Webscout
11-15-2010, 10:40 AM
A New Message For Smokers (& Smoker/Drinkers) To Quit . . .
Another Reason NOT to Smoke
We have been warned for many decades not to smoke. Now the World Health Organization says that tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in the world, surpassing heart disease for the first time. Five million people die of causes linked to tobacco use annually.
Medical research is providing additional warnings to smokers. A study in the publication Neurology reported that older adults who smoke face an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, worse mental health was also more likely in persons who smoke than in non-smokers.
Most people know that smoking cigarettes can cause lung cancer. However, smoking is also a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease -- especially if you have the ApoE4 (apolipoprotein E4) gene. According to recent research presented at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Chicago, heavy smokers (and heavy drinkers) develop Alzheimer's disease years earlier than people with Alzheimer's who do not drink or smoke heavily.
Approximately 15% of the population carries the ApoE4 gene, which causes their bodies to produce a certain lipoprotein -- a combination of fat and protein that transports lipids (fats) in the blood. People who inherit the E4 gene from one parent are three times more likely than average to develop Alzheimer's; those who get the gene from both parents have a tenfold risk of developing the disease.
On top of this bad news comes some more: Smoking in midlife might increase the chance of Alzheimer's in later life among those who already carry this increased genetic risk. A population-based Finnish study with more than 20 years of follow-up concluded that carriers of the ApoE4 gene who smoked in midlife were seven times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than were carriers who didn't smoke.
According to Minna Rusanen, M.D., of the Kuopio (Finland) University Hospital, alcohol consumption seemed to exacerbate the smoking-associated risk. Those who drank frequently and smoked at midlife were more than 11 times as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as were ApoE4 carriers who never smoked or drank heavily. Dr. Rusanen believes that the risk of developing Alzheimer's may be lowered by adopting an overall healthy lifestyle early in life. Of course, for those who already smoke, smoking cessation should be a top priority, and one that could help to prevent, or at least delay, the onset of Alzheimer's.
Issued: November 15, 2010
Another Reason NOT to Smoke
We have been warned for many decades not to smoke. Now the World Health Organization says that tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in the world, surpassing heart disease for the first time. Five million people die of causes linked to tobacco use annually.
Medical research is providing additional warnings to smokers. A study in the publication Neurology reported that older adults who smoke face an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, worse mental health was also more likely in persons who smoke than in non-smokers.
Most people know that smoking cigarettes can cause lung cancer. However, smoking is also a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease -- especially if you have the ApoE4 (apolipoprotein E4) gene. According to recent research presented at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Chicago, heavy smokers (and heavy drinkers) develop Alzheimer's disease years earlier than people with Alzheimer's who do not drink or smoke heavily.
Approximately 15% of the population carries the ApoE4 gene, which causes their bodies to produce a certain lipoprotein -- a combination of fat and protein that transports lipids (fats) in the blood. People who inherit the E4 gene from one parent are three times more likely than average to develop Alzheimer's; those who get the gene from both parents have a tenfold risk of developing the disease.
On top of this bad news comes some more: Smoking in midlife might increase the chance of Alzheimer's in later life among those who already carry this increased genetic risk. A population-based Finnish study with more than 20 years of follow-up concluded that carriers of the ApoE4 gene who smoked in midlife were seven times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than were carriers who didn't smoke.
According to Minna Rusanen, M.D., of the Kuopio (Finland) University Hospital, alcohol consumption seemed to exacerbate the smoking-associated risk. Those who drank frequently and smoked at midlife were more than 11 times as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as were ApoE4 carriers who never smoked or drank heavily. Dr. Rusanen believes that the risk of developing Alzheimer's may be lowered by adopting an overall healthy lifestyle early in life. Of course, for those who already smoke, smoking cessation should be a top priority, and one that could help to prevent, or at least delay, the onset of Alzheimer's.
Issued: November 15, 2010