oxford, Yale and Cambridge University and conducted genetic analysis by combining a US million veteran program with observations of 500,000 participants from UK biobanks.
“(Genetic mutations) dramatically change the way alcohol is broken down in the system,” says Levey.
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“We see some of these genetic associations and alcohol-related behaviors as ways of trying to identify the causal relationship between alcohol-related behaviors and dementia outcomes,” he said.
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Observational analysis confirmed in previous studies that low and moderate drinking were associated with a lower risk of dementia compared to non-dressing, but genetic analysis revealed a different story.
This study finds high alcohol intake and suggests that high levels of alcohol consumption increase the risk of dementia.
“Genetic analysis provided evidence that alcohol consumption generally increases the risk of dementia,” the report said, adding that there was no evidence that light or moderate drinking was protective.
This report categorized alcoholic drinkers as heavy (over 40 drinks per week), moderate (7-14 drinks per week), and light (less than 7 drinks per week). There are no safe limits regarding the risk of dementia, research found.
“We expect a much more negative association in heavy drinkers,” Levey said.
“The key to getting home is that there may be no protective elements to drink alcohol, and potentially exposure can increase risk.”
According to Health Canada's latest alcohol guidelines, women should avoid drinking more than 10 drinks a week, while men should avoid drinking more than 15.
“People just need to weigh the risks,” Levey said.
“This is new data. I think we need to be well informed that light drinking may not be a healthy decision.”
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