Sydney, Aug 27 - Light to moderate drinkers are 25 percent less likely to develop dementia than those who abstain from alcohol, according to the latest research.

The meta-analysis of 15 research studies, exploring links between drinking and dementia, is based on a survey of around 10,000 people worldwide.

'We looked at the results of studies that followed up with participants at intervals over two to eight years,' said study leader Kaarin Anstey, of the Australian National University (ANU).

'We found that light to moderate drinkers were 28 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's than non-drinkers, 25 percent less likely to develop vascular dementia, and 26 percent less likely to develop 'any dementia',' Anstey added.