smoking

Smoking and Dementia Risk

/ SupremeCmdr / Leave a comment

Arch Intern Med — Abstract: Heavy Smoking in Midlife and Long-term Risk of Alzheimer Disease and Vascular Dementia, October 25, 2010, Rusanen et al. 0 (2010): archinternmed.2010.393v1

Conclusions – In this large cohort, heavy smoking in midlife was associated with a greater than 100% increase in risk of dementia, AD, and VaD more than 2 decades later. These results suggest that the brain is not immune to long-term consequences of heavy smoking. 

The Lesser of Two Evils

/ SupremeCmdr / Leave a comment

Back in May the FDA released an advisory on Chantix. The same month a study from The Institute for Safe Medication Practices shed light on the numbers:

  • 544 reports suggesting Chantix may be related to a loss of glycemic control
  • 224 reports classified as potential cardiac rhythm disturbances
  • From May 2006 through December 2007, the FDA received 227 reports of suicidal acts, thoughts or behaviors, 397 cases of possible psychosis and 525 reports of hostility or aggression.

I think I’d rather keep smoking.