Health
Smoking shrinks the brain and drives up Alzheimer’s risk, new study finds
Smoking is notorious for causing damage to the lungs — but a recent study confirmed that it’s also harmful to the brain.
Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine (WashUMed) in St. Louis, Missouri, analyzed the brain scans, smoking history and genetic risk of 32,094 participants of European descent from the UK Biobank database.
Those who smoked one pack daily were found to have decreased brain volume compared to those who never smoked or had smoked fewer than 100 total cigarettes.
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With each additional year of smoking, the shrinkage was greater.
The study, published in the January 2024 issue of Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science, helps to explain why older people who smoke are at a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, according to the researchers.
Smoking is notorious for causing damage to the lungs, but recent research confirmed that it is also harmful to the brain. (iStock)
“People who smoke are more likely to have deterioration in gray and white matter, which provides a possible explanation as to why 14% of global Alzheimer’s disease cases could be attributable to cigarette smoking,” they wrote in the study findings.
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“Up until recently, scientists overlooked the effects of smoking on the brain, in part because we were focused on all the terrible effects of smoking on the lungs and the heart,” said senior author Laura J. Bierut, M.D., the Alumni Endowed Professor of Psychiatry, in a press release from WashUMed.
“But as we’ve started looking at the brain more closely, it’s become apparent that smoking is also really bad for your brain.”
Those who smoked one pack daily were found to have decreased brain volume compared to those who never smoked or had smoked fewer than 100 total cigarettes. (iStock)
It has long been known that aging is linked to a gradual reduction in brain volume, and this study shows that smoking speeds up that process, the researchers noted.
“This is important as our population gets older, because aging and smoking are both risk factors for dementia,” noted Bierut.
“There’s one thing you can change to stop aging your brain and putting yourself at increased risk of dementia, and that’s to quit smoking.”
One positive finding was that kicking the habit can prevent the loss of additional brain tissue — but the shrinkage can’t be reversed.
“You can’t undo the damage that has already been done, but you can avoid causing further damage,” said first author Yoonhoo Chang, a graduate student at WashUMed.
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“Smoking is a modifiable risk factor. There’s one thing you can change to stop aging your brain and putting yourself at increased risk of dementia, and that’s to quit smoking.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the study authors for additional comment.
Impact of toxins on aging
Dr. Brett Osborn, neurosurgery section chief at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, was not involved in the WashUMed study but shared his reaction to the findings.
While aging — and some age-related diseases — can’t be prevented, Osborn noted that our lifestyle choices can accelerate or decelerate the process.
Dr. Brett Osborn, neurosurgery section chief at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, shared his reaction to the study findings. (Dr. Brett Osborn)
“We can age gracefully in part by choosing to avoid toxins such as alcohol and smoking, both of which increase the production of toxic free radicals, also known as oxidative stress,” he told Fox News Digital.
When someone smokes, the doctor explained, the person’s blood vessel linings are “bombarded” by free radicals, which are electrons that cause cell damage. That impacts not only the heart and lungs, but also the brain.
“When you smoke, the brain takes a hit due to the induced vascular damage,” Osborn said. “Over time, the brain shrinks, and this is evident on MRI.”
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The new study confirms not only the correlation between reduced global brain volume, but also causation, said Osborn.
“It is not that those with reduced global brain volume tend to smoke from a genetic standpoint, but it is that those who smoke cause their brains to atrophy,” he said.
“Smoking does terrible things not only to the body but also to the brain, and in some parts, disproportionately more than others.”
“Smoking does terrible things not only to the body but also to the brain, and in some parts, disproportionately more than others,” a neurologist told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
The regions most affected by smoking are the frontal cortex (involved in executive function, memory input and mood), cerebellum (coordination), corpus callosum (information bridge between the two hemispheres), and amygdala (emotional response and memory), Osborn pointed out.
“It is also well-established that hippocampal volume, or the volume of our primary center, is reduced in daily smokers,” he said. “It should be no surprise, therefore, that there is an increased incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in smokers.”
“Smoking does terrible things not only to the body but also to the brain.”
While other organs, such as the lungs, can recover after a person quits smoking, there are no subsequent increases in brain volume, said Osborn.
“The brain demonstrates a lower capacity for recovery, so the best you can hope for is a deceleration in induced damage when you stop,” he said. “So, the sooner you quit, the better.”
The study helps to explain why older people who smoke are at a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, according to the researchers. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo)
“Remember, staying healthy lifelong is about making the right choices to mitigate the cellular damage that is the hallmark of the disease we call aging, to which no one is immune,” Osborn added.
“Do everything in your power to slow it down, rather than accelerating the process by smoking.”
One out of every five U.S. deaths can be attributed to smoking, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Tips for kicking the habit
Dr. David Seitz, a New York-based physician with a specialty in addiction medicine, previously shared with Fox News Digital some tips for kicking the habit.
The first step is to remove all traces of cigarettes and other forms of smoking.
It’s also important to have a strong support system in place, the doctor said.
Some people find that it’s easier to gradually wean themselves off smoking instead of quitting cold turkey. (iStock)
He also suggested seeking out healthier activities to fill the gap, such as walking or jogging, listening to a relaxing playlist, meditating or going to a yoga class.
Some people find that it’s easier to gradually wean themselves off smoking instead of quitting cold turkey.
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“This could involve gradually reducing the number of cigarettes smoked each day until eventually giving up completely, cutting back to a certain number of cigarettes per week or focusing on specific dates when you need to be completely smoke-free,” Seitz said.
For those who are unable to stop smoking on their own, Seitz recommended seeing a doctor for assistance.
“Your doctor can provide helpful information about how to quit smoking, prescribe medications that may help, and also monitor your progress along the way.”
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Welcome to Day 2 of the Brain Health Challenge. Today, we’re talking about food.
Your brain is an energy hog. Despite comprising about 2 percent of the average person’s body mass, it consumes roughly 20 percent of the body’s energy. In other words, what you use to fuel yourself matters for brain health.
So what foods are best for your brain?
In a nine-year study of nearly 1,000 older adults, researchers at Rush University in Chicago found that people who ate more of nine particular types of food — berries, leafy greens, other vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, fish, poultry and olive oil — and who ate less red meat, butter and margarine, cheese, sweet treats and fried food had slower cognitive decline.
Based on these findings, the researchers developed the MIND diet.
Large studies encompassing thousands of people have since shown that following the MIND diet corresponds with better cognitive functioning, a lower risk of dementia and slower disease progression in people with Alzheimer’s. People benefit from the diet regardless of whether they start it in midlife or late life.
Experts think the foods included in the MIND diet are especially good for the brain because they contain certain macro and micronutrients.
Berries and leafy greens, for example, are rich in polyphenols and other antioxidants, said Jennifer Ventrelle, a dietitian at Rush and a co-author of “The Official Mind Diet.” Many of these compounds can cross the blood-brain barrier and help to fight inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which can damage cells and are linked to dementia.
Nuts and fatty fishes, like salmon and sardines, contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for building the insulating sheaths that surround the nerve fibers that carry information from one brain cell to another.
Whole grains and beans both contain a hefty dose of fiber, which feeds the good microbes in the gut. Those microbes produce byproducts called short-chain fatty acids that experts think can influence brain health via the gut-brain axis.
You don’t have to revamp your whole diet to get these nutrients. Instead, think about “MIND-ifying” whatever you already tend to eat, said Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist at NYU Langone Health and the founder and chief medical officer of the telehealth platform Isaac Health. For instance, add a handful of nuts or berries to your breakfast.
Today’s activity will help you MIND-ify your own meals. Share your choices with your accountability partner and in the comments, and I’ll discuss the ways I’m adjusting my diet, too. For added inspiration, check out these MIND-approved recipes from New York Times Cooking.
Health
Measles outbreak explodes in South Carolina; multiple people hospitalized as cases surpass 200
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The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) is sounding the alarm after 26 new measles cases were reported since Friday, bringing the total number of cases in the state’s latest outbreak to 211.
DPH first reported a measles outbreak Oct. 2 in the Upstate region. As of Tuesday, 144 people are in quarantine and seven people are in isolation.
Of the 211 cases, 45 involve children under 5, 143 cases involve children ages 5 to 17, 17 cases involve adults and six cases involve minors whose ages weren’t disclosed.
DPH said 196 of the 211 infected individuals were unvaccinated, four were partially vaccinated, one was vaccinated and 10 are either still being investigated or have an unknown vaccination status.
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Hundreds of people in South Carolina have contracted the measles, and a few have been hospitalized. (Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images)
Officials said 19 of the new cases were associated with “exposures in known households and previously reported school exposures,” and four resulted from church exposures.
DPH identified public exposures at Sugar Ridge Elementary and Boiling Springs Elementary and began notifying potentially exposed students, faculty and staff Dec. 31.
There are nine students in quarantine from the two schools.
Of the 211 cases, 45 involve children under 5 years old. (iStock)
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Exposures also happened at the Tabernacle of Salvation Church, Unitarian Universalist Church of Spartanburg, Slavic Pentecostal Church of Spartanburg and Ark of Salvation Church.
The source of one case is unknown, while two others are still being investigated.
Although complications from measles are not reportable, officials said four people, including adults and children, required hospitalization for complications from the disease.
Officials recommend all children be vaccinated against measles. (Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
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Additional cases required medical care, but the infected individuals were not hospitalized.
Those infected with measles are contagious from four days before the rash appears and may be unaware they can spread measles before they know they have the disease, according to DPH.
DPH said it is important for those with a mild illness or those who are in quarantine to stay home to protect others.
“We encourage employers to support workers in following DPH recommendations to stay out of work while ill or in quarantine, which also protects businesses, other workers and clients,” officials wrote in a statement.
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DPH said vaccinations continue to be the best way to prevent measles and stop the outbreak.
Though the CDC recently released new vaccine recommendations under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., its guidelines still dictate all children should be immunized for measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus (HPV) and chickenpox.
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Many might assume that over-the-counter (OTC) medications are generally safer than stronger prescription drugs, but research shows they can still present risks for some.
Certain common OTC painkillers have been linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart attacks.
Potential risk of NSAIDs
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) — which are used to reduce pain, fever and inflammation — have been pinpointed as the class of medicines most linked to elevated cardiovascular risk.
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“This is because they reduce the production of certain chemicals called prostaglandins,” Maryam Jowza, M.D., an anesthesiologist at UNC Health in North Carolina, told Fox News Digital. “These chemicals are involved in inflammation, but they are also involved in other body functions, such as influencing the tone of blood vessels.”
Certain common OTC painkillers have been linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart attacks. (iStock)
Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, echoed the potential risk of NSAIDs.
“They can lead to high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke via fluid retention and salt retention,” he told Fox News Digital. “This increases volume, puts a strain on the heart and raises blood pressure.”
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Common examples of NSAIDs include ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin, diclofenac, indomethacin and celecoxib.
Randomized trials found that ibuprofen caused the biggest spikes in blood pressure, followed by naproxen and then celecoxib.
“In general, the increase in blood pressure is more likely with higher doses and longer duration of treatment,” said Jowza, who is also an associate professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at the UNC School of Medicine.
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NSAIDs can also increase stroke risk, especially at high doses and with long-term use, the doctor added.
Diclofenac was linked to the highest cardiovascular risk, the doctor cautioned. Ibuprofen can also raise blood pressure and has been associated with a higher heart attack and stroke risk, but not as high as diclofenac. Naproxen carries a lower cardiovascular risk than ibuprofen or diclofenac, but is not entirely risk-free.
NSAIDs have been pinpointed as the class of medicines most linked to elevated cardiovascular risk. (iStock)
“The practical takeaway is that diclofenac is generally the least favorable choice in patients with elevated cardiovascular risk, and all NSAIDs should be used at the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration,” Dr. Nayan Patel, pharmacist and founder of Auro Wellness in Southern California, told Fox News Digital.
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Aspirin is an exception — although it is an NSAID, it actually reduces the risk of clots when taken at a low dose for prevention, under a doctor’s guidance. However, it can increase bleeding risk and blood pressure at high doses.
Non-NSAIDs safer, but not risk-free
Non-NSAID pain relievers are commonly used for everyday aches, headaches and fever, but not swelling. They act mainly on the brain’s pain signals, not inflammation, according to medical experts.
Acetaminophen, the most common non-NSAID pain reliever, is also linked to an increase in blood pressure, although to a lesser extent, according to Jowza.
“All NSAIDs should be used at the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration.”
“Acetaminophen was once thought to have little to no cardiovascular effects, but more recent evidence suggests it can increase blood pressure, especially with higher doses used in the long term,” she said, emphasizing the importance of blood pressure monitoring. “Its effect on stroke risk is less clear.”
Which groups are most vulnerable?
The groups at greatest risk, according to doctors, are those with existing health conditions, such as high blood pressure, prior stroke or heart disease, diabetes or kidney problems.
“These groups are also more likely to experience NSAID-related fluid retention and destabilization of blood pressure control,” Patel said.
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Cardiovascular risk is generally higher for people 75 and older, the doctors agreed.
“Age amplifies risk largely because baseline cardiovascular risk increases with age, and kidney function reserve tends to decline,” Patel said. “Older adults are also more likely to be on antihypertensives, diuretics, antiplatelets or anticoagulants, so NSAIDs can destabilize blood pressure control and add safety complexity.”
Warning signs
Anyone experiencing chest pain, shortness of breath, sudden weakness or numbness, severe headache, confusion, slurred speech or vision changes should see a doctor immediately, Jowza advised.
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“These symptoms can point to a heart attack or stroke,” she warned. “Other symptoms of concern that may not develop as rapidly, like new swelling in the legs, should also prompt medical attention.”
Anyone experiencing chest pain, shortness of breath, sudden weakness or numbness, severe headache, confusion, slurred speech or vision changes should see a doctor immediately, a doctor advised. (iStock)
“Patients should also seek medical advice if they notice signs of fluid retention or kidney stress, such as rapidly rising blood pressure, swelling in the legs, sudden weight gain over a few days, reduced urine output or worsening shortness of breath,” Patel added.
Safer alternatives
For those at higher risk, Patel recommends non-NSAID approaches whenever possible.
“For many patients, this means starting with non-drug strategies such as heat or ice, physical therapy and activity modification,” he told Fox News Digital. “If medication is needed, acetaminophen is generally preferred over oral NSAIDs from a cardiovascular standpoint, although regular use should still be monitored in people with hypertension.”
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For localized joint or muscle pain, the doctor said topical NSAIDs can offer “meaningful relief” with “far lower” risk.
“Overall, pain management in high-risk patients should emphasize targeted therapy, conservative dosing and close blood pressure monitoring.”
Bottom line
The doctors emphasized that the overall risk is “very low” for people taking OTC pain relievers on a short-term basis, but it rises with long-term, high-dose use.
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“I would not hesitate to use an occasional dose if it were a low-risk individual with no prior history of heart attack or stroke,” Jowza said. “I also think short-term use in diabetics and hypertensives who are well-controlled is acceptable.”
Although aspirin is an NSAID, it actually reduces the risk of clots when taken at a low dose for prevention, under a doctor’s guidance. (iStock)
For those taking NSAIDs, the doctor suggested using “guard rails” — such as regularly testing blood pressure and kidney function, and setting limits on dosing — to make treatment as safe as possible.
Patel agreed that for most healthy individuals, occasional NSAID use “does not carry a meaningful cardiovascular risk.”
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“The concern is primarily with repeated or chronic use, higher doses, and use in people with underlying cardiovascular, kidney or blood pressure conditions,” he confirmed to Fox News Digital.
“That said, large population studies show that cardiovascular events can occur early after starting NSAIDs, particularly at higher doses, which is why even short-term use should be approached cautiously in higher-risk patients.”
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