Any Amount Of Drinking Increases Dementia Risk, Study Says

Key Takeaways

Any amount of drinking increases dementia riskEvery extra one to three drinks weekly increases dementia risk by 15%The study challenges earlier research that indicated a potential protective effect from light drinking

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Drinking any amount of alcohol likely increases a person’s risk of dementia , a new study says.

Even light drinking — once viewed as protective — is unlikely to lower dementia risk, and that risk increases with the quantity of alcohol a person consumes, researchers reported Sept. 23 in the journal BMJ Evidence Based Medicine .

Every additional one to three drinks a week came with a 15% higher dementia risk, according to the study.

The results challenge earlier studies that found a potential protective effect