A study led by researchers from University College London (UCL) has found that smoking might significantly impact how quickly our cognitive skills decline as we age.
The study, published in Nature Communications, analyzed data from 32,000 adults aged 50 and over across 14 European countries over a span of 10 years.
The researchers explored how different health-related behaviors—such as smoking, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and social contact—affected cognitive decline in older adults who were initially cognitively healthy.
Cognitive function was assessed using memory and verbal fluency tests. Participants were categorized based on whether they smoked, engaged in physical activity (both moderate and vigorous) at least once a week, maintained social contact with friends and family at least weekly, and whether their alcohol consumption exceeded two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.
The study revealed that cognitive decline was significantly faster for those who smoked compared to those who didn’t. In fact, the cognitive scores of smokers declined up to 85% more over 10 years than those of non-smokers.
Interestingly, cognitive decline rates were similar across all non-smoking lifestyles, regardless of other behaviors.
However, there was an exception: smokers who maintained a healthy lifestyle in other areas—by exercising regularly, drinking alcohol in moderation, and socializing frequently—experienced cognitive decline at a rate similar to that of non-smokers.
This suggests that other healthy behaviors might mitigate the negative cognitive effects of smoking.
Lead author Dr. Mikaela Bloomberg from UCL Behavioral Science & Health emphasized that while the study is observational and cannot definitively establish cause and effect, it strongly indicates that smoking is a crucial factor in cognitive aging.
Dr. Bloomberg noted, “Previous evidence suggests individuals who engage in more healthy behaviors have slower cognitive decline; however, it was unclear whether all behaviors contributed equally to cognitive decline, or if there were specific behaviors driving these results.
Our findings suggest that among the healthy behaviors we examined, not smoking may be among the most important in terms of maintaining cognitive function.”
Dr. Bloomberg added that for those unable to quit smoking, engaging in other healthy behaviors—such as regular exercise, moderate alcohol consumption, and maintaining social connections—could help offset some of the adverse cognitive effects associated with smoking.
The researchers accounted for various factors that might have influenced their findings, including age, gender, country, education, wealth, and chronic conditions.
The study utilized data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA) and the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE).
This study highlights the significant impact of smoking on cognitive health and underscores the importance of a healthy lifestyle in promoting better cognitive aging.
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The research findings can be found in Nature Communications.
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