Secondhand tobacco smoke increases risk of developing dementia

In addition to the other health risks caused by exposure to secondhand smoke, a new study by UC Berkeley's Thaddeus Haight has found that exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke increases the risk of developing dementia. This was one of the first studies to look at the risk of dementia in people who have never smoked.

Based on preliminary results, the study authors found that elderly people with high lifetime exposure to secondhand smoke were approximately 30 percent more likely to develop dementia than those with no lifetime secondhand smoke exposure. High exposure was defined as more than 30 years of exposure to secondhand smoke.

Haight said the study findings provide additional evidence of the hazards of secondhand smoke and provide additional support for policies that seek to reduce the public’s exposure to tobacco smoke.

The study was supported by a grant from the Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute. The long-term effects of secondhand smoke is an area of immense interest to flight attendants who worked prior to the ban of in-flight smoking. It's also relevant to waitresses, bar tenders, and anyone else who worked in areas where smoking was prevalent.

Source: Press release from American Academy of Neurology