Former versus current smoking among older adults living with Alzheimer's disease, related dementias, and cognitive impairment

Smoking is a major modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), yet smoking status among older adults with ADRD or cognitive impairment, not dementia (CIND), remains poorly characterized. Using pooled 2010–2020 Health and Retirement Study data, we examined former versus current smoking among US adults aged ≥55 years with lifetime cigarette smoking. In weighted analyses of 13,595 participants, adults with CIND (AOR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.74, 0.92) and ADRD (AOR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.65, 0.99) had lower odds of former smoking than cognitively normal adults. Findings highlight the importance of understanding smoking cessation needs in cognitively impaired populations.