"Alcohol consumption in moderate amounts has not been found to cause dementia or any other cognitive impairments. However, excessive use and abuse in old ...CONNECTTOCAREAreYouSeekingTreatmentforAddiction?Call855-466-7204tospeakwithaWebMDConnecttoCareAdvisor*CallWebMDConnecttoCareAdvisor855-466-7204*WebMDmayreceiveafeeCHATNOWSearchingForAddictionTreatment?LIVECHATSearchingForAddictionTreatment?LIVECHATWebMDConnecttoCareAddiction&RecoveryAlcoholWebMDConnecttoCarehelpsyoufindservicestomanageyourhealth.Whenyoupurchaseanyoftheseservices,WebMDmayreceiveafee.WebMDdoesnotendorseanyproduct,serviceortreatmentreferredtoonthispage.XByZawnVillinesShareonFacebookShareonTwitterShareonPinterestEmailAlcoholismcandamageyourbrainandincreasetheriskofdementia.Here'swhatyouneedtoknowabouttherisk,andhowtoreduceit. ExcessivedrinkingmaycausebraindamageandincreasetheriskofAlzheimer'sandotherformsofdementia.CanAlcoholCauseDementia?Peoplewhodonotbingedrinkorbecomedependentonalcoholdonotneedtoworryaboutanalcohol-dementialink,saysNikolaDjordjevic,MD."Alcoholconsumptioninmoderateamountshasnotbeenfoundtocausedementiaoranyothercognitiveimpairments.However,excessiveuseandabuseinoldagehavebeenassociatedwithchangesinbrainstructurethatincreasetheriskofAlzheimer’sandvariantsofdementia,"heexplains.A2018studyfoundthatheavydrinkingincreasedtheriskofdementiabyaboutthreetimes.Alcoholismmayincreasetheriskofcertainmedicalconditionsthatdamagethecardiovascularsystem,includinghighbloodpressure.Researchincreasinglylinksbothheartdiseaseandheartdiseaseriskfactorstoanelevatedriskofdevelopingdementia.AlcoholismmayalsocauseararetypeofdementiacalledKorsakoffsyndrome,accordingtoTheAlzheimer'sAssociation. Thisdementiaappearswhenapersonisdeficientinthiamine/vitaminB1,adeficiencythatismoreprevalentamongchronicalcoholics.Alcohol-RelatedDementiaSymptomsThesymptomsofalcohol-relateddementiadependonthetypeofdementiaapersonhas.ThoughmostpeoplearefamiliarwithAlzheimer's,therearedozensoftypesofdementia.Primaryprogressiveaphasia,fo