Alcohol consumption and risk of dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

To examine the relationship between alcohol intake and the risk of developing dementia, researchers conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library and Web of Science for relevant studies up to July 22, 2024. The quality of the original studies was appraised using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS).
The association between alcohol intake and the risk of dementia was presented as relative risks (RRs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup analyses were conducted based on alcohol consumption level, geographic region and age.
The meta-analysis found no significant association between alcohol exposure and the risk of developing dementia, including all-cause dementia (RR = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.84-1.27), Alzheimer disease (RR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.86-1.08), vascular dementia (RR = 1.09, 95% CI: 0.95-1.26) and other dementia (RR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.33-1.15). In the subgroup analysis by drinking level, light to moderate alcohol intake was linked to a reduced risk of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer disease (RR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.81-0.96; RR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.79-0.97, respectively). Nonetheless, heavy alcohol consumption significantly increased the risk of all types of dementia (all-cause dementia, RR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.02-1.36; Alzheimer disease, RR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.21-1.36; vascular dementia, RR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.11-1.40). Further subgroup analyses indicated that light to moderate drinking’s protective effect was stronger in Europe and among individuals aged 60 to 69 years. Light to moderate drinking may protect against dementia, while heavy drinking or alcohol use disorders raises dementia risk.
Source: Zhang, R., Li, B. & Miao, Y. (2026), Alcohol consumption and risk of dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Internal Medicine Journal,