Heavy Drinking Is the Biggest Risk Factor for Dementia

Hot on the heels of headlines linking alcohol consumption with longer life comes new research that casts a much more sobering light on drinking. According to an analysis of more than 1 million people—the largest study of its kind to date—scientists say that heavy alcohol use is the biggest modifiable risk factor for dementia, especially early-onset forms of the disease.

The findings, which are published in The Lancet Public Health, came as a shock to the researchers involved.