Smoking Doubles Alzheimer's Risk
Quote:
SMOKERS ARE more than twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's disease as non-smokers, according to a new study.
The researchers, who report their findings in the Lancet medical journal, found that smokers who carry the Apoe 4 gene, which has been linked with Alzheimer's, were at no greater risk of developing the disease than non- smokers. However, those without the gene were at four times the risk. One explanation of why Apoe 4 might protect smokers is that smoking alters brain chemistry in a way that counters some of the effects of Alzheimer's disease. However, it is also possible that smokers with Apoe 4 die young, so do not live long enough to develop the disease, the researchers say.
|
So you know, it might lower your risk if you're genetically predisposed, but they don't know why and it might be because you're already dead.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healt...BrandChannel=0
Quote:
"It is not our intent to promote smoking as a protective measure against Parkinson's disease," Evan L. Thacker from Harvard School of Public Health emphasized in comments to Reuters Health. "Obviously smoking has a multitude of negative consequences. Rather, we did this study to try to encourage other scientists...to consider the possibility that neuroprotective chemicals may be present in tobacco leaves."
Compared to people who had never smoked and were considered to have "normal" Parkinson's disease risk, former smokers had a 22-percent lower risk of Parkinson's disease and current smokers had a 73-percent lower risk.
Studies to determine if, in fact, there are neuroprotective compounds in tobacco are warranted, the researchers say. "The observation that smokeless tobacco users also have a lower risk of Parkinson's disease suggests that the most likely candidates are not compounds generated by combustion, but rather constituents of the tobacco leaves.
|
They believe it is something in the tobacco, not smoking itself that reduces your risk of Parkinson's and no one is recommending it to prevent the disease. Claiming that somehow this negates the known negative effects of smoking is silly. As is claiming that second-hand smoke does not negatively effect the passerby but somehow might positively do so.
People's minds aren't going to change on this because no matter if smoke is truly dangerous or not it is uncomfortable, smells bad, and ruins the taste of food. So you could tell me tomorrow that second hand smoke cures the common cold and I wouldn't sit next to a smoker in a restaurant or go to a smoke-filled bar, pub, or bowling alley.