Smoking is not only bad for the lungs and the heart, but also for the brain. A new study has shown that smoking increases the risk of suffering memory loss and confusion in midlife.
- In 2020, 31.8% of 18-75 year olds said they smoked and a quarter said they smoked daily.
- The latest barometer from Public Health France revealed that the prevalence of smoking stabilized in France in 2020, after the decline recorded from 2014 to 2019.
- Nearly 75,000 deaths are attributable to tobacco each year. This represents approximately 13% of deaths occurring in Metropolitan France.
The harmful effects of tobacco on health are particularly well documented. However, if you needed an additional reason to quit smoking: the work of Ohio State University may be able to convince you. They have shown that this bad habit increases the risk of suffering from memory loss and confusion after the age of 45.
Cognitive decline: smokers are more at risk
To measure the possible links between tobacco and cognitive decline, the American researchers used data collected through the program “2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Monitoring System”. They analyzed the medical records of 136,018 people over the age of 45. Among other things, participants had to complete a self-assessment of their neurological health. 11% of them reported showing signs of cognitive decline such as memory loss or confusion.
The team found that the prevalence of this disorder was 1.9 times higher among smokers. People who quit smoking less than 10 years ago had a risk 1.5 times greater than those who had never lit a cigarette. Moreover, individuals who quit smoking more than a decade ago had only a slightly higher prevalence of cognitive decline than the group of non-smokers.
Memory loss: smokers aged 45-59 are the most affected
“The association we saw was strongest in the 45-59 age group, suggesting that quitting smoking at this stage of life may have a beneficial effect on cognitive health”added Jeffrey Wing, author of the study published in Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. However, this link was not observed in the oldest age group. This could mean that quitting smoking before age 45-50 offers greater benefits.
For the American scientists, their work, published in the scientific journal Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease at the end of 2022, provides additional proof that quitting smoking is good, not only for respiratory and cardiovascular health, but also for the preservation of cognitive abilities.
