Khaberni - A study concluded that quitting smoking, even in late stages of life, can help slow down age-related memory problems, and the British news agency (PA Media) reported that according to experts, the study results strengthen the evidence that quitting smoking may help prevent dementia, but they emphasized the need for more research.
A team from University College London examined the impact of smoking on cognitive decline related to aging, when one's ability to think, learn, and remember deteriorates with age. The study, published in the Lancet Healthy Longevity journal, included data from 9436 people aged 40 and over from 12 countries.
Half of the study participants quit smoking, while the other half continued to smoke, and researchers said there is an "established link between smoking and cognitive health" but the long-term benefits of quitting smoking are "less clear".
An analysis of tests that measure memory and verbal fluency showed that the scores of people who quit smoking declined more slowly over six years after they stopped smoking, and for those who quit, the decline was slower by 20% for memory and 50% for verbal fluency.
Dr. Mikaela Bloomberg, working with the Department of Epidemiology and Healthcare at London College University, said: "Our study suggests that quitting smoking may help maintain better cognitive health in the long term even when quitting occurs at age fifty or older".
She added: "We already know that quitting smoking, even in an advanced stage of life, is often followed by an improvement in physical health. It seems that this also applies to cognitive health."
