Smoking May Put Your Memory at Risk

June Chen, MD

Cigarette smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death in the United States. Smokers are two to three times more likely to die from coronary heart disease than non-smokers. They also have an increased risk of lung cancer, as well as colorectal cancer and stroke. And, according to a recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, smoking is linked to an increased risk for memory deficit and cognitive decline in middle age.

After analyzing data from 10,308 civil servants aged 35 to 55 years who were enrolled in the Whitehall II study, the investigators found that, compared to study participants who never smoked, smokers had a 37% increased risk of scoring poorly on a memory test. They also found that, compared with smokers, long-term ex-smokers had a 30% lower risk for poor vocabulary and low verbal fluency. This suggests smoking cessation reduces the risk of cognitive decline. As an added benefit, the investigators found that quitting smoking in middle age was accompanied by improved health habits such as being more active, eating more fruits and vegetables, and drinking less alcohol.

Prior studies have found that smoking is a risk factor for the development of dementia. The findings of this study seem to support this hypothesis, suggesting that smoking cessation could improve thinking, learning, and memory in middle age and reduce the risk of dementia.

Source
Arch Intern Med. 2008;168:1165-1173.

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