Publishes originally by Stroke
Science Daily
5/2/13
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130502185421.htm
Summary:
The negative effects of heart risk factors such as heart attack or stroke also affect the cognitive health. The things that are bad for the heart are also bad for the brain. There was a Dutch study done which included 3,778 participants, each 35-82 years old who took tests to measure the ability to plan and reason and to initiate and switch tasks. A separate test had tested memory function. People with heart disease risk factors were shown to do 50% worse on cognitive tests than those with the lowest possible risk for heart disease. Diabetes or bad cholesterol or smoking were also shown to be linked to poor cognitive scores. Also, those who smoked 1 to 15 cigarettes a day had a cognitive score of about 2.5 points less (compared to non-smokers), and people who smoked more than 16 cigarettes a day had a decrease of about 3.5 points on cognitive tests. On memory tests, the results were roughly the same, with people who smoked more generally having worse scores. The study also shows that smoking and diabetes (both risk factors) were strong determinants of cognitive function. The lead author and nephrology fellow at the University Medical Center in Groningen , Netherlands claims that it is likely that quitting smoking will have a beneficial effect on cognitive function. These studies show that health officials need to also worry about cognitive function in those patients with risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Smoking cessation programs will be able to help cognitive function in addition to preventing cancer, stroke, etc.
Connection:
In biology class this term, we learned about the body systems. Specifically, this article talks about the brain, which is part of the nervous system, and the heart, which is part of the circulatory system. More specifically, the article talks about the effects of heart risk factors in connection to brain function. We've learned about types of cardiovascular disease (Atherosclerosis, Arteriosclerosis, Hypertension, Stroke), and the effects of smoking. We've learned what is contained in tobacco smoke that makes it addictive and dangerous (Nicotine, carbon monoxide, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, etc.). Finally, we've also learned about the parts of the brain, especially the cerebrum (responsible for logical thinking, problem solving, language, creativity, imagination, etc.), which might be affected by heart disease risk. We've also learned about memory (which is affected by heart disease risk factors), which is related to the limbic system.
do the researchers have a more specific idea of how exactly behaviors like smoking can influence cognitive function? or do they just believe that they are linked?
ReplyDeleteAlthough the article itself only states that increase in heart risk factors may decrease cognitive function, it does not say exactly why that occurs. I think that the article was only talking about the study that they did, meaning that the study could have discovered the link, although it might not have discovered exactly why it affects cognitive function. I found this article, though, on Livestrong.com talking about how smoking affects cognitive function. Here it is. http://www.livestrong.com/article/339427-cognition-smoking/
DeleteIt states that smoking can affect memory, IQ, chemical makeup, and baby and fetal cognition
Is there any evidence for a reason why things bad for general health also have an impact on brain function? Could it possibly be a coincidence or some other underlying factor?
ReplyDeleteThe article does not say exactly why things that are bad for general health also have an impact on brain function, and I couldn't really find much online about it, although I do have some inferences. We know that the brain (CNS) controls all of the rest of the body. This might mean that if something that the brain controls (say, a lung), then the brain's function would not be as strong in that area, since that organ is not working so will. This might in turn affect other areas of the brain around it, causing an impact in cognitive function. Also, health seems to decrease with age, as does cognitive function. Perhaps this might have something to do with it as well?
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