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REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA – The latest research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis in the United States, MO (WashUMed), states that smoking has serious effects on the brain. Smoking can cause the brain to shrink, while quitting smoking can prevent further decline.
The study found that smoking is not only linked to brain shrinkage, but also increases the risk of cognitive impairment, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The results of this study make it clear that quitting smoking at any time can stop further loss of gray matter, even if the brain is unable to restore its original mass after shrinkage.
Although the risks of smoking to the lungs and heart have long been known, this study attempts to fill the gap in understanding the harmful effects of smoking on the brain. The director of WashUMed’s Health & Behavior Research Center, Dr. Laura J. Bierut, led the research team of the recently published study Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science.
Previous research has also shown that smokers have a higher risk of developing dementia. It is estimated that 14 percent of Alzheimer’s cases are caused by smoking. The connection between brain shrinkage and smoking is related to a number of behavioral and genetic factors, with about half of a person’s desire to smoke being influenced by genetic factors.
The study analyzed data from the UK Biobank with 32,094 European participants. The results showed that those who smoked more experienced more brain loss. Brain shrinkage or atrophy, which involves loss of neurons and the connections between them, can affect the brain’s ability to function.
“Smoking affects different levels Neurotransmitters in the brain, which can lead to nerve damage and atrophy over time,” quoted researcher from the Healthy Brain Clinic in Long Beach, California, Dr. Dung Trinh, who was not involved in the study Medical News TodayFriday (December 29, 2023).
Doctor Trinh explained that atrophy can hinder communication between different brain regions and lead to cognitive decline. Meanwhile, Dr. Bierut said a decrease in brain volume is associated with aging, so people who smoke have an older-looking brain.
Smoking is known to cause brain damage through the intake of various toxic chemicals. People who smoke have low oxygen levels in their blood, which can lead to slow starvation of the brain. The effects of smoking also include blood vessel damage, oxidative stress and inflammatory effects that can damage brain cells and their supporting structures.
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