Does smoking affect the health
of the mind as well as the body? Smoking
"rots" the brain by damaging memory, learning and reasoning,
according to researchers at King's College London.
A
study of 8,800 people over 50 showed high blood pressure and being overweight
also seemed to affect the brain, but to a lesser extent. Scientists involved
said people needed to be aware that lifestyles could damage the mind as well as
the body. Their study was published in the journal Age and Ageing.
Researchers
at King's were investigating links between the likelihood of a heart attack or
stroke and the state of the brain. Data about the health and lifestyle of a
group of over-50s was collected and brain tests, such as making participants
learn new words or name as many animals as they could in a minute, were also
performed. They were all tested again
after four and then eight years.
Decline
The
results showed that the overall risk of a heart attack or stroke was
"significantly associated with cognitive decline" with those at the
highest risk showing the greatest decline. It also said there was a
"consistent association" between smoking and lower scores in the
tests.
One
of the researchers, Dr Alex Dregan, said: "Cognitive decline becomes more
common with ageing and for an increasing number of people interferes with daily
functioning and well-being. "We
have identified a number of risk factors which could be associated with
accelerated cognitive decline, all of which, could be modifiable." He
added: "We need to make people aware of the need to do some lifestyle
changes because of the risk of cognitive decline."
The
researchers do not know how such a decline could affect people going about
their daily life. They are also unsure whether the early drop in brain function
could lead to conditions such as dementia.
Heart
and brain
Dr
Simon Ridley, from Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "Research has repeatedly
linked smoking and high blood pressure to a greater risk of cognitive decline
and dementia, and this study adds further weight to that evidence. "Cognitive decline as we age can develop
into dementia, and unravelling the factors that are linked to this decline
could be crucial for finding ways to prevent the condition. "These results
underline the importance of looking after your cardiovascular health from
mid-life."
The
Alzheimer's Society said: "We all know smoking, a high blood pressure,
high cholesterol levels and a high BMI [Body Mass Index] is bad for our heart.
This research adds to the huge amount of evidence that also suggests they can
be bad for our head too. "One in three people over 65 will develop
dementia but there are things people can do to reduce their risk. "Eating a balanced diet, maintaining a
healthy weight, exercising regularly, getting your blood pressure and
cholesterol checked and not smoking can all make a difference."
Source:BBC News
No comments:
Post a Comment