The Dutch Health Council is urging increased government action to address modifiable dementia risk factors, particularly among young adults who frequently enough underestimate the long-term impact of lifestyle choices. A new advisory released tuesday highlights smoking, poor diet, and physical inactivity as key contributors to the rising rates of dementia, a condition affecting nearly 300,000 people in the Netherlands alone. the council’s recommendations come as recent data shows concerningly high smoking rates-nearly 24%-among Dutch young adults aged 18-25, prompting a call for greater awareness and preventative measures.
Dutch Health Council Urges Action to Reduce Dementia Risk, Citing Lifestyle Factors
The Dutch Health Council issued a new advisory on Tuesday, urging the government to increase efforts to lower the risk of dementia among the population. The council’s report highlights the significant role that lifestyle choices – including smoking, poor diet, and lack of physical activity – play in the development of the condition, often underestimated by younger adults.
Dementia is a growing public health concern globally, and identifying modifiable risk factors is crucial for prevention. Recent data from the Netherlands reveals that smoking remains prevalent among young adults, with 23.7% of individuals aged 18 to 25 currently smoking, according to data from the Youth Monitor.
Experts emphasize the detrimental effects of smoking on brain health. Smoking constricts blood vessels, elevates blood pressure, and introduces toxic substances into the brain that can damage cells. As a result, smokers have a demonstrably higher risk of developing dementia later in life, Alzheimer Nederland reports.
Neurologist Jan Versijpt underscored the link between smoking and dementia, stating, “I think there is a lot of evidence that smoking is harmful.” He added, “With smoking, it is well known that one cigarette is one too many. The same is slowly becoming true for alcohol, where there is a growing tendency towards zero tolerance.”
Low Awareness Among Young People
Despite the established risks, awareness of the connection between lifestyle and dementia remains low among young adults. Many view dementia as a distant concern, believing they have time to address potential health issues later in life.
Merel, 22, admitted to occasionally smoking and was unaware of the increased dementia risk. “I know it affects your health, but not specifically that it increases the risk of dementia. It makes sense when you think about it, because it does affect your brain, but I’ve never really thought about it until now,” she said.
Larissa, 19, also smokes but doesn’t associate her habit with a future risk of dementia. “I often hear that you lose brain cells from smoking, so I do think about that, but I’ve never thought about dementia,” she explained. Larissa indicated she rarely considers the long-term consequences of her lifestyle choices, stating, “I smoke when I’m with friends, I vape quite a lot every day, and I drink alcohol from time to time. I don’t really think about the consequences. I’ll deal with it when it happens.”
Noor, 21, has personal experience with dementia through her grandparents. “Both my grandfather and grandmother had dementia, so I think it runs in my family,” she said. While aware that her lifestyle could increase her risk, she isn’t actively focused on it. “I think I should probably be taking it into account now, but I’m not doing that at the moment.” Noor noted she has reduced her smoking and drinking, but not out of health concerns. “It’s an expensive hobby,” she said.
Potential for Change Through Increased Awareness and Policy
Although most young people are currently unaware of the link between smoking and dementia risk, they identified potential avenues for increasing awareness. Noor suggested that increasing the cost of cigarettes could reduce consumption. Larissa proposed adding warnings about dementia to cigarette packaging, alongside existing warnings about lung cancer and other health risks. “Cigarette packs always have texts about lung cancer, heart attacks, increased risk of blindness, and that children of smokers often start smoking themselves, but I haven’t seen one about dementia. Maybe that would be helpful to add,” she said.
According to Alzheimer Nederland, the brain can largely recover when someone stops smoking, significantly reducing the risk of dementia compared to continuing smokers. This finding reinforces the effectiveness of quitting smoking at any age.
