I would like to address a decades old observation about smoking and Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Some of you may be aware that there is an observation about the relationship of PD and smoking that seems to contradict the notion that smoking is not a habit we want to promote for any reason but the internet and social media being what it is you may come across the observation that links smoking with a lower risk of PD.
A nationwide review of 410,000 adults showed that current smokers had the lowest incidence of PD. Those who quit -whether recently or long ago- had a roughly 60% higher risk. The severe health risks of smoking cannot be overlooked. It remains the leading cause of preventable death and contributes to severe lung disease as well as heart disease.
The link between smoking and lower PD risk is an association and should not be interpreted as evidence that smoking prevents the disease. The study found the association between smoking and PD risk was clearly off set by the lower death risk associated with non-smokers or in those that had discontinued the smoking habit.
My take on this, and I will need to look into it further, is not that smoking provides some type of protection against PD but it may be the use of nicotine. Nicotine has been touted to help with improved performance and cognition. It has been used along with other supplements in patients with traumatic brain injury and stroke. Don’t start smoking !!
