Smoking Raises the Risk of Midlife Memory Loss, Confusion

Can smoking make you lose your memory? A new study found a decline in memory and cognitive function in middle-aged people who smoke.

Middle-aged smokers are far more likely to report having memory loss and confusion than non-smokers, and the likelihood of cognitive decline is lower for those who have quit, even recently, a new study published in Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease has found.

The research from the Ohio State University is the first to examine the relationship between smoking and cognitive decline using a one-question self-assessment asking people if they’ve experienced worsening or more frequent memory loss and/or confusion.

Cigarette Smoking - A Silent Killer-Facts, Passive Smoking & How to Quit
Smoking kills the smoker silently, pushing him towards serious illnesses, which slowly lead to death.

‘Assessing smoking habits routinely at younger ages can prevent cognitive declines that rise to the level of a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia.’

The findings build on previous research that established relationships between smoking and Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia and could point to an opportunity to identify signs of trouble earlier in life.

There is also one more piece of evidence that quitting smoking is good not just for respiratory and cardiovascular reasons – but to preserve neurological health.

The association they saw was most significant in the 45-59 age group, suggesting that quitting at that stage of life may have a benefit for cognitive health. A similar difference wasn’t found in the oldest group in the study, which could mean that quitting earlier affords people greater benefits.

Eat Well to Fight Memory Loss
Do you want to get rid of memory loss? Then, start eating healthy. Munching on some brain foods such as crunchy cereals, protein-rich foods, fruits, and vegetables can keep your mind sharper.

Watch out for the Smoking Habit for Early Signs of Dementia

Data for the study came from the national 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey and allowed the research team to compare subjective cognitive decline (SCD) measures for current smokers, recent former smokers, and those who had quit years earlier. The analysis included 136,018 people 45 and older, and about 11% reported SCD.

The prevalence of SCD among smokers in the study was almost 1.9 times that of nonsmokers. The prevalence among those who had quit less than 10 years ago was 1.5 times that of nonsmokers. Those who quit more than a decade before the survey had an SCD prevalence just slightly above the non-smoking group.

Unmasking Dementia Signs 9 Years Before Diagnosis
Do dementia signs show up before diagnosis? It is possible to see signs of dementia as early as nine years before a person receives a diagnosis.

These findings could imply that the time since smoking cessation does matter, and may be linked to cognitive outcomes. The simplicity of SCD, a relatively new measure, could lend itself to wider applications.

Many people don’t have access to more in-depth screenings, or specialists – making the potential applications for measuring SCD even greater.

Being Lonely and Unhappy can Speed Up Aging
Negative feelings like loneliness and unhappiness can trigger premature aging. Building positive feelings (happiness, hope and safety) could be the best anti-aging therapy.

Be aware that these self-reported experiences don’t amount to a diagnosis, nor do they confirm independently that a person is experiencing a decline out of the normal aging process. But, he said, they could be a low-cost, simple tool to consider employing more broadly.

Source-Eurekalert