Associations of mental and behavioral disorders due to tobacco and alcohol use with incident dementia.

BACKGROUND

While smoking and drinking are known to influence cognitive function, the future risk of incident dementia among individuals diagnosed with mental and behavioral disorders due to tobacco use (MBT) and mental and behavioral disorders due to alcohol use (MBA) remains unclear.

METHODS

Data were sourced from the UK Biobank, a publicly accessible database in the United Kingdom. The analysis included 362,934 participants free of dementia at baseline. MBT and MBA were identified using ICD-10 codes from first occurrence data in the UK Biobank dataset. Dementia outcomes, defined algorithmically by the UK Biobank, included all-cause dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and vascular dementia. Cox regression models assessed the associations of MBT and MBA with incident dementia.

RESULTS

Among only smoking participants, those with MBT had an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.47 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10-1.96) for all-cause dementia, compared with non-MBT participants. Among only drinking participants, those with MBA had an adjusted HR of 2.34 (95% CI: 2.05-2.68) for all-cause dementia, compared with non-MBA participants. Among both smoking and drinking participants, those with both MBT and MBA (HR = 3.86, 95% CI: 2.78-5.35), those with only MBT (HR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.02-1.67), and those with only MBA (HR = 2.46, 1.39-4.35) had a significantly higher risk of incident dementia, compared with non-MBT and non-MBA participants.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals diagnosed with MBT, MBA, or both are associated with a higher likelihood of incident dementia. These findings underscore the need for interventions targeting these behaviors to mitigate the dementia incidence.