London - Drinking and smoking may raise the risk of dementia in later life because they shrink key parts of the brain.
Experts found unhealthy lifestyle habits reduced grey matter in areas linked to memory, damaging cells that process information.
The findings could help doctors advise patients on how best to look after their neurological health.
Researchers from the University of Southern California scanned the brains of 1 600 people and identified their bad habits. They then invited the volunteers back seven years to later to try to pinpoint those who were showing early signs of dementia.
The results, published in the journal Radiology, showed that alcohol use was associated with smaller total brain volume. Smoking was linked to a reduced posterior cingulate cortex – which plays a key role in memory.
People who both drank and smoked were more likely to have a smaller hippocampus, which is linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr Kevin King, author of the study, said: “We currently do not have effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, so the focus is on prevention.”
Daily Mail