WASHINGTON (Dispatches) -- Scientists have found that middle-aged smokers are more probable to have memory loss than nonsmokers, and the Probability of cognitive decline is lower for those who have quit.
Ohio State University researchers used a one-question self-assessment to ask people if they had experienced worsening or more frequent memory loss and/or confusion. The analysis included 136,018 people 45 and older, and about 11% reported subjective cognitive decline (SCD).
The lead author of the study, Jenna Rajczyk said it is evident that quitting smoking is not only good for respiratory and cardiovascular reasons , but also to preserve neurological health.
The prevalence of SCD among smokers in the study was almost 1.9 times that of nonsmokers. The prevalence among those who had quit less than 10 years ago was 1.5 times that of nonsmokers. Those who quit more than a decade before the survey had an SCD prevalence just slightly above the nonsmoking group.