overview: Middle-aged smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to report memory impairment and cognitive decline. People who quit smoking are less likely to experience cognitive decline, researchers report.
sauce: Ohio State University
Middle-aged smokers are much more likely to report memory loss and confusion than nonsmokers, and those who quit are less likely to experience cognitive decline, a recent new study found.
The Ohio State University study was the first to examine the relationship between smoking and cognitive decline using a one-question self-assessment that asked whether memory loss and confusion were worse or more frequent. is a study of
The findings build on previous research that has established a relationship between smoking and Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, and may present an opportunity to identify signs of problems early in life. Jenna Rajczyk, lead author of the study, said. Alzheimer’s Journal.
It’s also another piece of evidence that smoking cessation is good not only for respiratory and cardiovascular reasons, but also for maintaining a healthy nervous system, says Rajczyk, Ph.D. . Senior author Jeffrey Wing, assistant professor of epidemiology, student at Ohio State University of Public Health.
“The associations we saw were most pronounced in the 45-59 year old group, suggesting that quitting smoking in this age group may have cognitive health benefits.” Mr Wing said. Similar differences were not found in the oldest group in this study. This could mean that people benefit more from quitting smoking early, he said.
Data for this study were obtained from the national 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
The study allowed the research team to compare subjective cognitive decline (SCD) measures among current smokers, recent ex-smokers, and those who quit several years ago. The analysis included 136,018 of hers aged 45 years and older, with approximately 11% reporting her SCD.
The prevalence of SCD among smokers in this study was approximately 1.9 times higher than among nonsmokers. The prevalence of those who quit within 10 years was 1.5 times higher than that of nonsmokers. Her SCD prevalence among those who quit smoking more than 10 years ago in the study was slightly higher than in the nonsmoker group.
“These findings may suggest that the time since smoking cessation is important and may be related to cognitive outcomes,” said Rajczyk.
The simplicity of SCD, a relatively new measurement, could lend itself to a wider range of applications, she said.
“It’s a simple assessment that can be easily done routinely, at an earlier age than is commonly seen for cognitive decline that rises to diagnostic levels for Alzheimer’s disease or dementia,” Rajczyk said. said.
“It’s not a focused set of questions. It’s a reflection of a more personal cognitive state that determines whether you feel less smart than you used to.”
Many people do not have access to more detailed screening or specialists, making the potential application of measuring SCD even greater, she said.
Wing notes that these self-reported experiences are not diagnostic, nor are they independent confirmation that a person is experiencing a decline from the normal aging process. But he said they could be a low-cost and easy tool to consider for wider adoption.
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About this memory and smoking research news
author: Misty Crane
sauce: Ohio State University
contact: Mysty Crane – Ohio State University
image: image is public domain
Original research: open access.
“Relationship Between Smoking Status and Subjective Cognitive Decline in Middle-aged and Older Adults: A Cross-sectional Analysis of 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Data” Jenna I. Rajczyk et al. Alzheimer’s Journal
overview
Relationship Between Smoking Status and Subjective Cognitive Decline in Middle-aged and Older Adults: A Cross-sectional Analysis of 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Data
Background: Smoking status can influence subjective cognitive decline (SCD). However, few studies have evaluated this association. OBJECTIVES: To assess whether smoking status is associated with her SCD in middle-aged and older adults and to determine whether this association is modified by sex at birth.
Method: A cross-sectional analysis was performed using data from the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) study to analyze the relationship between SCD and smoking status (current, recent former, and former former). Eligible respondents included participants aged 45 years or older who answered questions about SCD and cigarettes of interest. A survey-weighted Poisson regression model was used to estimate the crude and adjusted prevalence rates (cPR/aPR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) of the association between smoking status and SCD. A Wald test was computed to determine the significance of the interaction term between smoking status and gender (α = 0.05).
result: There were 136,018 eligible respondents, approximately 10% of whom had SCD. There was a graded association between smoking and SCD, with the highest prevalence of SCD among current smokers (aPR = 1.87; CI: 1.54, 2.28) and among recent ex-smokers (aPR = 1.47 ; 95% CI: 1.02, 2.12) followed. and distant ex-smokers (aPR = 1.11; 95% CI: 0.93, 1.33) compared with nonsmokers. There was no evidence of modification for gender effects (p interaction = 0.73).
Conclusion: The consistency of smoking as a risk factor for objective and subjective cognitive decline supports the need for future research to advance the evidence on whether changes in smoking status affect middle-aged cognition. increase.
