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As they enter their golden years, one of the most feared of all diseases for middle-age people is the development of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Stopping smoking is the best way to prevent many health problems. Most people know that smoking causes lung problems like emphysema and that it can cause a number of types of cancer, but less well known is the relationship between smoking and dementia.
Dementia is a set of symptoms that indicate cognitive decline such as memory loss and confusion. It is most often caused by problems with the brain’s vascular system and by diseases like Alzheimer’s. Smoking in fact is the 3rd leading risk factor for dementia. A recent review of 37 studies determined that smokers were 30% more likely to develop dementia and 40% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than non-smokers. And there seems to be a dose response relationship – the more a person smokes the greater their risk.
Because the subtle early symptoms of cognitive decline can take a long time to develop it is important to identify risk factors in middle age people that might pre-dispose a person to develop dementia. Smoking is clearly one. Smokers should begin to think about stopping smoking as soon as possible in order to reduce their chances of developing this debilitating condition.
Michael V. Burke, Ed.D
