Second-Hand Smoke Linked to Dementia

Ivanhoe Newswire
Wednesday, May 2, 2007; 12:00 AM

ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A recent study reveals individuals who are exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke may be at increased risk for dementia.

Dementia occurs when an individual experiences a severe decline in cognitive function that cannot be attributed to the normal aging process. People suffering from dementia may notice a decline in their memory or attention span, and they could have difficulty with language or problem solving. Experts say as the condition progresses, people with dementia can become disoriented and forget who they are, where they are, or even what time period they are in.

When researchers at UC Berkeley studied 3,602 people ages 65 and older for the Cardiovascular Health Study, they found participants with high lifetime exposures to second-hand tobacco smoke were 30 percent more likely to develop dementia than those with low exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke. "This is one of the first studies to look at the risk of dementia in people who never smoked but were exposed to second-hand smoke," study author Thaddeus Haight of UC Berkeley is quoted as saying.

Researchers found study participants with detectable abnormalities in their carotid arteries and high exposure to second-hand smoke were also more likely to develop dementia those who were free of these abnormalities. In fact, participants with narrower carotid arteries or thicker carotid arterial walls and high exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke were 2.5-times more likely to acquire dementia than those with no exposure to second-hand smoke and no abnormalities. "These results show that second-hand smoke is associated with increased risk of dementia, even in people without known risk factors for dementia related to diagnosed cardiovascular disease," Haight is quoted as saying.

Researchers believe their study provides further evidence that second-hand smoke is hazardous. They also hope their work will support efforts to reduce the public's exposure to second-hand smoke.

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SOURCE: The American Academy of Neurology's 59th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 28-May 5, 2007