Does smoking shrink the brain?

In today's article we will talk about one of the side effects that smoking has on our body. Among the large number of negative effects that it causes in our body, recently there has been much talk about whether smoking shrinks the brain.

Let's talk about the data

In the ongoing effort to understand the complex health effects of smoking, a new study based on UK Biobank data sheds light on the relationship between daily smoking and brain volume. Amid the debate over whether smoking causes a decrease in brain volume or whether brain volume is a risk factor for smoking, we explored these links using methods that assess the directionality of the association.

The study was conducted with the participation of 32,094 individuals of European ancestry, using Bradford Hill criteria, commonly employed to understand causal relationships in epidemiological studies. Furthermore, mediation analysis was used to delve deeper into the underlying mechanisms.

Results

So, does smoking shrink the brain? The findings reveal that a history of daily smoking is significantly associated with a decrease in brain volume, and this association intensifies in cases of heavy smoking. The most pronounced relationship was observed between total gray matter volume and a history of daily smoking, with a remarkable effect size (−2964 mm3, p = 2.04 × 10−16).

Furthermore, a dose-response relationship was identified, where a higher number of pack-years smoked was associated with a greater decrease in brain volume. The polygenic risk score for smoking initiation showed a strong association with a history of daily smoking, while its association with total gray matter volume was more modest.

This study reinforces the direct link between daily smoking and a decrease in total brain volume; indeed, smoking shrinks the brain. The results not only provide valuable information about the effects of tobacco on brain health, but also open the door to a deeper understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. This is another step toward elucidating the complex links between smoking and brain health.

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Fuente: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667174323001362?via%3Dihub