Smokers are more at risk of cognitive decline than non-smokers
Los smokers middle-aged are more at risk of suffering memory loss and confusion than non-smokers. In addition, the likelihood of cognitive decline is lower for those who have left the tobaccoeven recently, according to the findings of a new study.
The research, by a team from Ohio State University, is the first to examine the relationship between smoking and cognitive decline through a self-assessment. The findings build on previous research that has established links between smoking and Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, and could present an opportunity to identify signs of trouble at an earlier age, explains Jenna Rajczyk, lead author of the study, which is published in the ‘Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease’.
It’s also further evidence that quitting smoking is good not only for respiratory and cardiovascular reasons, but also for preserving neurological health, say Rajczyk and lead author Jeffrey Wing, an assistant professor of epidemiology.
“The association we saw was more significant in the age group from 45 to 59 yearssuggesting that quitting at that stage of life may have a benefit for cognitive health,” Wing notes.
Data for the study came from the 2019 National Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey and allowed the research team to compare measures of subjective cognitive decline (SCD) for current smokers, recent ex-smokers, and those who had quit. smoking years before. The analysis included 136,018 people age 45 and older, with approximately 11% reporting SCD.
The prevalence of SCD among smokers in the study was nearly 1.9 times that of nonsmokers. The prevalence among those who had quit smoking less than 10 years ago was 1.5 times higher than that of non-smokers. Those who quit smoking more than a decade before the survey had a slightly higher prevalence of SCD than the group of non-smokers.
“These findings could imply that time since quitting is important and may be related to cognitive outcomes,” Rajczyk says.
Wing clarifies that it is important to note that these self-reported experiences do not amount to a diagnosis, nor do they independently confirm that a person is experiencing a decline outside of the normal aging process, but, in her opinion, could be a simple and reliable tool. low cost to use more widely.
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