Dementia Risk Smoking Harmful to Brain

Smoking harms the human brain and increases the risk of dementia

Smoking damages the brain. The negative impact of tobacco consumption on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems is well known. The carcinogenic effects of smoking and the increase in stroke risk have also been investigated in numerous studies. The fact that heavy smoking also damages the brain and more than doubles the risk of Alzheimer's disease or dementia has now been identified by American scientists in a long-term study involving 21,000 participants.

Dementia risk more than doubled
As part of the long-term study with 21,000 inhabitants of Northern California researchers have for the health care provider „Kaiser Permanente“ In particular, people between the ages of 50 and 60, who smoke more than two packs of cigarettes a day, are more than twice as likely to suffer from dementia as non-smokers. However, those who smoke only half a pack or less, are not subject to a particularly high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia, the scientists report in the current issue of the journal „Archives of Internal Medicine“.

Damage to the vascular system
While some studies on the impact of tobacco use on human health have suggested in the past that tobacco may protect against neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's, the outcome of the current long-term study is clear. „The study shows that the brain is not immune to the long-term effects of heavy smoking, "said the author of the current article, Rachel Whitmer, in which smoking-related circulatory disorders in the brain are particularly damaging as they are a major cause of vascular dementia (vascular dementia ), which is the second most prevalent form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease (50-60 percent of illnesses), accounting for 20 percent of the cases, and Rachel Whitmer: „We know that smoking damages the vascular system via blood pressure, and vascular health also plays a role in Alzheimer's risk.“ The risk for changes in the small blood vessels in the brain is additionally increased for people with diabetes or hypertension, as Günther Deuschl of the German Society for Neurology (DGN) in Berlin explained.

1.3 million dementia patients throughout Germany
In Germany, according to estimates by the Federal Ministry of Health, about 1.3 million people are affected by dementia, although recent studies assume that by 2050 about 2.6 million will suffer from dementia in this country. In addition to smoking, obesity (obesity), diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure (hypertension), lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet are also clear risk factors for the development of dementia. In addition, with age, the risk of the disease increases automatically. While only 1.2 percent of those aged 65 to 69 suffer from dementia, the 80- to 84-year-olds already account for 13.3 percent of the 80- to 84-year-olds and 34.6 percent of the over-90s.

Prevention and early diagnosis are especially important
Since prevention of dementia risk is paramount, neurologists generally recommend a healthy lifestyle, with lots of exercise, a healthy diet and no smoking. After all, a healthy lifestyle keeps the vessels clean and also significantly reduces the risk of a stroke. In addition, already have numerous „Studies (...) shows that a high level of education “ as well as „a lively mental activity“ protects against dementia, according to the renowned Cologne neurologist Prof. Gereon Fink. In addition, affected persons should visit a neurologist as soon as possible at the first signs of dementia, because with the help of a specialist, up to three years can be gained for the patient in which he or she stays fit for a longer period of time, says Prof. Fink.

The symptoms of dementia are very similar in most cases of dementia: people lose their temporal and spatial orientation, previous knowledge is lost, even their own biography disappears and patients become inactive and helpless. Innovations or changes often overwhelm dementia sufferers and they usually have to be cared for around the clock with increasing severity of the disease. (fp, 01.11.2010)

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