Skip to main content

The Link Between Alcohol Use and Alzheimer's Disease: What You Need to Know

Alcohol-related brain injury (ARBI) is brain damage caused by long-term excessive drinking. It can affect memory, thinking ability, and motor skills. For older people, controlling alcohol intake is crucial to prevent and improve symptoms.


Key Points

  • Alcoholic dementia is brain damage caused by long-term heavy drinking.
  • Symptoms include memory problems, difficulty with motor coordination, and malnutrition.
  • Diagnosis requires consideration of medical history, physical examination, and social history.
  • Treatment includes abstinence from alcohol, taking thiamine supplements, and making lifestyle adjustments.
  • Controlling alcohol intake is essential to prevent and improve symptoms.
  • Particular attention should be paid to alcohol consumption in older adults to reduce health risks.

Table of Contents

  • What is alcohol-related dementia?
  • What are the symptoms of alcohol-related dementia?
  • How is alcohol-related dementia diagnosed?
  • What are the treatment and management options for alcohol-related dementia?
  • What happens when someone with Alzheimer's drinks?
  • Do brain cells regenerate after you stop drinking?
  • How much alcohol is too much?
  • How much alcohol is safe for older people to drink?

What is alcohol-related dementia?

Alcohol-related brain injury (ARBI) is brain damage caused by long-term alcohol abuse. This damage severely affects brain function, including memory, learning, thinking, personality, mood, and social skills. Although the term "alcohol-related dementia" was used in the past, the more accurate term today is alcohol-related brain injury.


What are the symptoms of alcohol-related dementia?

  • Irregular eye movements, double vision, and difficulty moving muscles.
  • Loss of motor coordination, poor balance, and unsteady or inability to walk.
  • Confusion or memory problems.
  • Signs of malnutrition, including unplanned weight loss, fatigue, weakness, and vitamin deficiencies.

How is alcohol-related dementia diagnosed?

  • Paper-based tests: Assess the patient's memory and thinking skills.
  • Complete physical exam: Take a detailed history of symptoms and their impact on your life.
  • Comprehensive evaluation: While there is no specific diagnostic test, doctors make a diagnosis based on social history, physical, and neurological examination results. Experts recommend alcohol testing for patients with memory loss to help with early diagnosis.

What are the treatment and management options for alcohol-related dementia?

  • Stop drinking and use thiamine supplements to help with recovery.
  • Lifestyle modifications: Use assistive devices (such as 40Hz products), maintain a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and avoid alcohol. These changes may help improve symptoms, but symptoms such as gait changes, hallucinations, or memory loss may improve more slowly.

What happens when people with Alzheimer's drink alcohol?

Studies show that alcohol consumption accelerates brain cell loss in Alzheimer's patients and increases the number of amyloid plaques in the brain. These plaques accumulate between neurons, disrupting brain function .

Do Brain Cells Regenerate After Stopping Alcohol? 

After stopping alcohol, brain cell volume can return to normal levels, indicating that some alcohol-related brain damage is reversible. Research shows that the brain recovers from alcohol-induced volume loss quite rapidly within the first 14 days of abstinence.

How Much Alcohol is Considered Excessive? 

Alcohol consumption is measured in units. The NHS recommends that weekly alcohol intake should not exceed 14 units, ideally spread over three or more days. Particularly, "binge drinking" is especially harmful to the brain. Drinking more than 25 units per week may affect cognitive and normal functioning. Binge drinking in a short period, such as one night, is defined as drinking 8 or more units for men and 6 or more units for women.

How Much Alcohol is Safe for Older Adults? 

To help older adults minimize alcohol-related risks, guidelines suggest choosing not to drink or limiting alcohol intake to no more than 2 drinks per day for men and 1 drink per day for women.


reference

Alcohol-related brain injury (ARBI)

Moderate Alcohol Use May Accelerate Alzheimer’s Disease

Alcohol's Effects on Health

Recognizing and Treating Alcohol-Related Dementia


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How do caregivers relieve stress when caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease?

Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s can be emotionally and physically taxing, making it essential to recognize signs of stress and implement self-care strategies. Setting boundaries, staying active, and accessing professional resources like respite care can help reduce burnout. Building a strong support network of family, friends, and peers ensures you’re not alone. Mindfulness techniques, regular exercise, and proper time management enable caregivers to balance personal life and caregiving duties, ensuring both their well-being and the quality of care they provide. Key Points Recognizing Caregiver Stress : Signs include emotional struggles (denial, anger, depression), physical exhaustion, and behavioral changes (social withdrawal, irritability). Effective Self-Care : Set boundaries, prioritize rest, stay active, eat healthily, and practice mindfulness. Utilizing Professional Support : Access therapy, support groups, and respite care for breaks. Building a Support Network : Rely on...
Post a Comment
Read more

Can getting the shingles vaccine reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease? Is it really worth getting the shot?

A study published in Nature on April 2, 2025 analyzed the health records of more than 280,000 older adults in Wales and found that those who received a shingles vaccine had a 20% lower risk of developing dementia (including Alzheimer’s) over the next seven years—a 3.5-percentage-point absolute reduction. Another 2024 study in Nature Medicine reported that recipients of the recombinant shingles vaccine (Shingrix) experienced, on average, a 164-day longer dementia-free period compared with older vaccines. While these observational findings suggest the vaccine may protect the brain—possibly by reducing varicella-zoster virus reactivation, with a stronger effect seen in women—they do not establish cause and effect. Below, we’ll unpack what this means and answer the big question: should you get the shingles vaccine? Table of Contents Vaccine Lowers Risk—but Isn’t a Guarantee Had Shingles Already? Should You Still Get Vaccinated? Never Had Shingles? Is Vaccination Necessary? Dos...
Post a Comment
Read more

Understanding Cognitive Impairment: Identifying the Four Levels, Assessment Methods, and Management Strategies

 Cognitive impairment significantly impacts daily life and has become increasingly relevant as the world’s population ages. The challenges of cognitive decline affect not only individuals but also their families and society at large. Understanding and accurately identifying the different levels of cognitive impairment, followed by appropriate management, can help slow the progression and improve quality of life for those affected. This article will explore the four main levels of cognitive impairment, the evaluation methods, and effective management strategies through a series of common questions and answers. Key Points Cognitive impairment is generally categorized into four main levels: very mild cognitive impairment, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), moderate cognitive impairment, and severe cognitive impairment. Each level has unique characteristics that require specific assessment methods and tailored management strategies. Early detection and intervention can enhance cognitive ...
Post a Comment
Read more