Gender-based clinical study on the association of cognitive impairment with drinking and smoking

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the relationship between alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking among the elderly population of a Chinese city with a risk of developing cognitive decline and dementia. Methods: In this study, 1687 participants from the suburban town of Yanliang in Xi'an Sub-province, Shanxi Province, China in the age group of 60-65 years and who have not develop cognitive decline were assessed over a 6-year period. The study involved the evaluation of gender-based effect on alcohol consumption and smoking cigarette and its impact on cognitive functions. Results: The study observed that smokers have a higher risk of cognitive decline than non-smokers (odds ratio = 1.51; 95 % CI = (1.07-2.11). Interestingly, the odds ratio of the smokers among the female subjects was 1.54; 95 % CI (1.02-2.49) compared to female non-smokers. Moreover, a dosedependent relationship was observed for those female smoker with higher pack-years compared to nonsmokers (p = 0.003). On the other hand, regular alcohol consumption also increased the possibility of dementia and cognitive decline (odds ratio = 1.69; CI at 95 % = (1.03-2.75), hence a dose-dependent relationship was observed between male users (p = 0.042). Conclusion: The results suggest that alcohol consumption and smoking are linked with cognitive decline among the female subjects in the age group of 60-65 years. Thus, the relationship between these factors is characterized by gender difference which may be due to female sex hormones.

Risk factors for mild cognitive impairment among older adults in a hospital in southern Nigeria

“… 35 Alkhunizan et al in Saudi Arabia and Fu et al in China had similar values of 91.8% and 86.5%, respectively, of the respondents who never smoked as was seen in this study. 32 , 36 In contrast, a study by Ramlall et al in South Africa reported that 76.4% of the study population that were current smokers or ever smoked. 30 This discrepancy in smoking habits may be attributed to socio-cultural and religious differences of the different regions where the studies were conducted.…”