Recent studies have made a strong case for a link between smoking and dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in elderly people with a history of heavy smoking.

Between 1978 and 1985, Kaiser Permanente and a team of Swedish researchers teamed up and surveyed over 20,000 middle-aged individuals and then followed them for an average of 23 years. The study factored in other possible risk factors that are known to be a cause of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, including race, age, and other medical predispositions.

The results were alarming. According to the study, for two-pack-a-day smokers, the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease more than doubled compared to non smokers.   For those who smoked one to two packs, the risk increased by 44 percent, and for those who smoked about half a pack a day, the risk was increased by 37 percent.  Results were the same among participants without a family history of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The results also found no difference among different races or between genders.

According to the study, for two-pack-a-day smokers, the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease more than doubled compared to non smokers.   For those who smoked one to two packs, the risk increased by 44 percent, and for those who smoked about half a pack a day, the risk was increased by 37 percent.

One major smoking-related medical problem that increases the chances of cognitive issues is the reduced bloodflow to the brain from artery damage and higher rate of strokes.  Other adverse effects of smoking that can damage the brain include inflammation and oxidative stress, in which the body cannot detoxify reactive oxygen and repair the damage it causes.

It is never too late to quit smoking. Smoking cessation reduces the chances of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease or at least delay its symptoms. The sooner you quit, the higher the chances of a healthier, more active brain into old age.

If you are a smoker and are trying to quit smoking, do not give up. We are now recruiting individuals to participate in a clinical research study. We are looking for individuals with and without a history of a mental health disorder. For more information, visit our About the Trial page.

Many young men know of the long-term health risks of lung cancer, emphysema, and bronchitis associated with smoking. Less commonly known and much more likely to appear at a younger age, however, is the link between smoking and impotence. Depending on how heavy the smoker and how young he started, symptoms of erectile dysfunction can begin to appear in a young man before he even reaches his 40s.   When a man gets to be middle-aged, a history of heavy smoking can be severe enough to lead to complete impotence.
Smokers are one and a half times more likely to suffer erectile dysfunction than non-smokers, with one study finding that up to 81% of the study patients suffering from impotence were current or former smokers..

The reason that smoking causes impotence in male smokers is from the tar, nicotine, and carcinogens that build up in the lungs.  These harden the arteries and force the heart to work harder to pump blood, weakening it to the point that it cannot maintain the blood pressure in an erection. Furthermore, impotence in men who smoke is very difficult to treat. Scientists believe this is from damage on the endothelium, which is the cells lining the heart and blood vessels (and other major organs and cavities of the body), that affect the nitric oxide response, rendering the medications to treat erectile dysfunction virtually ineffective.

Studies found that men who did not smoke for just 24 hours were more likely to get an erection.

Studies found that men who did not smoke for just 24 hours were more likely to get an erection. In another study, more long-term difficulties were found in those with a longer history of smoking, even if they had already quit.  Ultimately, the sooner you quit smoking the better. And the longer you continue to smoke, the more likely you are to struggle with long-term and less reversible complications. Quitting smoking sooner may also increase responsiveness to prescription medication to treat problems with smoking and impotence.

If you are a smoker and are trying to quit smoking, do not give up. We are now recruiting individuals to participate in a clinical research study. We are looking for individuals with and without a history of a mental health disorder. For more information, visit our About the Trial page.

When parents smoke, children smoke. Unlike their parents, though, children’s lungs are still developing and are even more susceptible to damage from the toxins. The same poisons and carcinogens that are damaging their parents’ bodies can wreak even more harm on the still-growing child.

Because the lungs are still growing in infants and young children, medical complications with the lungs can manifest from a very young age when there is exposure to second hand smoke. Children with parents smoking are more likely to suffer from acute lower respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia.  It also increases the rate of asthma in young children, with asthmatic children of smokers having significantly more frequent and more severe asthma attacks than children of non-smokers.  Other common respiratory problems include coughing, sneezing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.

Recent research also suggests that second hand smoke has an impact on a child’s behavior and cognitive development. Children who are exposed to second hand smoke, especially if it began during the mother’s pregnancy, have a higher rate of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and are more prone to other problems, such as stuttering and headaches.

In addition to respiratory problems, effects of second hand smoke on children also include frequent ear infections. This is due to irritation and swelling of the eustachian tube, which connects the nose to the middle ear.  In many cases, these infections will be so frequent and severe that the children require surgery to implant tubes to drain the fluid in the ear. In extremely severe cases, the complications could result in hearing loss.

Recent research also suggests that second hand smoke has an impact on a child’s behavior and cognitive development. Children who are exposed to second hand smoke, especially if it began during the mother’s pregnancy, have a higher rate of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and are more prone to other problems, such as stuttering and headaches.  Second hand smoke also affects the brain, as the components in the smoke are neurotoxic. Over 20 million reading, math, and visual deficits in children can be attributed to second-hand smoke.

No amount of smoke is considered risk-free. The effects of second hand smoke on children are serious. The only way to protect your children from the complications associated with second hand smoke is to end the exposure completely by quitting smoking.

If you are a smoker and are trying to quit smoking, it is possible to quit. We are now recruiting individuals to participate in a clinical research study. We are looking for individuals with and without a history of a mental health disorder disorder.  For more information, visit our About The Trial page.

Smoking is both a psychological habit and a physical addiction.  Since the link to smoking and lung cancer was discovered, there have been mainstream efforts to decrease the appeal of smoking and to get smokers to quit. Despite a global effort to reduce and eliminate the number of smokers, kicking the habit for good has proved to be a daunting task.

A good support system is essential in quitting smoking.

For smokers who are wondering how to stop smoking, there are many available products to help in this endeavor. Over the counter options include such items as nicotine gum, lozenges, and the transdermal patch.   In addition, there are prescription medications available which must be prescribed by your doctor.  Along with these quitting aids, a strong support group may provide additional assistance since smoking is a hard habit to break.

A good support system is essential in quitting smoking.  Not only does it hold you accountable to someone other than yourself, but you have help in tackling the daily battles that will arise.  Also, talking to your doctor about quitting will give you perspective and health incentives on how stopping smoking may improve your health and decrease some health risks.  Support and encouragement from your doctor and fellow smokers who wish to quit will help you kick the habit faster, and maybe this time for good.  Support groups and support meetings provided by your local hospital or clinic are a great option to meet people who share your struggle to quit smoking.  By being active in a support group, you are more likely to succeed in your efforts to quit smoking.

Over 70 percent of smokers will want to quit smoking for one reason or another, but only 7 percent will succeed this year.   Although seven percent sounds like a small number, that amounts to three million people.    One of which can be you.

If you are a smoker and are trying to quit smoking, it is possible to quit. We are now recruiting individuals to participate in a clinical research study. We are looking for individuals with and without a history of a mental health disorder disorder.  For more information, visit our About The Trial page.

On average, smoking takes 13-14 years off of your life: males lose an average of 13.2 years, and women about 14.5 years.  The earlier in life you start and the more heavily you smoke, the more time you take off and you expose yourself to a greater number of smoking health risks.

Smoking causes a variety of different forms of cancer, including lung, larynx, throat, stomach, kidney, and bladder cancer. Men who smoke are 22 times more likely to die from lung cancer, and women are 12 times more likely.  Smoking is responsible for 90 percent of lung cancer deaths in men and 80 percent in women.

Cancer is not the only medical complication caused by smoking. It can also lead to heart disease, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and aneurysms. The risk of heart disease is two to four times higher in smokers than in non-smokers.  One-pack-a-day smokers are approximately twice as likely to be diagnosed with heart disease. Smokers who already have developed coronary heart disease are also about twice as likely as non-smokers to die of sudden cardiac death. The risk of stroke is increased two to four times.

Smoking during pregnancy also increases infant mortality rates. Babies whose mothers smoke while pregnant are more likely to die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Smoking during pregnancy also increases infant mortality rates. Babies whose mothers smoke while pregnant are more likely to die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).  In other cases, infants are often born premature or at a low birth weight, which can also lead to death in extreme cases. About 10 percent of infant deaths are caused by smoking during pregnancy.

The smoking health risks extend past the smoker. Even second hand smoke is estimated to be responsible for one percent of deaths in the world.  Nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke at home or work increase their risk of developing heart disease by 25 to 30 percent and lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent.  For children who live with smokers, the risks are even higher, since their lungs and bodies are still developing and are more fragile.
The bottom line is that smoking has a toll on your health. It not only affects the smokers but also the recipients of the second hand smoke. The only way to prevent your life and your loved ones’ lives from being affected by smoking-related medical complications is to stop smoking.

If you are a smoker and are trying to quit smoking, do not give up. We are now recruiting individuals to participate in a clinical research study. We are looking for individuals with and without a history of a mental health disorder. For more information, visit our About the Trial page.