The study, published in Nature Communications, is based on a 10-year survey of 32,000 adults aged 50 or older from 14 countries in Europe.
The team, led by researchers from University College London, UK, showed that lifestyles that include smoking lead to faster cognitive decline. People who smoked saw their cognitive scores drop by 85 percent over 10 years compared to nonsmokers.
Lead author Mikaela Bloomberg (UCL Behavioral Sciences and Health) said the study is "observational; it cannot definitively establish cause and effect, but it does suggest that smoking is a specific factor affecting the rate of cognitive aging." may be an important factor".
According to previous studies, people who engage in more healthy behaviors, such as regular exercise and moderate alcohol consumption, have slower cognitive decline. However, it did not specify whether all behaviors contribute equally to cognitive decline.
However, the new study suggests that among healthy behaviors, "not smoking may be the most important in terms of maintaining cognitive function".
For people unable to quit smoking, the study suggests other healthy behaviors such as regular exercise, moderate alcohol consumption and being socially active "to offset the adverse cognitive effects," Mikaela said.
The team, led by researchers from University College London, UK, showed that lifestyles that include smoking lead to faster cognitive decline. People who smoked saw their cognitive scores drop by 85 percent over 10 years compared to nonsmokers.
Lead author Mikaela Bloomberg (UCL Behavioral Sciences and Health) said the study is "observational; it cannot definitively establish cause and effect, but it does suggest that smoking is a specific factor affecting the rate of cognitive aging." may be an important factor".
According to previous studies, people who engage in more healthy behaviors, such as regular exercise and moderate alcohol consumption, have slower cognitive decline. However, it did not specify whether all behaviors contribute equally to cognitive decline.
However, the new study suggests that among healthy behaviors, "not smoking may be the most important in terms of maintaining cognitive function".
For people unable to quit smoking, the study suggests other healthy behaviors such as regular exercise, moderate alcohol consumption and being socially active "to offset the adverse cognitive effects," Mikaela said.
