Smoking Speeds Up Memory Loss in Old Age
(NY, Reuters, 3/22/04)

Dr. Lenore Launer of the National Institute on Aging in Maryland, and team, used the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) to assess cognitive functioning in 9,209 older adults. An average of two years later, the investigators retested the subjects and found that test scores had fallen .03 points per year for non-smokers; .06 points annually for previous smokers; and .16 points a year for current smokers. In addition, the more cigarettes per day an individual smoked, the greater the decline of their mental faculties. The scientists speculate that smoking may affect the blood vessels leading to the brain, causing a loss of nutrients and resultant brain tissue damage.