It may not take a scientist to guess that drinking alcohol isn't exactly great for you—but sometimes, it does take a team of them to figure out just how much can harm your health over time.
That's precisely what researchers at Brazil's University of São Paulo Medical School set out to do. Published in Neurology on April 9, 2025, their study explored how heavy alcohol use affects the brain—and whether certain drinking habits are linked to long-term brain damage, memory problems and signs of cognitive diseases like dementia and Alzheimer's
To do this, they analyzed the brains of 1,781 people who died at an average age of 75, looking for physical signs of brain damage like vascular lesions (which occur when tiny blood vessels in the brain are damaged), tau tangles (a protein buildup commonly seen in Alzheimer's ) and changes in overall brain size and function.
Participants were divided into four groups based on drinking habits : those who never drank, moderate drinkers who had seven or fewer drinks a week, heavy drinkers who had eight or more drinks a week, and former heavy drinkers. “One drink” was defined as 14 grams of alcohol—roughly the equivalent of a glass of wine , a can of beer or a shot of liquor.
This Is What Alcohol Really Does to Your Brain
As for what they found? According to the study, brain damage was significantly more common in people who had eight or more drinks per week.
Heavy drinkers were also 133% more likely to have brain lesions than non-drinkers. These lesions—which are caused by damage to small blood vessels in the brain—are strongly linked to memory loss, cognitive decline and dementia. Heavy and former heavy drinkers were also more likely to have tau tangles, a key biological marker of Alzheimer's disease . Combined, this put them at more than double the risk for developing a dementia-related condition. Which is all to say: Excessive drinking is becoming a big problem for brain health.
“Heavy alcohol consumption is a major global health concern linked to increased health problems and death,” study authorAlberto Fernando Oliveira Justo, Ph.D., of University of Sao Paulo Medical School in Brazil said in a corresponding press release . “We looked at how alcohol affects the brain as people get older. Our research shows that heavy alcohol consumption is damaging to the brain, which can lead to memory and thinking problems .”
The Damage Doesn't Stop Once You Quit
Also of note? The aforementioned brain damage can (and seemingly does) linger long after you stop drinking. Former heavy drinkers still had 89% higher odds of having vascular brain lesions compared to those who never drank. They also had smaller brains and worse thinking skills, suggesting that the effects of heavy alcohol use may persist even years after stopping.
Still, quitting does seem to be worth it; it did slash their lesion odds by more than half.
Heavy Drinking May Shorten Your Lifespan
If that weren't enough, the researchers also found that heavy drinkers died, on average, 13 years earlier than people who never drank. Apparently, quitting drinking is about to be the next big longevity hack.
What Does This Mean for Me?
This study echoes what many others have found before: Chronic, heavy alcohol consumption can and does do long-lasting damage to the brain. It's also been linked to serious health issues like liver disease cancer and heart problems , and these effects may persist long after you quit.
"We found heavy drinking is directly linked to signs of injury in the brain, and this can cause long-term effects on brain health, which may impact memory and thinking abilities,” Justo concluded. “Understanding these effects is crucial for public health awareness and continuing to implement preventive measures to reduce heavy drinking .”
TL;DR? For the sake of your brain and your overall health, do your best to drink in moderation —or quit entirely if you can. At the very least, try not to exceed eight drinks in a week—which includes wine. Your future self will thank you.
Sources
Association Between Alcohol Consumption, Cognitive Abilities, and Neuropathologic Changes. Neurology
How does heavy drinking affect the brain? American Academy of Neurology.