Middle-aged smokers are much more likely to report having memory loss and confusion than non-smokers, and the likelihood of cognitive decline is lower for those who have quit, even recently, according to a new study.
The Ohio State University research is the first to examine the relationship between smoking and cognitive decline using a one-question self-report asking people if they have experienced worsening or loss of memory and/or confusion more frequently.
The findings build on previous research that has established links between smoking and Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, and may point to an opportunity to identify signs of disorders earlier in life, a said Jenna Rajczyk, lead author of the study, which appears in the Alzheimer’s Disease Journal.
It’s also more proof that quitting smoking is good not only for respiratory and cardiovascular reasons, but also for preserving neurological health, said Rajczyk, a doctoral student at Ohio State’s College of Public Health, and the lead author Jeffrey Wing, assistant professor of epidemiology.
“The association we saw was strongest in the 45-59 age group, suggesting that quitting smoking at this stage of life may have a beneficial effect on cognitive health,” said Wing. A similar difference was not found in the older group in the study, which could mean quitting earlier gives people greater benefits, he said.
Study data are from the 2019 National Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Survey and allowed the research team to compare measures of subjective cognitive decline (SCD) for current smokers, recent former smokers, and those who had quit years earlier. The analysis included 136,018 people aged 45 and older, and about 11% reported SCD.
The prevalence of SCD among smokers in the study was almost 1.9 times that of non-smokers. The prevalence among those who had quit smoking less than 10 years ago was 1.5 times higher than among non-smokers. Those who quit smoking more than a decade before the survey had a prevalence of SCD just slightly higher than the group of non-smokers.
“These findings could imply that time since quitting is important and may be related to cognitive outcomes,” Rajczyk said.
The simplicity of the SCD, a relatively new measurement, could lend itself to broader applications, she said.
“This is a simple assessment that could easily be done on a routine basis, and at a younger age we typically start to see cognitive declines that rise to the level of a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. ”, said Rajczyk. “It’s not an intensive battery of questions. It’s more of a personal reflection of your cognitive state to determine if you feel less insightful than before.”
Many people don’t have access to more in-depth screenings or specialists, which makes the potential applications for measuring SCD even more important, she said.
Wing said it’s important to note that these self-reported experiences are not diagnostic and do not independently confirm that a person is experiencing a decline in the normal aging process. But, he said, they could be a simple, inexpensive tool to consider using more widely.
Amy Ferketich, a professor of epidemiology at Ohio State, also worked on the study.
Source of the story:
Material provided by Ohio State University. Original written by Misti Crane. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.