Smoking hastens cognitive decline in men

Smoking increases the rate at which cognitive function declines with age in men – but not women, a new analysis of the Whitehall study has shown (Arch Gen Psychiatry 2012; published online 6 Feb. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.2016).

Teams from the UK and France compared changes in memory, vocabulary and executive function in three five-yearly assessments (1997–99, 2002–04 and 2007–09) in 5099 men and 2137 women. Their mean age at the first assessment was 56 years.

Taking dropouts and death into account, cognitive function declined 20–50 per cent faster in current smokers and recent ex-smokers than among never-smokers. Ex-smokers who had stopped at least 10 years previously were no different from never-smokers. No effect of smoking on rate of cognitive decline was found among women.