Recent research has highlighted a troubling link between alcohol intake and a higher risk of dementia, stemming from damage to cerebral blood vessels.
Published in the prestigious journal Neurology, the study examined the connection between alcohol consumption and structural changes in the brain through post-mortem analysis.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has long warned that alcohol raises the risk of cancer, while excessive drinking can lead to hypertension, heart disease, and stroke. This latest research adds to growing evidence that alcohol may also harm the brain, potentially accelerating the onset of neurodegenerative conditions such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
A team of Brazilian researchers, in collaboration with the São Paulo Autopsy Service and the Biobank for Aging Studies, conducted autopsies on 1,781 brains to explore the effects of alcohol on brain structure.
Participants were classified into four groups based on their drinking habits: non-drinkers, light drinkers, heavy drinkers, and former heavy drinkers.
Light drinkers were defined as individuals who consumed up to 14 grams of alcohol per serving no more than seven times a week. Heavy drinkers were those who exceeded this limit, drinking eight or more times per week. Former heavy drinkers referred to individuals who had abstained from alcohol for at least three months before death, while non-drinkers were those who had never consumed alcohol in their lifetime.
The results were striking. All participants who had consumed alcohol, even light drinkers, faced a significantly higher risk of developing hyaline arteriosclerosis compared to non-drinkers. Heavy drinkers showed an especially sharp increase, with the risk rising by 133 percent.
Hyaline arteriosclerosis is when small blood vessels in the brain become narrowed and blocked due to the buildup of hyaline proteins.
The study also found that both current and former heavy drinkers had a higher prevalence of neurofibrillary tangles — a biological marker commonly associated with Alzheimer’s disease — compared to light drinkers and non-drinkers.
Moreover, heavy drinkers were found to have lower brain weights and higher clinical dementia rating scores, both indicators of impaired cognitive function.
Although the researchers noted that alcohol does not directly impair cognitive abilities, they suggested that damage caused by hyaline arteriosclerosis could contribute to cognitive decline over time.
The study concludes that alcohol consumption damages cerebral blood vessels, ultimately increasing the risk of dementia and impairing cognitive function.
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