Your ‘habits’, smoking and drinking alcohol, have been shown to influence dementia risk.  Smoking is associated with an increased risk of developing dementia.  The good news is former smokers have a lower risk, so quitting can help bring your risk down.

Excessive alcohol consumption over many years is associated with an increased risk of dementia.  The good news is that moderate consumption of alcohol, a couple of drinks a day, is associated with a reduced risk of developing dementia.  That doesn’t mean that everyone should take up drinking, but if you do enjoy alcohol in moderation, it may be doing your brain some good.

Mind your Habits is one of the seven Mind your Mind signposts pointing you toward reducing your dementia risk.  The following pages explain why we believe healthy habits are important and provide some advice for making your habits more brain friendly.

Alcohol – what’s the evidence that alcohol affects risk and how much can you safely drink?

Smoking – what effect does smoking have on dementia risk and where can you get help to quit?