Studies show the benefits of quitting smoking or at least switching to safer alternatives for brain health.
A study by researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has found that smoking is linked to brain shrinkage, increasing the risk of cognitive decline, dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Published in Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science, the study highlights that the harm increases with prolonged smoking.
Led by Dr. Laura J. Bierut, the team took into account genetic factors associated with smoking preferences, which account for up to 50%, and their impact on brain volume. The data analysis was based on information from the UK Biobank (2019) and involved 32,094 participants of European descent who self-reported their smoking habits.
Quitting smoking is beneficial for all ages.
While confirming that smoking causes brain shrinkage, the study highlights the consequences of this brain shrinkage, which involves the loss of neurons and their connections. Brain shrinkage can impair brain function , especially in key areas such as the hippocampus, which is important for memory formation. The study highlights that smokers have “older” brains due to a decrease in brain volume, which is often associated with aging.
Dr. Bierut explains that smoking introduces various toxic chemicals into the body, leading to lower blood oxygen levels, which over time deprive the brain of adequate energy and nutrients. Dr. Dung Trinh from the Brain Clinic in Long Beach, CA, emphasizes that vascular damage, reduced blood flow, oxidative stress, and inflammation caused by smoking can lead to cell/neuron death and atrophy.
The researchers stressed that while initial brain volume cannot be restored, quitting smoking is an important step in preventing further brain shrinkage. Dr Bierut stressed the importance of quitting smoking, saying it is never too late to quit, with health benefits that can be felt later in life. The study aims to draw attention to reducing modifiable risk factors for dementia in older people.
In summary, the study highlights the protective effects of smoking cessation, encourages smokers of all ages to try to quit, and highlights modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. Tobacco harm reduction (THR) experts emphasize that for smokers who are trying to quit but are unable to, this study demonstrates the importance of at least switching to safer nicotine alternatives to reduce the harm caused by tobacco smoke.
Using vape as a smoking cessation aid
A recent study by a team from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, says there is enough scientific evidence available to support the use of vaping products for smoking cessation in adults.
Titled, “ Nicotine e-cigarettes as a tool for smoking cessation ,” the study was led by Kenneth Warner, dean emeritus and Avedis Donabedian University Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and published in the journal Nature Medicine.
Warner and colleagues conducted a global observation of e-cigarettes, and analyzed the success of smoking cessation in countries that endorsed the use of vaping for smoking cessation and those that did not.
They found that while North America acknowledges the potential benefits of e-cigarettes, they are not recommended for smoking cessation. On the other hand, in the United Kingdom (UK) and New Zealand there is high-level support and promotion of smoking cessation products, and this is reflected in the smoking rates of these countries.
“We believe that governments, health professional groups and individual health care professionals in countries such as the US, Canada and Australia should give more attention to the potential of e-cigarettes to promote smoking cessation,” Warner said. “E-cigarettes are not a magic bullet that will end the devastation caused by smoking, but they can contribute to that noble public health goal.”
