Doctors find new evidence of smoking dementia link
Tuesday 26th October 2010
Heavy smokers face a much higher risk of two common forms of dementia, doctors and those seeking UK medical jobs have been told.
According to new US findings published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, the risk of Alzheimer's is more than doubled in people smoking 40 cigarettes a day, the BBC has reported.
Dr Rachel Whitmer, who led the investigation, told the news provider that the research proved the brain is not immune to the long-term impact of heavy smoking.
"We know smoking compromises the vascular system by affecting blood pressure and elevates blood clotting factors, and we know vascular health plays a role in risk of Alzheimer's disease," she said.
Previous studies have noted the link between cigarettes and dementia, but this is one of the most significant projects to look at how mid-life smoking affects the risk of developing the condition decades later.
Meanwhile, the importance of UK medical jobs in improving young people's health has been highlighted by a new Canadian study, which revealed "stiffening" in the aorta among 63 children with an average age of just 13 years.
Written by Martin Lambert
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