home
RSS
Smoking boosts risk for Alzheimer's
October 25th, 2010
04:52 PM ET

Smoking boosts risk for Alzheimer's

Here's yet another reason to stop smoking: It elevates the risk of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, according to a new study.

An analysis of more than 20,000 men and women found a 157 percent heightened risk of Alzheimer's disease in people who had smoked more than two packs of cigarettes a day. For vascular dementia, the second most common form of dementia, these smokers had a 172 percent increased risk.

"Dementia is a disease that crops up in late life, and that becomes clinically apparent, but I think people really need to think about risk factors for it over the life course," said Rachel Whitmer, study co-author and research scientist with Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California.

The study, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, is published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Researchers say the association between smoking and various forms of dementia is strong, but they do not know exactly why. It has been shown before that people who smoke are more likely to have hypertension and cerebral vascular disease, as well as inflammation, Whitmer said. Smoking may contribute to the damage of brain blood vessels in addition to brain cells, she said.

The data came from Kaiser Permanente Northern California members surveyed between 1978 and 1985. At that time, they were between ages 50 and 60. Diagnoses of various forms of dementia among these people were made from 1994 to 2008, and researchers took that information from electronic health records. The participants in this study were all alive and still members of the health plan in 1994.

Researchers found that associations with the development of the disease are more modest among smokers who use up fewer than two packs a day, but still significant. Those who smoked a half-pack to one pack a day had an overall 37 percent elevated risk of dementia, and those who smoked between one and two packs had a 44 percent heightened risk, compared to non-smokers.

But this could be an underestimation, because some smokers who would have developed dementia died before diagnosis, said Kenneth Hepburn, associate dean for research at the Emory University School of Nursing, who was not involved in the study.

The reported risk of dementia among heavy smokers is also likely an underestimation because many of those people will die before they're old enough to develop dementia, he said.

While the elevated risk for various forms of dementia was shown for those smoking two packs a day in midlife, smoking less than half a pack of cigarettes a day, or having smoked in the past, did not appear to raise the risk compared with nonsmokers.

Hepburn found the study compelling, and noted that it incorporated an ethnically diverse population of both men and women.

"This gives great confidence in saying this kind of heavy smoking has some kind of association – and it looks like a fairly strong association – with the development of the disease," he said.

One limitation of the study is that researchers collected data only about smoking habits among middle-aged people; it did not look at what happened among those who had quit after the initial survey, Whitmer said.

The research speaks to what the Alzheimer's Association Maintain Your Brain campaign is promoting: that brain health has a lot to do with overall health, Hepburn said.

"The brain is part of the body, it’s part of the whole and if you assault parts, it’s going to have an impact on the whole," he said.


soundoff (2,459 Responses)
  1. xem truc tiep letsviet

    Xem Trực Tiếp Bóng Đátrực tuyến vtv3Theo thể thức thi đấu, đội thắng ở cặp đấu này sẽ giành tấm vé đến Lithuania vào ngày hội bóng đá lớn nhất thế giới mang đến futsal. Tuyển futsal Việt Nam bước vào trận play-off lượt đi tranh vé dự play-off World Cup 2021 với sự tự tin. Tuy vậy, HLV Phạm Minh Giang bày tỏ, toàn đội ko ngán Lebanon tuy vậy sẽ tìm cách để khắc chế sức mạnh của đối thủ bởi bên trên băng ghế huấn luyện là nhà cầm quân Ramiro Lopez, người từng dẫn dắt futsal Tây Ban Nha.|Dựa vào lịch tranh tài, bạn có thể chuẩn bị xếp công việc

    https://virandoamor.com/detail/mythethaocomv9-110511.html

    June 21, 2021 at 23:46 | Report abuse | Reply
  2. 먹튀검증업체

    I could not resist commenting. Exceptionally well written!

    http://www.thefreeadforum.com/postclassifieds/user/profile/572157

    June 22, 2021 at 00:00 | Report abuse | Reply
  3. 케이출장

    I was excited to discover this website. I wanted to thank you for your time for this particularly fantastic read!! I definitely loved every part of it and I have you book-marked to see new information on your site.

    https://zzb.bz/bMe2I

    June 22, 2021 at 00:04 | Report abuse | Reply
  4. 출장마사지

    I must thank you for the efforts you've put in writing this site. I am hoping to see the same high-grade blog posts by you in the future as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my own website now 😉

    https://canvas.instructure.com/eportfolios/129020/massage0brimurovsz/The_13_Best_Pinterest_Boards_for_Learning_About_

    June 22, 2021 at 00:11 | Report abuse | Reply
  5. 출장마사지

    After checking out a handful of the blog posts on your site, I truly appreciate your way of blogging. I saved as a favorite it to my bookmark site list and will be checking back soon. Please check out my website too and let me know what you think.

    https://devpost.com/ca-si-n-o-0-5-25-0

    June 22, 2021 at 00:57 | Report abuse | Reply
  6. 먹튀검증

    Very good article. I certainly appreciate this site. Keep writing!

    https://ilearn.tek.zone/members/casino7rodwall50/activity/90519/

    June 22, 2021 at 02:46 | Report abuse | Reply
  7. 출장

    This is a topic that is close to my heart... Take care! Exactly where are your contact details though?

    http://www.bausch.com.my/en/redirect/?url=https://massage6searynipjb.shutterfly.com/34

    June 22, 2021 at 02:54 | Report abuse | Reply
  8. 먹튀사이트

    This web site certainly has all the info I needed about this subject and didnít know who to ask.

    http://www.newsdiffs.org/article-history/?url=http://donovantgtt170.trexgame.net/miley-cyrus-and-meogtwigeomjeung-10-surprising-things-they-have-in-common

    June 22, 2021 at 03:07 | Report abuse | Reply
  9. 출장안마

    You have made some good points there. I looked on the internet for additional information about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this web site.

    http://kgti.kg/user/casino7t2iltii835

    June 22, 2021 at 05:13 | Report abuse | Reply
  10. 출장안마

    Excellent article. I will be going through a few of these issues as well..

    http://kyousyoku-navi.com/user/profile/70983

    June 22, 2021 at 05:21 | Report abuse | Reply
  11. 먹튀사이트

    You have made some decent points there. I looked on the web for more info about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this website.

    https://medinsult.ru/forum/index.php?action=profile;area=forumprofile;u=131332

    June 22, 2021 at 05:31 | Report abuse | Reply
  12. 먹튀검증

    Hello there! This post couldnít be written any better! Looking at this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He constantly kept talking about this. I will forward this article to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!

    https://papa-wiki.win/index.php/The_Ugly_Truth_About_먹튀검증사이트_66869

    June 22, 2021 at 05:32 | Report abuse | Reply
  13. 먹튀검증

    You should take part in a contest for one of the most useful websites online. I most certainly will recommend this website!

    http://kikuya-rental.com/bbs/jump.php?url=https://zenwriting.net/casino6d5cqzcm421/img-src-i-ytimg-com-vi-fruh4k0wg44-hq720-jpg

    June 22, 2021 at 05:38 | Report abuse | Reply
  14. 출장마사지

    Excellent post! We are linking to this particularly great post on our website. Keep up the good writing.

    http://x7057631.bget.ru/user/casino0h2mconj931

    June 22, 2021 at 05:52 | Report abuse | Reply
  15. click

    I love what you guys tend to be up too. This sort of clever work and coverage! Keep up the good works guys I've added you guys to our blogroll.

    https://zenwriting.net/llamaclaus10/finding-economical-multi-gyms

    June 22, 2021 at 06:26 | Report abuse | Reply
  16. 토토사이트

    That is a good tip especially to those fresh to the blogosphere. Short but very precise infoÖ Many thanks for sharing this one. A must read post!

    http://www.szltgd.com/space-uid-1132786.html

    June 22, 2021 at 07:28 | Report abuse | Reply
  17. pharmacepticacom

    what is chloroquine https://pharmaceptica.com/

    June 22, 2021 at 07:43 | Report abuse | Reply
  18. 먹튀커뮤니티

    Hi, I do believe your website could be having web browser compatibility issues. Whenever I take a look at your website in Safari, it looks fine however, when opening in IE, it's got some overlapping issues. I merely wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Aside from that, wonderful site!

    https://forums.bestbuy.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/1080422

    June 22, 2021 at 07:55 | Report abuse | Reply
  19. 먹튀검증

    Wonderful article! We are linking to this particularly great post on our site. Keep up the good writing.

    https://www.codecademy.com/profiles/digital3054957006

    June 22, 2021 at 08:02 | Report abuse | Reply
  20. 출장마사지

    I could not resist commenting. Very well written!

    http://www.kiripo.com/forum/member.php?action=profile&uid=106151

    June 22, 2021 at 08:22 | Report abuse | Reply
  21. pharmacepticacom

    where to buy otc sildenafil https://www.pharmaceptica.com/

    June 22, 2021 at 09:51 | Report abuse | Reply
  22. 출장

    I'm more than happy to uncover this great site. I want to to thank you for your time due to this wonderful read!! I definitely liked every bit of it and I have you book-marked to look at new stuff on your website.

    https://crockor.uk/user/profile/1790

    June 22, 2021 at 11:33 | Report abuse | Reply
  23. 출장마사지

    A fascinating discussion is definitely worth comment. I think that you need to publish more on this subject, it might not be a taboo subject but typically people don't discuss such issues. To the next! Kind regards!!

    http://mylekis.wip.lt/redirect.php?url=https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0179-604X

    June 22, 2021 at 11:38 | Report abuse | Reply
  24. 출장마사지

    Saved as a favorite, I really like your website!

    http://www.brusvyana.com.ua/user/casino8l3komrk687

    June 22, 2021 at 11:56 | Report abuse | Reply
  25. 출장안마

    Excellent article! We are linking to this great post on our site. Keep up the great writing.

    https://express.yudu.com/profile/1592961/casino9x5vboms733

    June 22, 2021 at 12:59 | Report abuse | Reply
  26. 출장

    I blog quite often and I genuinely thank you for your content. This great article has truly peaked my interest. I'm going to take a note of your site and keep checking for new details about once a week. I opted in for your RSS feed too.

    http://italianculture.net/redir.php?url=https://canvas.instructure.com/eportfolios/128945/massage4cuingowlsm/11_Ways_to_Completely_Sabotage_Your_

    June 22, 2021 at 13:37 | Report abuse | Reply
  27. pharmaceptica

    price for sildenafil 20 mg https://www.pharmaceptica.com/

    June 22, 2021 at 14:26 | Report abuse | Reply
  28. 토토사이트

    Your style is unique compared to other people I've read stuff from. Many thanks for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I'll just book mark this blog.

    https://speakerdeck.com/v4cjciw345

    June 22, 2021 at 14:46 | Report abuse | Reply
  29. pharmaceptica.com

    chloroquine natural sources https://pharmaceptica.com/

    June 22, 2021 at 15:21 | Report abuse | Reply
  30. 출장마사지

    Excellent web site you've got here.. Itís hard to find good quality writing like yours these days. I seriously appreciate people like you! Take care!!

    http://www.pagespan.com/external/ext.aspx?url=https://my.desktopnexus.com/casino2a7mzoxc240/

    June 22, 2021 at 17:19 | Report abuse | Reply
  31. 먹튀

    Itís difficult to find educated people about this topic, however, you seem like you know what youíre talking about! Thanks

    https://www.weddingbee.com/members/casino0g2hmlpk409/

    June 22, 2021 at 17:52 | Report abuse | Reply
  32. 먹튀검증

    You have made some good points there. I checked on the web to find out more about the issue and found most individuals will go along with your views on this website.

    http://www.topfrage.de/index.php?qa=user&qa_1=flaxaries64

    June 22, 2021 at 19:13 | Report abuse | Reply
  33. 먹튀검증

    Good site you have here.. Itís hard to find high-quality writing like yours these days. I honestly appreciate people like you! Take care!!

    http://news.tochka.net/tochkaliked/?url=https://gambling1eduardodqle372.weebly.com/blog/10-compelling-reasons-why-you-need

    June 22, 2021 at 19:21 | Report abuse | Reply
  34. 출장마사지

    Hi, I do think this is an excellent site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I will revisit yet again since i have book-marked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to help other people.

    https://www.buscalonow.es/user/profile/44542

    June 22, 2021 at 19:28 | Report abuse | Reply
  35. 출장안마

    Greetings! Very useful advice within this post! It is the little changes that make the largest changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!

    https://free-ad.ru/user/profile/150158

    June 22, 2021 at 23:26 | Report abuse | Reply
  36. 출장마사지

    You ought to take part in a contest for one of the best blogs on the web. I will highly recommend this website!

    http://massage3ipennywdag.simplesite.com/449391685

    June 23, 2021 at 00:05 | Report abuse | Reply
  37. 토토사이트

    Aw, this was an extremely nice post. Taking a few minutes and actual effort to create a top notch articleÖ but what can I sayÖ I hesitate a lot and don't manage to get nearly anything done.

    http://bamboolineltd.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&task=user&id=12456

    June 23, 2021 at 00:07 | Report abuse | Reply
  38. 출장마사지

    Your style is so unique compared to other people I've read stuff from. Many thanks for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I will just bookmark this web site.

    https://massageanma7elliottzvic551.wordpress.com/2021/05/15/whats-the-current-job-market-for-출장안마-professionals-like/

    June 23, 2021 at 00:47 | Report abuse | Reply
  39. 먹튀커뮤니티

    After exploring a number of the blog articles on your web site, I seriously like your technique of writing a blog. I saved it to my bookmark webpage list and will be checking back in the near future. Please check out my web site too and let me know your opinion.

    https://manchesterclopedia.win/wiki/On_the_net_Gamblers_Tips_Regarding_Keeping_away_from_Addictions

    June 23, 2021 at 02:16 | Report abuse | Reply
  40. 케이출장

    I really love your blog.. Great colors & theme. Did you make this site yourself? Please reply back as Iím wanting to create my own personal blog and want to know where you got this from or what the theme is named. Many thanks!

    https://massage4corielludc.shutterfly.com/35

    June 23, 2021 at 02:29 | Report abuse | Reply
  41. 출장안마

    I could not resist commenting. Very well written!

    http://mitino-o2-forum.ru/member.php?action=profile&uid=98034

    June 23, 2021 at 03:55 | Report abuse | Reply
  42. Zackary Gottschalk

    How to embed a music playlist in my wordpress blog?

    https://www.facebook.com/KateKowalskyWebMarketing

    June 23, 2021 at 04:01 | Report abuse | Reply
  43. 출장안마

    Oh my goodness! Amazing article dude! Thank you, However I am going through troubles with your RSS. I donít know why I can't join it. Is there anybody having similar RSS issues? Anybody who knows the answer can you kindly respond? Thanks!!

    https://ccm.net/profile/user/casino3w0koibt984

    June 23, 2021 at 04:11 | Report abuse | Reply
  44. pharmaceptica

    erectile vacuum systems https://pharmaceptica.com/

    June 23, 2021 at 04:24 | Report abuse | Reply
  45. 출장

    Pretty! This was a really wonderful post. Thank you for providing this info.

    https://www.secondamanobacheca.it/user/profile/5353

    June 23, 2021 at 04:40 | Report abuse | Reply
  46. thvl2 trực tiếp hôm nay

    Tỷ Số Bóng Đá Trực Tuyến Hôm Nayhtv2 onlineTheo thể thức thi đấu, đội thắng ở cặp đấu này sẽ giành tấm vé đến Lithuania trong ngày hội bóng đá lớn nhất thế giới đến futsal. Tuyển futsal Việt Nam bước vào trận play-off lượt đi tranh vé dự play-off World Cup 2021 với sự tự tin. Tuy vậy, HLV Phạm Minh Giang bày tỏ, toàn đội ko ngán Lebanon tuy vậy sẽ tìm cách để khắc chế sức mạnh của đối thủ bởi bên trên băng ghế huấn luyện là nhà cầm quân Ramiro Lopez, người từng dẫn dắt futsal Tây Ban Nha.|Dựa vào lịch tranh tài, bạn rất có thể chuẩn bị xếp việc làm

    https://rucyprus.net/detail/bangthangtv-95794.html

    June 23, 2021 at 05:03 | Report abuse | Reply
  47. Alverta Visvardis

    The widget works with WordPress but it's impossible to make it work with Joomla. Is any of you using it with that cms?. Thanks..

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmkowalsky/

    June 23, 2021 at 06:01 | Report abuse | Reply
  48. pharmacepticacom

    sildenafil prices in canada https://www.pharmaceptica.com/

    June 23, 2021 at 06:07 | Report abuse | Reply
  49. Daniel Tumolo

    I have a WordPress blog and what I need is to rotate my blog posts over and over with a preset time interval. And also I'd like to shuffle my posts. Would RSS feeds pick up the rotated blog posts as new ones? Does someone have this PHP code? Thanks.

    https://www.instagram.com/katekdesigns

    June 23, 2021 at 06:13 | Report abuse | Reply
  50. https://www.sfgate.com/market/article/best-cbd-oil-for-pain-15847757.php

    Hi, I do think this is a great site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I will revisit once again since I book marked it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide other people.

    https://www.sfgate.com/market/article/best-cbd-oil-for-pain-15847757.php

    June 23, 2021 at 06:57 | Report abuse | Reply
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49

Leave a Reply to Samain


 

CNN welcomes a lively and courteous discussion as long as you follow the Rules of Conduct set forth in our Terms of Service. Comments are not pre-screened before they post. You agree that anything you post may be used, along with your name and profile picture, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the license you have granted pursuant to our Terms of Service.

Advertisement
About this blog

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.