Dementia is an irreversible neurodegenerative brain disease characterised by the death of brain cells, leading to a progressive decline in memory and cognitive abilities such as thinking, language and learning capacity. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the diagnosed prevalence of dementia in the population 65 years and older was 4% in 2022 and its prevalence is expected to increase in the future.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, and GlobalData epidemiologists forecast an increase in total prevalent cases in the US from around 2.97 million cases in 2024 to 4.06 million in 2033 at an annual growth rate of 4.1%. Dementia is one of the leading causes of death in older age groups, and cases will continue to rise due to the ageing population in the US, creating a huge financial and social burden for the country.
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Minimizing the risk factors for dementia is therefore very important to reduce this burden. Long-term high consumption of red meat has been shown to be one of these, according to a study by Yanping Li and colleagues, published in January 2025 in Neurology.
To observe the effects of red meat consumption on dementia risk, the study analysed data from two nationwide cohort samples in the US: the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. The study included 133,771 people between 1980 and 2008. Participants’ diet information, including daily red meat intake, was collected through a validated questionnaire and dementia diagnoses were ascertained from a medical report.
The study identified that participants with a red meat intake of more than 0.25 servings per day, compared with a lower than 0.10 servings per day, had a 13% greater risk of dementia. Higher processed red meat consumption also led to accelerated ageing in terms of global cognition and greater loss of verbal memory. Replacing processed red meat with 1 serving per day of nuts and legumes reduced the risk of dementia by 19%.
The study by Yanping Li and colleagues illustrates that a high level of red meat consumption increases the risk of dementia in adults. Red meat is also associated with various health conditions. The World Health Organization recommends limiting the consumption of red processed meat to reduce the risk of cancer, and it also increases the risk of cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases. As red meat is a risk factor for multiple diseases, public health messaging could emphasise reducing consumption to promote overall health and reduce the risk of dementia.
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