Once acute symptoms come under control, a doctor may further examine the person for signs of Korsakoff syndrome. Continued consumption of alcohol can cause symptoms to progress and get worse. While a selection of studies is discussed below, Table 2 gives an overview of all published studies in compliance with our inclusion criteria.
What is the link between alcohol and Alzheimer’s disease?
In the second part, we will present the results of a systematic literature search we conducted. We will then address the question whether alcohol consumption constitutes a potential target for dementia prevention. A new study indicates any drinking may cause dementia, which scares a lot of people. This study jars the belief that light to moderate drinking could provide cognitive benefits. While being debated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends moderate drinking, or no more than one drink per day for women and two per day for men. A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) attributes 2.6 million deaths per year to alcohol consumption—4.7% of all deaths.
Alcoholic Dementia vs. Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome
A doctor will ask a patient questions to determine whether their cognitive impairments result in disturbances to their daily functioning. Remarkably, at the same time, they can seem to be in total possession of most of their faculties, able to reason well, draw correct deductions, make witty remarks, or play games that require mental skills, such as chess or cards. This makes alcohol-related dementia easy to hide for some people, and difficult to diagnose at times. The observational epidemiological studies underlying the reviews listed in Table 1 were limited because the majority of the studies were restricted to older populations (that is, late adulthood). This article reviews what alcohol-related dementia is, its possible causes, symptoms, treatment, and more.
Alcohol and dementia — risk or protective factor?
- Importantly, the study follows a cohort from middle age, whereas most previous research on this topic has focused on older adults.
- Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome typically presents with three main areas of symptoms.
- A star rating system will be used to semi-quantitatively evaluate the quality of the study, which allows a total star of up to 9 and studies with more than 6 stars will be evaluated as high quality.
- More recently, some researchers have questioned the health benefits of alcohol and linked any drinking with increased risks for premature death, heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
- While findings are limited by small samples (which in some cases overlapped between studies) as well as differences in group characteristics (that is, global dementia severity), Munro and colleagues 57 proposed that the clinical profile of ARD reflects both cortical and subcortical pathology.
- Long-term heavy drinking can also result in a lack of vitamin B1 (thiamine) and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome which affects short-term memory.
They may also require medications to help manage symptoms and conditions due to excessive alcohol use. It can reduce the size of the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for learning and memory. Around one in six American adults drink to excess, and almost half of the United States population drank alcohol in 2020.
Most cases of WKS in developed countries relate to the misuse of alcohol, although WKS syndromes following gastrointestinal disorders and systemic diseases can also contribute. While there is no direct correlation between the prevalence of WE and per capita consumption of alcohol, the introduction of thiamine supplementation programs in some countries, as well as general dietary habits, also influences overall rates 16. Prevalence rates of WKS identified post-mortem are thought to be between 1% and 2% of the general population and around 10% of alcohol misusers in Western countries 16, 19. can alcohol cause dementia A study of KS in The Netherlands reported a prevalence of 48 per 100,000 inhabitants 55, and incidence rates of KS in the East End of Glasgow, Scotland, were estimated at around 8 per 100,000 in 1995, a seven-fold increase from 1990 56. A study of hospital admissions of patients at least 50 years old identified 126 cases of KS (0.05% of all admissions) and 77 cases of WE (0.03% of admissions), although there was some overlap in diagnostic groups 52. There is a need for further epidemiological study of this population by using standardized criteria for diagnosis to increase accuracy in identification of underlying WKS neuropathology and allow overall prevalence rates to be established.
Food & Function
You may also choose to share your diagnosis with supportive family and friends—you don’t have to navigate your condition alone. Abstinence of up to one year is linked with improved attention, working memory, and problem-solving abilities. However, learning and short-term memory impairments may be more difficult to reverse even with abstinence. 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. While the statistics can be intimidating, try to remember that they don’t determine your journey with ARD.
