A study involving over 500,000 patients indicated a significant link between alcohol consumption and increased dementia risk, with heavy drinking showing a 41% higher risk and alcohol use disorder linked to a 51% increase. The research, led by Anya Topiwala from the University of Oxford, highlighted that reducing alcohol use disorder by half could potentially reduce dementia cases by 16%. Despite findings suggesting a protective effect of low alcohol consumption, the genetic analyses confirmed that greater overall intake correlated with higher dementia risk, indicating complexities in the causative relationships.

Source: BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine