Health Buzz: Heavy Smoking Doubles Alzheimer's Risk

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1855016?dopt=abstractplus

BMJ. 1991 Jun 22;302(6791):1491-4.

Relation between nicotine intake and Alzheimer's disease.

van Duijn CM, Hofman A.

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Erasmus University Medical School, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Comment in:

BMJ. 1991 Aug 10;303(6798):361.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To study the association between Alzheimer's disease and nicotine intake through smoking.

DESIGN: Population based case-control study.

SETTING: City of Rotterdam and four northern provinces of The Netherlands.

SUBJECTS: 198 patients with early onset Alzheimer's disease, 198 controls matched for age and sex, and families of 17 patients in whom Alzheimer's disease was apparently inherited as an autosomal dominant disorder.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Age of onset of dementia, relative risk of Alzheimer's disease.

RESULTS: 89 of 193 patients with Alzheimer's disease had a history of smoking compared with 102 of 195 controls. Among the patients and controls with a family history of dementia, smoking was significantly less common in those with dementia (40/95 with dementia v 55/96 controls; relative risk 0.35; 95% confidence interval 0.16 to 0.78). The risk of Alzheimer's disease decreased with increasing daily number of cigarettes smoked before onset of disease (relative risk 0.3 in those smoking greater than 21/day v 1 in non-smokers). In six families in which the disease was apparently inherited as an autosomal dominant disorder, the mean age of onset was 4.17 years later in smoking patients than in non-smoking patients from the same family (p = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest an inverse association between smoking and Alzheimer's disease, although smoking cannot be advocated for other health reasons. We speculate that nicotine may have a role in the aetiology of both Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

Field studies of environmental tobacco smoke indicate that under normal conditions, the components in tobacco smoke are diluted below existing Permissible Exposure Levels (PELS.) as referenced in the Air Contaminant Standard (29 CFR 1910.1000)...It would be very rare to find a workplace with so much smoking that any individual PEL would be exceeded." -Letter From Greg Watchman, Acting Sec'y, OSHA

harleyrider1978 of KY 4:26PM October 26, 2010

I think that teens should nt smoke even thought most aready do before the turn 15. I know many people who smoke and when i see them do it, it makes me want to cry. Teen smoking and drinking should not be allowed for anybody. I think the world just needs to get rid of ciggarettes and other stuff like that and drinking forever. Over and done with for good. That stuff can really mess people up.

Haley Sumerlin of NC 12:13PM October 26, 2010