Smoking – The association with Dementia

Smokers have a 45% higher risk of developing dementia than non-smokers. (World Health Organization) People concerned about the possibility of developing dementia because of age and family history can minimize the potential by –stopping smoking.

While the effects smoking has on our heart, lungs, and vascular system have been known for quite some time, studies now confirm that smoking also increases the potential for Alzheimer's disease.

Smoking effects cognitive decline via its negative effects on the cardiovascular system, increasing risk for both Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.  Further, because smoking exacerbates the build-up of beta-amyloid plaque in the brain (atherosclerosis), the brain becomes deprived of many necessary nutrients and oxygen cells often causing great and further harm.

Most of us have known for years that there was a decisive connection between passive smoke, i.e., second-hand smoke or Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS), and cardiovascular and respiratory diseases; including heart and lung diseases. This prompted many governments around the world to institute smoke-free areas. For example, many restaurants, office buildings, and public places are now smoke-free. However, what has recently become recognized is the link between ETS and dementia.

It is reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) that there are over one billion smokers in the world, with nearly 80% living in low and middle income countries, where tobacco-related illnesses are the heaviest. It is also known that China is the largest tobacco consumer in the world, and although the Chinese government has enacted laws to promote smoke-free environments in many public places, these laws have still not been well implemented.

Sadly, “90% of the world’s population lives in countries without smoke-free public areas.” (Ibid.) Considering the study indicated that continued exposure to passive smoke could increase the risk of developing severe dementia symptoms, and that most of the world’s smoking population is located in countries with few laws regulating exposure to passive smoke, it behooves organizations such as WHO to put the pressure on governments to pass and enforce laws specific to reducing passive smoke exposure.

Considering many experts believe we are in a dementia epidemic world-wide, the movement to reduce ETS just makes sense.