In a new study from the Translational Genomics Research Institute, researchers found strong associations between smoking and heart disease on cognitive function.
They found both impair the ability to learn and memorize; and that the effects of smoking are more pronounced among women, while men are more impaired by heart disease.
These results suggest that smoking and cardiovascular disease impact verbal learning and memory throughout adulthood, starting as early as age 18.
Previous attempts to quantify cognitive function among smokers and assess sex differences produced mixed results.
In the study, the team analyzed data representing more than 70,000 individuals worldwide.
They found smoking is linked to the decreased learning and memory function in women, while cardiovascular is linked to the decreased learning and memory function in men.
Besides Alzheimer’s disease, the most strong cause of cognitive decline is known as “vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia” or VCID.
It arises from stroke and other vascular brain injuries that cause significant changes to memory, thinking and behavior: Smoking and cardiovascular disease exacerbate VCID.
The team says this study’s findings are important, since cigarette smoking is the nation’s leading cause of preventable disease and death, accounting for nearly 1 in 5 deaths.
In addition, heart disease is the leading cause of disease and death worldwide and is an important predictor of cognitive decline and VCID.
Vascular diseases also are associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s, which is the nation’s 6th leading cause of death.
Because the study included a wide range of adults of ages 18-85, it allowed researchers to assess the relationship between smoking, cardiovascular disease, and verbal memory in the broadest single study age range used to date.
The researchers noted that few studies have previously assessed the effects of cardiovascular disease in younger adults and that understanding the relationship between cardiovascular disease and cognitive function in young adults may be necessary for understanding possible treatment and intervention opportunities.
If you care about dementia, please read studies about two big risk factors for cognitive decline and findings of this new drug may slow or reverse age-related cognitive decline.
For more information about dementia and your health, please see recent studies about these commonly prescribed drugs may increase dementia risk and results showing that these high blood pressure drugs may prevent dementia, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s.
The study is published in Scientific Reports. One author of the study is Matt Huentelman, Ph.D.
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