Smoking is correlated with a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, but the link is not fully understood. Prospective studies show that smokers have a worse decline in mental capacity than non-smokers, but smoking does not seem to accelerate the onset of Alzheimer’s in those with a genetic susceptibility. A study in the Netherlands found that smokers were twice as likely to develop dementia associated with Alzheimer’s disease, but carriers of the apolipoprotein E-4 gene who smoked were no more likely to get dementia than non-carriers. Smoking is harmful to vascular health, which is also linked to Alzheimer’s disease. However, smokers tend to die earlier from other diseases, so studies focus on relatively healthy smokers. More research is needed to fully understand the relationship between smoking and Alzheimer’s disease.
A few major studies have established a correlation between smoking and the development of Alzheimer’s disease, but none are widespread or detailed enough to fully understand the link. Some of the earliest studies were retrospective, meaning they looked at the smoking habits of those who had already developed Alzheimer’s. Prospective studies followed smokers and non-smokers, administered tests, and measured mental acuity. At present, the decline in mental capacity of the elderly is worse among smokers. However, in people who carry a gene that makes them susceptible to developing Alzheimer’s, smoking does not seem to prevent or accelerate the onset of the disease.
In 1998, a prospective study by the Erasmus Medical School in the Netherlands showed that smokers were twice as likely to develop dementia associated with Alzheimer’s disease than those who had never smoked. All participants started out with no symptoms of dementia and were tested two years later to determine their mental acuity. This study also took into consideration the “gene-environment” factors. It looked separately at people who carry the apolipoprotein E-4 gene which indicates they are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease in their lifetime. Surprisingly, these carriers who smoked were no more likely than non-carriers to get dementia.
The same Medical Center released another study in 2004 showing that the year-over-year rate of mental decline was significantly worse among those who smoked. In fact, they could even measure a difference between individuals who had smoked in the past but since quitting and those who had not smoked throughout their adult lives. The study was much larger than previous studies, involving nearly 10,000 people over the age of 65. There is also growing evidence that Alzheimer’s disease, as a neurological disorder, can also be considered a vascular disease. There are numerous and indisputable studies showing that smoking is harmful to vascular health.
A complication in these studies is the tendency for smokers to die earlier than non-smokers from stroke, cancer or heart disease. Therefore, the studies are geared towards those relatively healthy smokers who have not suffered from serious health problems. Furthermore, these studies are based on people’s reports of their smoking habits, rather than the collection of independent evidence. Finally, it has been shown that nicotine, when injected and not inhaled, can improve mental faculties, such as memory recall, in Alzheimer’s patients. Certainly, more studies are needed to fully understand the causal relationship between Alzheimer’s disease and smoking.
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