Can Drinking Alcohol Cause Alzheimer’s Disease?

In General Information by Matthew Bell

Is There a Link Between Drinking and Dementia?

We’ve heard for a while now that red wine is good for our hearts. In 2002, the London School of Medicine’s Dr. Roger Corder declared: “Moderate consumption of red wine is likely to prevent heart disease.”[1] Moreover, in the same year, the prestigious journal The Lancet published a study with the following description: “Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. Because vascular disease is associated with cognitive impairment and dementia, …[researchers] hypothesized [sic] that alcohol consumption might also affect the risk of dementia.”[2] Their finding? “Light-to-moderate drinking (one to three drinks per day) was significantly associated with a lower risk of any dementia …and vascular dementia… .”[3]

However, even though some investigators do maintain that occasionally having a drink isn’t too bad, some of the same researchers also hasten to add that excessive drinking can lead to alcohol-related dementia. For example, in 2018, a group of scientists “aimed to examine the association between alcohol use disorders and dementia risk, with an emphasis on early-onset dementia…”.[4] They concluded that, of the “cases of early-onset dementia” that they examined, “…most were either alcohol-related by definition …or had an additional diagnosis of alcohol use disorders… . Alcohol use disorders were the strongest modifiable risk factor for dementia onset…”.[5] The study was summarized by a staff writer from the British newspaper The Guardian. The journalist reported: “Heavy drinkers are putting themselves at risk of dementia… [P]eople who drink enough to end up in hospital are putting themselves at serious risk of vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.”[6]

The author goes on the speculate that the study “…will also raise questions for moderate drinkers about …possible long-term consequences…”.[7] It is commonplace at these conjunctures to interject the oft-heard lament: More study is needed. Surely this is true. But, let’s consider some of the data that is presently available.

Personal Background

My dad, Jim, died from Alzheimer’s complications in 2016. It is safe to say that I have a family history of dementia. And, yes, I enjoy an occasional whiskey – or several. (Ahem.) So, the question of whether to drink or not has more than academic relevance for me. (For more about my dad’s story, see HERE.)

To be fair, when I was younger, I didn’t see my dad drink much. The most he would ever have was at a holiday gathering. We would invite my grandparents over for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. My mom would decorate the table and set out fancy china, silverware and glasses. There would be a seasonal arrangement in the middle although, as we got older, it was replaced by a delicious cake or fancy iced cookies. The grownups got wine in the fancy glasses – and we got juice, or sometimes soda.

Honestly, my dad didn’t really drink after he and my mom were married. However, he did drink alcohol more frequently before he met my mom, usually meeting people at a bar after work. Was he drinking a moderate or an excessive amount? Search me! Was Alzheimer’s already beginning to insinuate itself into his brain? In Jim’s case, we’ll never know the answer to that, either.

How Does Alcohol Affect Your Body

What researchers do claim to know, however, is the constellation of possible effects that alcohol can have on your body and, by extension, on your mind also. Spoiler alert!! Drinking, especially in excess, can eventually take a toll on your health. Big surprise, there, right?

Let’s rehearse the reasons. (I know, I am turning into a party pooper.) Enumerating just a few of the relevant bits of information, it is clear that alcohol can have pronounced effects upon the heart, liver, pancreas, and immune system. Although none of these is certain to occur, any of the following may happen – whether by themselves or together.[8]

Possible Negative Effects on the Heart from Excessive Alcohol:

  • Cardiomyopathy – that is, the stretching and “drooping” of the heart muscle
  • Arrhythmias – Irregular heart-beating patterns
  • Strokes
  • High Blood Pressure

As every elementary-school student knows, the heart’s job is to pump blood to all parts of our body. Any of the above conditions could make that job more challenging. Additionally, blood flow especially to the brain, is one of the important factors to check periodically in order to stave off dementia – according to Dr. Daniel Amen’s “BRIGHT MINDS Protocol.”[9]

Possible Negative Effects on the Liver from Excessive Alcohol:

  • Fatty liver
  • Alcoholic Hepatitis
  • Fibrosis
  • Cirrhosis

The liver’s main function is to process nutrients and purify and detoxify the blood. As we reported elsewhere, some researchers have speculated that (some variants of) Alzheimer’s may, in fact, be due to exposure to environmental toxins. If this is so, then it is possible that suboptimal liver function may allow for the buildup of toxins in the body and, finally, result in brain toxicity or dementia.

Possible Negative Effects on the Pancreas from Excessive Alcohol:

  • Pancreatitus.

Alcohol causes production of toxins in the pancreas that can lead to pancreatitus. This is the inflammation and swelling of blood vessels that prevents proper digestion.

Possible Negative Effects on the Immune System from Excessive Alcohol:

  • Depressed immune system.

Alcohol weakens the immune system, thus making a person susceptible to any disease to which they may be exposed. Alcoholics are more likely to come down with pneumonia than nondrinkers.[10] Drinking too much, on even a single occasion, hinders – for at least 24 hours – your body’s ability to ward off infections. That’s a sobering thought.

Even though, as alluded to above, a few studies have brought to light possible benefits with drinking wine, keep in mind that the recommended amount is often said to be only around two (2!) glasses a week. (Though, I have seen reports claim three [3] or more.) And the recommended beverage is usually quality red wine – not bourbon, scotch or beer. (Sorry, John Lee Hooker and George Thorogood.) Additionally, some experts also question whether the increase in cognitive function is actually the result of the red wine’s resveratrol, or merely a byproduct of other incidental factors, for instance (however implausibly), the stimulating conversations that you might be having in social situations![11] (Assuming that you’re not imbibing in a  loud,smoke-filled bar watching the ball game.)

Possible Negative Effects on the Brain from Excessive Alcohol

This litany of negative possibilities strongly suggests, though, that the brain doesn’t get a “pass.” If alcohol can be a detriment to the heart, liver, and pancreas, then – probably – it can be a detriment to the brain as well. (Well, do you want it straight, or not?)

Short Term Effects

The new idea of brain “plasticity” has it that the brain changes every day, for better or for worse. Alcohol interferes with communication pathways affecting how the brain looks and works. This disruption in communication is caused by the slowing down of the production of GABA and can alter your mood and actions, thus possibly causing problems for clear thinking or coordination. Alcohol also speeds up production of Dopamine, resulting in a feeling of pleasure in the brain’s reward center which can lower inhibitions. No news there. But, binge drinking also affects the cerebellum – the part of the brain that regulates balance – as well as the cerebral cortex – the part that helps you pay attention. The Hippocampus is the part of the brain that creates new memories. If this is compromised it can result in memory loss.

Decreased attention. Undermined memory. Physical imbalance. Deficits in reasoning and coordination. Does this sound like any disease that we know?

Long Term Effects

One of the first long term effects that could occur is that you would build up a tolerance to your alcohol intake. So, then you must continually increase the amount consumed to get the same effect. Higher consumption, in turn, could mean greater cellular damage to the body generally and to the brain specifically. The classic “wet brain” refers to a form of dementia caused by a deficiency of thiamine. Alcohol hinders its absorption.[12]

A study in the 2014 Journal of Neurology concluded that excessive alcohol consumption in men was associated with faster cognitive decline compared to light or moderate drinkers.[13] Another study from the same journal, but in 2018, showed that alcohol consumption also was associated with a disturbance in the REM sleep cycle.[14] Inadequate sleep, that is sleep without going through all of the cycle including REM, has been reported to be important in dealing with or preventing Alzheimer’s. (For more information, see HERE.)[15]

Confusingly, a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease in July 2017 found that moderate to heavy drinkers were more likely to live to 85 years old and have no dementia.[16] However, another – even “bigger” – study, published in June 2017, concluded that even moderate drinking resulted in hippocampus degeneration. The hippocampus is responsible for memory and its atrophy is an early specific marker for Alzheimer’s Disease.[17]

Dr. Ayesha Sherzai is a neurologist and, along with her husband, Dean, is co-director of the Brain Health and Alzheimer’s Prevention Program at Loma Linda University. Dean and Ayeasha Sherzai go so far as to claim that alcohol is a neurotoxin that is a prime cause of cellular damage. In their 2017 book, The Alzheimer’s Solution, they list “alcohol” as one of the top ten foods to avoid.[18] In the same book, they agree with Amen (et al.) that alcohol disrupts sleep patterns and, on page 209, they cite a review found in a 2005 journal article[19] that states that sleep loss negatively affects executive functioning. The lapses were reported to be reflected in measurable ways in the frontal and parietal lobes, revealed during neuroimaging.[20]

Conclusion

We’re not healthcare professions and can give neither dietary nor general medical advice. But, I’m thinking that if I want a drink, it’s probably best to keep it on the moderate and occasional side of the fence. And it’s probably also a better idea to enjoy a glass of red wine, than to indulge in cocktails, mixed drinks, or shots. But life is a gamble, n’est-ce pas? (For other dietary changes that you can make that will possibly mitigate your risk of dementia, see HERE and HERE.)

But, before I wrap things up, let me briefly consider a companion question.

Can a person with Alzheimer’s drink alcohol?

The short answer is: No. According to an article published in July 2012 by CNN, alcohol and Alzheimer’s don’t mix.

Although the article goes on to state that the effects of alcohol on a person with Alzheimer’s aren’t completely understood new studies have found that binge drinking once a month of a person with Alzheimer’s can lead to a 62% decline in cognitive function.

Add to that fact the possibility that they won’t remember how many drinks they have had or what reactions they might experience because of medication interactions, and you have a recipe for potential disaster. One must also bear in mind that Alzheimer’s engenders confusion. Alcohol’s ability to further impair awareness and perception could exacerbate an already bad situation.

Beth Kallmyer, the vice president of constituent services at the Alzheimer’s Association, suggests that if a person with Alzheimer’s asks for a drink, caretakers should try distractions to keep them occupied so that they forget about their request. They certainly do not need to be intoxicated.[21]

Notes:

[1] Southern Illinoisan (Carbondale, Illinois), Jan. 1, 2002, p 13.

[2] Annemieke Ruitenberg, John C van Swieten, Jacqueline Witteman, Kala Mehta, Cornelia van Duijn, Albert Hofman, and Monique Breteler, “Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Dementia: The Rotterdam Study,” Lancet, vol. 359, no. 9303, Jan. 26, 2002, pp. 281-286, <https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(02)07493-7>.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Michaël Schwarzinger, Bruce G Pollock, Omer Hasan, Carole Dufouil, and Jürgen Rehm, “Contribution of Alcohol-Use Disorders to the Burden of Dementia in France 2008–13: A Nationwide Retrospective Cohort Study,” vol. 3, no. 3, Mar. 2018, pp. e124-e132, <https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(18)30022-7>.

[5] Ibid.

[6] “Chronic Heavy Drinking Leads to Serious Risk of Dementia, Study Warns,” Guardian, Feb. 20, 2018, <https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/feb/20/chronic-heavy-drinking-leads-to-serious-risk-of-dementia-study-warns>.

[7] Ibid.

[8] This list has been gleaned from Alcohol’s Effects on the Body, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

[9] Dr. Amen

[10] See, e.g., Kyle I. Happel and Steve Nelson, “Alcohol, Immunosuppression, and the Lung,” Annals of the American Thoracic Society, vol. 2, no. 5, Dec. 1, 2005, <https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.1513/pats.200507-065JS>.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Amanda MacMillan, “What Really Happens to Your Brain When You Drink Too Much Alcohol,” Health, Apr. 2018.

[13] “Alcohol Consumption and Cognitive Decline in Early Old Age,” Journal of Neurology, Jan. 15,2014.

[14] “Alcohol Consumption and Probable REM Sleep Behavior Disorder: Community-Based Study,” Journal of Neurology, Apr. 2018.

[15] Sleep was shown to be of significant value as to be included in “The Protocols of the aforementioned Dr. Daniel Amen and Dr. Teitlbaum, as well as in lectures of Dr. Michael Breus, who talks about our innate circadian rhythms. See HERE.

[16] “Alcohol Intake and Cognitively Healthy Longevity in Community Dwelling Adults,” Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, Jul. 2017.

[17] Anya Topiwala, “Moderate Alcohol Consumption as a Risk Factor for Adverse Brain Outcomes on Cognitive Decline: Longitudinal Cohort Study,” The BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal), Jun. 2017, <https://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j2353>.

[18] Ayesha Sherzai and Dean Sherzai, The Alzheimer’s Solution: A Breakthrough Program to Prevent and Reverse the Symptoms of Cognitive Decline at Every Age, San Francisco: Harper One, 2017.

[19] Seminars in Neurology, see below.

[20] J.S. Durmer and D.F. Dinges, “Neurocognitive Consequences of Sleep Deprivation,” Seminars in Neurology, Thieme Medical Publ., 2005.

[21] Beth Kallmyer, “New Research Offers Tips for Alzheimer’s Caregivers,” CNN, Jul. 2012.