As the intensity of smoking increased, the risk of dementia also increased.
Photo: Ivan MAKEEV
A new study by Korean scientists shows that quitting smoking permanently and irreversibly reduces the risk of dementia much better than reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke. It was possible to prove this on the example of almost 800 thousand people, most of them were men with an average age of about 52 years. We observed smokers and their success in quitting, as well as the gradual change in memory functions and analytical and thinking skills, over a period of 6 years.
If by the age of fifty it was possible to completely eliminate tobacco use, then the chances of a clear “smoke-free” mind at an older age increased by 8% compared to those who reduced the number of cigarettes smoked per day. With an increase in the intensity of smoking, the risk of senile dementia also increased, by 12%. Among those who quit smoking halfway through, the likelihood of developing any form of dementia increased by 25%.
However, if you quit smoking even earlier, for example, at the age of 30, then the overall effect on health will be much brighter. For example, up to 10 years will be added to your life expectancy (according to the WHO). In addition, the chances that the years awarded for a complete rejection of a bad habit will be active are also much higher than if you continue to poison yourself. Clean lungs will benefit the heart, blood vessels, and immune system.
