Smoking
Current smoking increases dementia risk by 30-40%. Quitting at any age reduces risk.
Why it matters
Smoking damages blood vessels throughout the body, including the brain's small vessels. Quitting reverses much of the excess risk within a few years.
What to ask at the checkup
Ask about smoking cessation support and whether nicotine replacement or medication would help
Screening: Self-reported smoking status
Sources
Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet Commission
Livingston G, Huntley J, Liu KY et al.. The Lancet, 2024.
Fourteen things people can change account for nearly half of dementia cases at the population level.
Smoking and risk of dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Zhong G, Wang Y, Zhang Y et al.. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 2015.
Current smokers had about a third more dementia risk than people who never smoked.
Routines for this factor
Swap the after-dinner cigarette for the walk
When the urge to smoke comes after dinner, walk for ten minutes instead.
10 min, difficulty 3/3