Moderate Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Developing Dementia in the Elderly: The Contribution of Prospective Studies

Moderate alcohol consumption, after controlling for potential confounding factors, has been found to be associated with a lower risk of developing dementia in several prospective epidemiological studies from Europe, the United States, and China. When the type of alcoholic beverage consumed is analyzed, moderate wine intake has been systematically associated with lower risk. However, moderate consumption has very different definitions across studies, ranging from monthly or weekly drinking to 3 to 4 drinks per day. In addition, different results have been observed according to sex; some studies found the same effect in men and women, while others found either no association or a stronger association in women. All of these results lead to the conclusion that the observed association is fragile and needs further confirmation.