A new study published in the Journal of Alzheimer′s Disease disclosed that middle-aged smokers had a higher risk of memory loss and confusion than non-smokers, and individuals who recently stopped smoking had a lower risk of cognitive decline.

This is the first study to use a one-question self-assessment to investigate the connection between smoking and cognitive deterioration. Researchers used the data from the national 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey and compared the Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) measurements for present smokers, recently former smokers, and those who had quit years previously. The study included 136,018 adults 45 and older, and 11% of them had SCD.

It was observed that smokers had a nearly 1.9 times higher prevalence of SCD than non-smokers. In those who had stopped smoking less than ten years before, the prevalence was 1.5 times higher than in non-smokers. The prevalence of SCD was only marginally higher among those who had given up smoking more than ten years before the survey.

The results, built on prior studies, showed links between smoking and Alzheimer′s disease and other types of dementia. These may offer a chance to spot warning symptoms earlier in life. It also supports the existing theory that stopping smoking is beneficial for maintaining neurological health and respiratory and cardiovascular health.

Experts further stated that the association was most significant in the 45–59 age groups, indicating that quitting smoking at that stage of life may have benefits for cognitive health, but no such difference was found in the older group in the study, suggesting that quitting earlier affords people greater benefits.

(Source: https://theprint.in/health/smoking-raises-risk-of-midlife-memory-loss-confusion/1276038/ )