Is Smoking Really Bad for Our Memory?




In addition to all documented hazards of tobacco smoking, it is now linked to memory loss. According to a new research conducted by the French, smoking can be responsible for a loss of memory in middle-aged people. However, the scientists have not found any ties between tobacco consumption and the overall level of intelligence in smokers. In addition, not all experts have agreed with the controversial results of the research.


Although smoking has long been associated with numerous health dangers, there is still a scientific debate on how it affects memory. Some research have shown that tobacco can be an additional contributor to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, while others have not found any ties between smoking and memory. However, the new, Whitehall II study recently reported at the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, has revealed that smoking can significantly affect memory and even be involved in the development of some memory-affecting diseases.

Usually, middle-aged people do not suffer from dementia, which is more a disease of the old, said leading author of the study Dr. S. Sabia. Yet, a decline in cognitive function that can later lead to various degrees of memory loss, is often observed in people in their “prime of life”. The study has revealed that tobacco consumption in middle-aged individuals, especially if they have smoked for more than five years, can be a factor in developing poor cognition.

Another peculiar observation is that quitting smoking usually leads to an improvement in memory functioning, in addition to general improvements of an ex-smoker’s overall health.

The researchers examined mental health histories of more than 10,000 British public sector employees aged from 35 to 55 years old, both smokers and non-smokers. In addition, the participants were asked to undergo repeated tests to assess their vocabulary, verbal fluency, memory and reasoning. The data then were correlated with their smoking habits.

As the result, currently smoking subjects scored the lowest in all tests. Those who had never smoked scored the best, and ex-smokers occupied the middle position. In fact, people who had quit smoking long ago showed 30 percent better test results that assessed their verbal frequency and vocabulary, in comparison with those of current smokers.

The researchers’ conclusion is that tobacco consumption is linked to a declined memory and poor cognitive function in middle age. In addition, the study showed that quitting smoking is a practical step for those who want to improve their cognitive performance.

Although most researchers who were involved in the project agreed with such conclusions, one expert, Dr. Michael Siegel of the Boston University, said that the study did not show a reliable connection between smoking habits and a loss of memory. In his opinion, other health issues, if taken into consideration, could have blurred the obtained results and therefore led to a different conclusion. In addition, since the current tendency in the society is that people with better levels of education, as well as those belonging to upper classes, tend to smoke less than the rest of the population, the results of the research can simply reflect these obvious differences, Dr. Siegel added.

In support for the opinion of Dr. Siegel, it would be amusing to take into consideration that the “best minds” in the history of the human civilization, including the overwhelming majority of “classic” Nobel Prize winners, such as Dr. Albert Einstein, happened to be heavy long-time smokers…

Lada Brown

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Posted on June 11, 2008 
Filed Under Smoking and Health, Stop Smoking News, Tobacco Research

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