Most of you have probably heard something about the dangers of smoking, but for those reading who don't know about this topic I'll write out a brief summary of the side effects: it results in thousands of easily preventable deaths every year via lung disease and various cancers, as well as other nonlethal but still unpleasant side effects such as dulling your sense of taste and smell, impotence, and unpleasant breath. Secondhand smoke is also known to have negative impacts on those around the smoker, threatening them as well. This knowledge first started coming into fruition roughly eighty years ago, and while smoker numbers are dwindling there are still enough of them for there to be almost half a million smoking related deaths annually. Despite these facts, many in America choose to continue smoking, and they have every right to do so as long as they don't endanger others and are aware of the risks that smoking poses. Unfortunately, recent studies have shown that brain damage can now be added to the list of side effects associated with smoking.
In a recent study from McGill University a group of 504 senior citizens, broken up into 3 groups of smokers, non-smokers, and ex-smokers received MRIs. The results showed that the cortex, a vital part of the brain that is responsible for most conscious thought, was significantly thinner in those who did smoke than in those who did not. This means that smokers are at a much greater risk than nonsmokers to experience early dementia, some forms of Alzheimer's, and various other forms of cognitive deterioration. The good news from the study is that former smokers have thicker cortices than smokers, indicating that quitting smoking can still lead to at least partial and potentially full recovery in terms of cortex thickness. This means that while smoking can cause lasting damage, immediate cessation can result in moderate to full recovery of lost brain matter.
I imagine that if somebody out there still despite the mountain of data facing them, then another argument likely won't be enough to change their minds. However it is important to know the full extents of what smoking does to the human body in order to allow both smokers and nonsmokers to make an educated decision about their bodies. This McGill study provides further evidence against smoking cigarettes and while it probably will not convince many smokers to drop their habit, if it manages to change even one mind about smoking then this blogger considers it to be worth it.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150210133134.htm
Written by: Mark Glasman
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteA note to Professor Houlihan: you may see that I edited this post after midnight, however I only did that because I noticed that I accidentally included the wrong link to my article and wanted to correct it.
ReplyDeleteMark Glasman
Wow this really hit home with me. Unfortunately I am a smoker and this is just another reason why that needs to stop (wish it were that simple). I was wondering if this article or any related articles have linked smoking to reduced cognitive functioning ( as determined by memory/intelligence tests or something similar) or has it only been proven that it thins the cortex?
ReplyDeleteIt may be a bit late to mention it now but I was a smoker up until last year too! Quitting was definitely a massive pain so I sympathize with you on that one. At least you know that you should quit, and this is just another reason to add to the list of reasons to do so sooner rather than later.
DeleteAs far as I know this is a relatively recent discovery concerning a connection between cigarettes and long-term effects on the brain, so I don't think there's been time to study the link further in depth.
It may be a bit late to mention it now but I was a smoker up until last year too! Quitting was definitely a massive pain so I sympathize with you on that one. At least you know that you should quit, and this is just another reason to add to the list of reasons to do so sooner rather than later.
DeleteAs far as I know this is a relatively recent discovery concerning a connection between cigarettes and long-term effects on the brain, so I don't think there's been time to study the link further in depth.
Cool article, and well written post. Is the thinning of the cortex proportional to the amount a person smokes? For example, would a person who smokes a pack a day have more thinning than someone who smokes a pack a week?
ReplyDelete~David Almanzar
habit may seem hard but quitting is the harder part, amazing that smokers know too well the effects yet continue with it, smoking don't just hurt you but second-hand smoke from cigarettes is a serious threat to one's children, family, and friends.
ReplyDeleteKnowing one's triggers and working towards controlling them is a good start towards stopping.
Osuji Chukwunonso
This article was very interesting. Although I do not smoke, growing up I was around people that smoked very often. I wonder if it affected my cortex due to second hand smoking
ReplyDelete-Barbara Afogho
Very informative post! It is awfully unfortunate that Big Tobacco has profited off of delaying the science of smoking for too long. I wonder what ingredient within cigarettes causes the observed cortex thinning? Would electronic cigarette smokers have the same brain abnormalities? Great post, very interesting!
ReplyDelete-Michael Salhany
This is a great post. I grew up around smokers. All the males in my family have been smoking for at least 15 years. They once told me that they were well aware of all the risks and would really want to quit smoking but it's an addiction. It's very challenging for them to quit smoking. Electronic cigarettes and rehabs didn't help. Anyways, back to the post, I think it would be helpful for the readers if you include a little of interpretation for your figure (which one is a smoker's brain, where's the cortex and how it differs to others in the picture). Other than that, great post, excellent job explaining main idea in the study.
ReplyDelete-Phi Duong
You're right, I should have included a caption for the figure. I didn't think to just because I already understood the context from the article, but since you mentioned it I'll be sure to include it in the future!
DeleteOn a side note, I too grew up in a family of smokers and know that it's a hard habit to drop. I'll mention this to my dad but I doubt it'll convince him. Oh well, it's worth a shot!
This is really interesting! Did the study include how long it had been since the "ex smokers" quit smoking?
ReplyDelete-Cullan Bartel