Research has shown that if people stop smoking after the age of 50, they have a much lower risk of developing dementia. When people stop smoking, their cognitive abilities, including memory and linguistic fluency, diminish at a much slower rate than when they continue to smoke.
On the 14th, the findings of a 12-year study that monitored changes in cognitive function as a result of smoking, quitting smoking, and both were published in the international medical journal *Lancet Healthy Longevity* by a research team from the UK’s University College London (UCL). The research included 4,718 participants from the US and Europe who smoked and 4,718 participants from the US and Europe who had just stopped smoking; participants were matched according to cognitive scores, gender, age, education level, and starting nation. Verbal fluency and memory changes were monitored for a total of twelve years, six of which were pre- and post-study.
Verbal fluency and memory scores in both groups decreased at comparable rates in the six years preceding quitting, according to the data. The modifications, however, differed significantly during the six years following the quit. Both verbal fluency and memory deterioration were reduced by around 50% and 20%, respectively, in the smoking cessation group compared to the smoking group. “Given that a smoker’s memory and verbal fluency are thought to have aged by one year, a quitter’s fluency would be roughly six months younger, and memory about three to four months younger,” the research team noted.
As a result of its negative effects on cardiovascular health, smoking is harmful to brain health because it damages the blood arteries that deliver oxygen to the brain. Additionally, it leads to persistent inflammation and oxidative stress, which harms brain cells directly. This is the first study to demonstrate long-term advantages in middle-aged and older quitters, the team said, adding that previous research had only shown short-term cognitive improvements after quitting.
Quitting smoking could be an effective method to prevent dementia, according to their findings. As the study’s lead author Dr. Mikaela Bloomberg put it, “This study shows that quitting smoking after age 50 can help improve cognitive health in the long term.” She went on to say, “It could provide a strong motivation for middle-aged and older adults, who are less likely to attempt quitting than younger generations.” “Further research directly addressing dementia itself is needed to confirm these findings,” said co-author Professor Andrew Steptoe.
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