Smoking May Cause Mental Decline in Middle-Age
Source: Reuters, June 9, 2008
According to new research by the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in France, smokers may face a greater decline in mental capacities during middle-age than non-smokers.
Researchers studied data collected on approximately 5,000 British civil servants (who were between the ages of 35 and 55 at the beginning of the study) and found that smokers were significantly more likely than non-smokers to perform poorly on tests of mental aptitude, such as memory, reasoning, vocabulary and verbal fluency. Smoking was also associated with conditions such as dementia later in life as well.
While the physical effects of smoking are commonly acknowledged, the findings highlight the mental damage that long-term smoking can have as well. The researchers also found that people who smoked were less likely adopt healthy lifestyle choices in middle-age, such as exercising, drinking less alcohol and eating right.
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