The Hidden Cost of Cheers: Alcohol’s Overlooked Impact on Women’s Dementia Risk

‘Tis the season for toasts, cocktails, and cozy pours by the fire with friends and family! Yet, before we raise our glasses, let me raise a question: what does (extra holiday) drinking mean for our brain health?

Here’s a shocking fact: 4.4 Million women have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease as of today, with Alzheimer’s being the most common form of dementia. Research continues to show a connection between alcohol consumption and increased dementia risk, especially for women in midlife.

(I promise there is good news coming!)

With the holidays approaching, I wanted to talk about the wellness measures we all can take to prevent what is rapidly becoming a very common condition among aging women. First let’s just look at the facts.

Dementia: The Facts.

A 2022 study reported that lifetime dementia risk in the U.S. is approximately 19-23% for women and 11-14% for men. This means 1 out of every 5 women will be diagnosed with dementia in their lifetime. 

Dementia is an umbrella term for a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking, and social abilities severely enough to interfere with daily life. Dementia is not a single disease. It is a syndrome — a collection of symptoms that can be caused by various diseases or conditions.

Key symptoms include:

• memory loss (notably short-term)

• difficulty reasoning or problem-solving

• language and communication problems

• disorientation or confusion

• personality or mood changes

• impaired judgment and daily function. 

Alzheimer's Disease is a specific disease that causes dementia. It’s a progressive, degenerative brain disorder characterized by abnormal protein buildup in the brain which disrupts communication between neurons and ultimately causes cell death (the good news is coming soon, I promise!).  The key early symptom is difficulty remembering recent events or conversations, also known as short-term memory loss.

Alcohol and Dementia 

What does alcohol do, related to dementia? It increases risk for Alzheimer’s and other dementias by:

• Worsening symptoms like hypertension, sleep disruption, inflammation, and metabolic syndromes. Even moderate consumption of alcohol shows measurable brain changes and acceleration of cognitive aging.

• Creates vascular damage. Alcohol raises blood pressure and triglycerides, increasing the risk of small strokes and vascular dementia.

• Inflammation and death of cells. Chronic alcohol use causes neuroinflammation and amyloid-beta accumulation, the same protein that forms plaques in Alzheimer’s brains.

• Creates oxidative stress and free radicals that injure brain cells.

• Has a huge hormonal impact. In women, alcohol amplifies estrogen fluctuations, sleep loss, and cortisol dysregulation all of which are factors tied to cognitive decline in midlife.

So...How Much is Too Much?

Ok, so alcohol is clearly not great for many reasons. But you must be thinking by now–wait a minute, Adrien. Like most everything else in health and wellness, it can’t just be black or white. Can it?

The studies say otherwise:

• JAMA Network Open, 2022, found through brain imaging of 36,000 adults that even 1–2 drinks/day correlated with reduced brain volume. Meaning according to the study, no amount of alcohol is safe. 

• The National Institute of Health (NIH) has stated that alcohol contributes to Alzheimer's risk indirectly by worsening vascular and metabolic health, increasing risks such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity. 

• The Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention (2020) identified excessive alcohol use as one of twelve modifiable dementia risk factors worldwide. 

As a coach committed to providing the best evidence, the facts are simple here: no amount of alcohol is good for our health–in fact, not even a little bit of wine is beneficial, contrary to popular belief. And too much of it can certainly have a lasting impact.

A Wellness Prevention Plan

There are, of course, other proven factors outside of alcohol that heighten dementia risk. This includes (lack of) physical inactivity, hypertension, social isolation, smoking, less education, diabetes, obesity, traumatic brain injury, air pollution and hearing loss–all things that are also huge considerations for risk of dementia. 

Am I recommending that everyone stop drinking alcohol, end of story? I am not. It is only important to highlight the patterns and practices in our lives that serve as obstacles to feeling our strongest and best.

So before you fall into despair over that long list of the effects alcohol can have related to dementia, here is the good news (finally!)!

Risk is not the same as inevitability! The good news is that an estimated 45 percent of dementia cases are preventable.  

If we can laser in and focus on maintaining overall wellness to protect us from many of the chronic symptoms I just mentioned, not only will your body be so happy, but your brain will be too–and thus your risk for dementia decreases with some intentional decisions to focus on wellness and making educated choices, so you can live a deliciously long life that we all strive for.

Enter…the Wellness Wheel™ Approach

My advice? Move your body. Eat to feel good. Sleep like your brain depends on it—because it does! Develop stress resilience practices. Make educated lifestyle decisions. Get yourself into strength training through routine and community, like my Concierge Small Group program. 

My job as a wellness coach is to teach the best and most available tools we have to live that deliciously long and illness-free life that I just mentioned earlier.  Alas, my Wellness Wheel™ approach again helps. If we can focus on strengthening each spoke of the wheel—from sleep and nutrition to movement, calendar, and stress—we can give our brains their best defense, no matter how many toasts or fireside drinks you indulge in this season.

As the holidays get closer, we’ll all be faced with choices: A glass of wine? Or a non-alcoholic alternative? Another late night? Or a chance to rest? My goal is never to restrict, but to help you understand your options so you can make mindful, informed choices that truly serve you.

Curious about my Wellness Wheel or our new Concierge Small Group meetings? Let’s talk 1:1. Start by scheduling your FREE consultation here and check out my previous article on it here.

SEE ALSO: The “Forgotten” Muscles of Women Over 40: Why Sexual Health Deserves Attention