«It is no longer just about lungs or heart: tobacco also attacks the brain’s vascular system, reducing its volume and increasing the risk of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. The institutional silence regarding this relationship is unacceptable,» stated the president of Nofumadores.org, Raquel Fernández.
The association is based on a study led by the University of Washington in St. Louis (USA) that confirms that smoking causes a loss of brain volume. «This effect is dose-dependent: the more cigarettes, the greater the brain damage,» adds Nofumadores.org.
Furthermore, another study published in ‘JAMA Network Open’ in 2023 concluded that quitting smoking significantly reduces the risk of dementia, while simply reducing consumption offers no real protection.
«Smoking remains invisible as a cause of Alzheimer’s, and we wonder why, when this disease devastates entire families. Preventing smoking is essential to protect hundreds of thousands of Spanish families from the economic and emotional impact of a disease that currently has no cure,» Fernández expressed.
Additionally, the association warns that smoking not only increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s but is also closely linked to other forms of dementia, especially vascular dementia, the second most common. «This occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted by small strokes or damage to blood vessels,» it adds.
It also states that smoking directly damages the cardiovascular system, contributing to cerebral arteriosclerosis and micro-strokes that cumulatively deteriorate brain function. Furthermore, there is evidence that smoking increases the risk of mild cognitive impairment and accelerates the transition from this state to dementia in vulnerable individuals.
«By compromising both vascular and neuronal health, smoking acts as a silent trigger for pathological brain aging, exacerbating the effects of normal aging and increasing the risk of any type of dementia. Quitting smoking not only reduces this risk but can also slow down the deterioration in older people who already show initial symptoms,» explains the association.
Therefore, its president affirms that, «the Government should open a legal avenue for families of patients to request financial compensation. Currently, this avenue is closed, but the tobacco industry must be held accountable for the damage it causes.»
DEMANDS URGENT MEASURES
Nofumadores.org demands urgent measures, such as the reform of a new Law, as it considers it to be «outdated» since its last modification in 2010, to prevent smoking as a direct cause of Alzheimer’s.
The association urges the Ministry of Health not to give in and to promptly promote the comprehensive reform of the Tobacco Law, «backed by scientific evidence and WHO recommendations.» Additionally, the association calls for a grand state pact due to the «stalemate» of a new Tobacco Law, which «has not seen the light due to the tremendous pressures exerted by tobacco companies.»
