Alcohol Consumption and the Risk of Dementia:
Recent Research

A growing body of evidence suggests a link between risks for cardiovascular disease and dementia. There is related interest in the association between alcohol consumption and dementia because studies have shown that moderate alcohol use is associated with less cardiovascular disease.

• More research is needed to understand the link between consuming alcohol and the risk of developing dementia.
• Drinking alcohol is not a strategy for preventing dementia and excessive drinking may lead to health problems.

Research findings reported in JAMA (March 19, 2003):

• Moderate alcohol consumption, one to six drinks weekly, is associated with less dementia in older adults.
• When compared with people who never drank alcohol, people who had one to six drinks a week had lower odds of developing dementia. However, the group consuming 14 or more drinks a week had greater odds of developing dementia than those who never drank.
• The Cardiovascular Health Study is a project in which more than 5,800 people over the age of 65 were recruited for a multiyear assessment of various health factors.
• Researchers compared data from 373 participants who developed dementia during the course of the study and 373 who did not.
• The data on alcohol consumption was based on what each participant reported in initial interviews and subsequent follow-up meetings.
• The researchers also considered other variables:
  • Among those consuming 14 or more drinks, the men had significantly greater odds of developing dementia.
  • Among those with a genetic risk for dementia, whose who drank seven or more drinks weekly had significantly higher odds than those drinking fewer than seven drinks.
• The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health.