Smoking and the risk of dementia

Stop smoking to reduce your risk of dementia

The evidence says that stopping smoking reduces your risk of dementia. Research also shows that ex-smokers do not have an increased risk of dementia. However it’s not clear when, and for how long, a person must be smoke-free to avoid it affecting their dementia risk.

It is likely the earlier someone quits and the longer they stay smoke-free the better. This is similar to other diseases, where stopping smoking leads to a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease or cancer.

• Talk to your GP or pharmacist about different ways to stop smoking.
• Try using a date or event as motivation for stopping. For example, you could make it a New Year’s resolution.
• Consider using a less harmful nicotine product such as e-cigarettes (vaping), lozenges, patches, mouth and nasal sprays or gum.
• Try using NHS Smokefree support services, which include a helpline, app and local support services.

The World Health Organization's Knowledge Summary on Tobacco and Dementia explains more about why smoking might be linked to increased dementia risk.

Does the amount you smoke affect the risk of dementia?

There were four studies in the World Alzheimer's Report that looked at the number of cigarettes smoked and dementia risk. Two showed a relationship between higher tobacco consumption and a higher risk of dementia.

However, there is not enough evidence to know for sure whether this is the case.

Do e-cigarettes affect dementia risk?

Smoking e-cigarettes is also likely to be far less damaging to health than cigarettes. A Public Health England Report in 2018 stated that in the UK, the risk of cancer from smoking e-cigarettes is 0.5% of the risk from normal cigarettes.

Although it was not tested, the report also suggests that the risks of cardiovascular and lung disease are likely to be much reduced as well. If true, switching to e-cigarettes may also reduce dementia risk.

Can nicotine reduce dementia risk?

There is some evidence that exposure to nicotine, which is one of the components of cigarette smoke, can actually reduce the risk of dementia. Such reports may be useful in indicating possible research directions for drug design.

However, nicotine intake through smoking would not be beneficial. Any positive effects would be outweighed by the significant harm caused by the other toxic components in cigarette smoke.

Can passive smoking increase dementia risk?

Second-hand smoke, or passive smoking, has been shown to increase the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and other diseases. Studies have shown that it may also increase a person’s risk of developing dementia later in life.

Research suggests that the more exposure to second-hand smoke a person has, the higher the dementia risk.