Middle age smokers run the risk of memory loss and early dementia

The latest research adds to the long list of reasons why smokers should quit and is particularly bad news for middle-age smokers.

Smoking cigarettes has now been found to increase memory loss in middle age.

In a new study conducted by French researchers, strong links have been found between smoking and cognitive and memory problems later in life.

The study by Severine Sabia and colleagues of France's Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale reviewed data from 10,308 London-based civil servants age 35 to 55 who took part in a study between 1985 and 1988.

At certain intervals of time over the study period they were asked about their smoking habits and were asked to complete tests of memory, reasoning and verbal fluency.

The test results revealed that the ex-smokers had a 30 percent lower risk than smokers of poor vocabulary and low verbal fluency.

The researchers say smoking in middle age is associated with memory deficit and decline in reasoning abilities, but long-term ex-smokers are less likely to have cognitive deficits in memory, vocabulary and verbal fluency.

They say quitting smoking in midlife is accompanied by improvement in other health behaviours because smokers drank more alcohol, ate less fruit and vegetables and had higher cholesterol levels than non-smokers.

Smokers who quit report that they noticed they had adopted healthier behaviours, such as drinking less alcohol or being more physically active.

The researchers believe the association between smoking and cognition, even in late midlife, could be underestimated because of the higher risk of death and non-participation in cognitive tests among smokers.

They say their results are important because individuals with cognitive impairment in midlife may progress to dementia at a faster rate.

They say public health campaigns over the last 20 years have led to changes in smoking behaviour and public health messages on smoking should continue to target smokers of all ages.

The research is published in the current issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.