We analysed a nationwide retrospective cohort of all adult (≥20 years) patients admitted to hospital in metropolitan France between 2008 and 2013. The primary exposure was alcohol use disorders and the main outcome was dementia, both defined by International Classification of Diseases, tenth revision discharge diagnosis codes. Characteristics of early-onset dementia were studied among prevalent cases in 2008–13. Associations of alcohol use disorders and other risk factors with dementia onset were analysed in multivariate Cox models among patients admitted to hospital in 2011–13 with no record of dementia in 2008–10. People with drinking problems were at especially high risk of developing early-onset dementia.

“..some reports suggest that light-to-moderate alcohol use can reduce alcohol risk among abstainers.” Maybe people who abstain from alcohol learn to relax in different ways. They may prefer to watch television, eat ice cream with potato chips, smoke cigarettes and rely on sleeping pills. People in this stage need help with tasks like eating and bathing. They may believe that they are at an earlier stage in their life. Behaviors can be unpredictable and uninhibited, and communication is difficult and could become impossible.

Statistical analysis

Someone who is drinking may also forget how much alcohol they have consumed, increasing the risk of alcohol poisoning. There are several medical tests that can be performed to help determine if a person has alcoholic dementia. Examining a person’s nervous and muscular system can help shed light on any nerve damage caused by alcoholic dementia. Many physicians will also administer blood tests to test a person’s nutrition levels. The presence of alcohol abuse was screened using the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center UDS questionnaire completed by clinicians during patient research visits.

• The presence of language impairment, especially dysnomia or anomia.
• Although an increased risk of AD with alcohol use is plausible based on biological evidence, the epidemiologic evidence does not support an association.
• Research shows that alcohol and tobacco use interact to influence the risk of certain diseases, such as cancer (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 1989).
• We’re here 24/7 to help guide you or your loved on through rehab and recovery.
• A standard drink contains 14 grams, or 0.6 ounces , of pure alcohol in the United States.

A person may consider joining support groups or attending counseling or therapy if alcohol use is impairing their quality of life in the short and long term. These changes may hinder the brain from functioning properly, causing cognitive decline.

step and Evidence-based Programs

Alcohol-related dementia ultimately describes any dementia-type illness that is caused by alcohol use. Alcohol can have a toxic effect on the brain, affecting normal function. Alcohol can also affect how vitamin B1, or thiamine, is absorbed. Thiamine is essential for brain health and a thiamine deficiency can lead to permanent brain damage. Severe alcohol-related brain damage typically occurs after years of heavy drinking. However, negative effects on the brain happen after only a few drinks.

Dementia affects memory, thinking, behavior, and the ability to perform everyday activities , and is a leading cause of disability in older individuals . Globally, dementia affects 5 to 7% of people 60 years of age or older . Drinking alcohol with Aricept , a medication for certain types of dementia, can prevent it from working properly and increase the risk can alcoholism cause dementia of side effects. Alcohol-related dementia and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome may develop due to regular excessive alcohol consumption over many years. A 2020 study showed that moderate alcohol intake could lower a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, case-control studies collect information on alcohol use after diagnosis of AD.

Alcohol-related dementia

Alcohol-related dementia is a broad term and can describe multiple conditions related to alcohol use that affects the brain. In most cases, determining the life expectancy of someone with alcohol-related dementia is also complicated by a history of heavy alcohol use, causing other alcohol-related problems that also shorten life expectancy. To learn more about alcoholic dementia and the alcohol addiction treatment programs we offer, contact an Vertava Health’ treatment specialist today. Signs and symptoms of alcoholic dementia and the conditions it may cause often come on gradually. This can make it difficult to determine if a person is experiencing these conditions until it’s too late.

By removing the causative factor, the progression of alcohol-related dementia can be stopped. If the specific case of dementia is reversible, stopping alcohol use will be necessary for recovery to occur. It isn’t easy to cope with alcohol-related dementia, but there are resources that can help. You may also choose to share your diagnosis with supportive family and friends—you don’t have to navigate your condition alone. Early treatment is the key to successfully treating alcohol-related dementia. If caught early enough, patients with the more general type of ARD can significantly improve their condition by quitting alcohol and eating a balanced diet.

Can Severe Alcoholism Cause Dementia?

Alcohol-related dementia presents as a global deterioration in intellectual function with memory not being specifically affected, but it may occur with other forms of dementia, resulting in a wide range of symptoms. Certain individuals with alcohol-related dementia present with damage to the frontal lobes of their brain causing disinhibition, loss of planning and executive functions, and a disregard for the consequences of their behavior. Other types of alcohol-related dementia such as Wernicke encephalopathy cause the destruction of certain areas of the brain, where changes in memory, primarily a loss of short-term memory, are the main symptom.