Smokers have a 45pc higher risk of developing dementia than non-smokers, experts have said.
And the more a person smokes, the higher the risk, according to a new report from World Health Organisation (WHO) in collaboration with Alzheimer's Disease International.
Even passive smoking could increase the risk, the publication states.
The publication also highlights that 14pc of Alzheimer's disease cases are potentially attributable to smoking, the authors said.
Dr Shekhar Saxena, director of the Department for Mental Health and Substance Abuse at the WHO, said: "Since there is currently no cure for dementia, public health interventions need to focus on prevention by changing modifiable risk factors like smoking.
"This research shows that a decrease in smoking now is likely to result in a substantial decrease in the burden of dementia in the years to come."
Source: Ella Pickover, Irish Independent, 10/07/14
Safer Student Nights
eBulletin
Poll
