Individuals exposed to secondhand smoke are at a high risk of developing dementia according to current research done by University of Cambridge and University of Michigan researchers.
The researchers took 4,809 nonsmokers over the age of 50 and tested their salivary cotinine concentration. HealthDay reporter Steven Reinberg explains cotinine as “a product of nicotine that can be found in saliva for about 25 hours after exposure to smoke.”
Those participating in the study also took memory, math, and verbal tests to evaluate their cognitive impairment and brain functionality. Individuals who scored in the lowest 10 percentile were recorded as having some type of cognitive damage.
Increased risks of heart disease, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease for passive smokers are already well-known. This study now can add dementia to list of dangers caused by secondhand smoke, for those exposed have an increased risk of about 44 percent.
According to lead researcher Ian Lang, there is a direct relationship between cognitive function and secondhand smoke; the more exposure to secondhand smoke, the more an individual’s cognitive functions become weaken and increase the possibilities of dementia.
“People should definitely take this study seriously,” says Connie Ross, a 51-year-old African-American woman. “As someone who has been married to a smoker for 28 years, this study really hits home.”
The researchers took 4,809 nonsmokers over the age of 50 and tested their salivary cotinine concentration. HealthDay reporter Steven Reinberg explains cotinine as “a product of nicotine that can be found in saliva for about 25 hours after exposure to smoke.”
Those participating in the study also took memory, math, and verbal tests to evaluate their cognitive impairment and brain functionality. Individuals who scored in the lowest 10 percentile were recorded as having some type of cognitive damage.
Increased risks of heart disease, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease for passive smokers are already well-known. This study now can add dementia to list of dangers caused by secondhand smoke, for those exposed have an increased risk of about 44 percent.
According to lead researcher Ian Lang, there is a direct relationship between cognitive function and secondhand smoke; the more exposure to secondhand smoke, the more an individual’s cognitive functions become weaken and increase the possibilities of dementia.
“People should definitely take this study seriously,” says Connie Ross, a 51-year-old African-American woman. “As someone who has been married to a smoker for 28 years, this study really hits home.”
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