"A 50-year-old male smoker shows a similar cognitive decline as a 60-year-old male never smoker," Sabia said.
She also found that men who quit smoking in the 10 years before the first cognitive testing point were still at risk of greater cognitive decline, especially in executive
function – which covers various complex cognitive processes involved in achieving a particular goal.
Long-term ex-smokers, however, did not show a faster decline in their brain functions or cognitive abilities.
Sabia says more research is now needed to find out why there was a difference between men and women in this study, and to look into possible mechanisms that might link declining brain function to smoking.
Questions:
1. What link was made between male smokers and brain function?
2. When do symptoms appear?
3. What else is linked to smoking?
Answers:
1.Men who smoke suffer a more rapid decline in brain function as they age than their non-smoking counterparts.
2.Early dementia-like cognitive difficulties show up as early as the age of 45.
3.Smoking causes lung cancer, which is often fatal, and other chronic respiratory diseases. It is also a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.