Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Smoking Tied to Memory Loss in Middle Age

Middle-aged smokers are more prone to memory problems than their non-smoking peers, a new French study suggests.

While smoking is a recognized health hazard, there has been some debate on its effect on dementia, the study authors said.

"Dementia is rare among middle-aged people, but cognitive function at this age in closely related to dementia," said lead researcher Severine Sabia, of the Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale in Villejuif, France. "Our results show that smoking is associated with poorer cognition and decline over five years.

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