FORCES - Evidence by topic - Back to: Proving the lies of the anti-tobacco cartel: The Evidence
Bibliography on studies - The untold evidence
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE IS ASSOCIATED WITH NON-SMOKING
Graves' pooled reanalysis found, "A statistically significant inverse
relation between smoking and Alzheimer's disease was observed at all levels of
analysis, with a trend towards decreasing risk with increasing consumption
(p=0.0003). A propensity towards a stronger inverse relation was observed
among patients with a positive family history of dementia."
Only three studies have ever linked smoking with AD. The reanalysis, in
which the author of one participated, noted, "Since veterans may be expected
to smoke more than the general population, and since smokers have been found
to respond less frequently to questionnaires than non-smokers, the positive
result observed for this study may be spurious."
Contrary to a claim that smokers got AD at a younger age, there was no
difference in men. Female smokers were younger among both cases and controls,
which proved it to be spurious.
Over 4 million people suffer from AD, and annual costs are over $88
billion. There may be 73,000 excess cases per year among non-smokers, with
$17.5 billion in excess costs.
 Ferini-Strambi L, Smirne S et al. Clinical and epidemiological aspects of Alzheimer's disease with presenile onset: a case-control study. Neuroepidemiol 1990;9:39-49. 63 ADs, ever/never 0.47 (0.23-0.94).
Li G, Shen YC et al. A case-control study of Alzheimer's disease in China. Neurol 1992 Aug;42(8):1481-1488. 70 ADs, >10y 0.92 (0.45-1.87), >20y 0.87 (0.35-2.16).
Hebert LE, Scherr PA et al. Relation of smoking and alcohol consumption to incident Alzheimer's disease. Am J Epidemiol 1992;135(4):347-355. 76 ADs, ever/never 0.7 (0.3-1.4), 40 pyrs 0.8 (0.6-1.1).
Jones GMM, Reith M et al. Smoking and Dementia of Alzheimer type (letter). J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1987;50:1383. 81 ADs. ever/never 0.63 (from Graves: NON-smokers 1.58).
Grossberg GT, Nakra R et al. Smoking as a Risk Factor for Alzheimer's Disease (letter). J Am Geriatr Soc 1989;37:822. 144 ADs ever/never 0.33 unmatched OR (p<0.01) (from Graves). Reported that female smokers had onset 2 years earlier, non-significant.
Brenner DE, Kukull WA et al. Relationship between cigarette smoking and Alzheimer's disease in a population-based case-control study. Neurol 1993; 43(2):293-300. 152 e/n 0.61 (0.37-0.99).
Graves AB, van Duijn CM et al., for the EURODEM Risk Factors Research Group.
Alcohol and tobacco consumption as risk factors for Alzheimer's disease: A
collaborative reanalysis of case-control studies. Int J Epidemiol 1991;20(2
Suppl 2):S48-S57. All 8 studies, 899 cases: ever/never 0.78 (0.62-0.98 with
Shalat), 0.72 (0.56-0.92 without); <1p 0.84 (0.75-0.92), >1p 0.81 (0.53-
1.27) with. 4 studies with pack-year data, adjusted for education: <15 py
0.68 (0.46-1.01), 15.5-37.0 py 0.58 (0.37-0.89), >37.0 py 0.49 (0.30-0.78).
The 8 studies:
Amaducci LA et al. Neurol 1986;36:922-931. 116 ever/never 0.60 (0.26-1.37).
Broe GA et al. Neurol 1990;40:1698-1707. 168 ever/never 0.79 (0.47-1.31).
Chandra V et al. Neurol 1987;37:1295-1300. 63 ever/never 0.57 (0.24-1.36)
French LR et al. Am J Epidemiol 1985;121(3):414-421. 78 ever/never 0.50 (0.15-0.66).
Graves AB et al. Ann Neurol 1990;28:766-774. 129 ever/never 0.73 (0.43-1.23).
Heyman A et al. Ann Neurol 1984;15:335-341. 46 ever/never 0.97 (0.45-2.13).
Hofman A et al. Neurobiol Aging 1990;11:295. 197 ever/never 0.73 (0.45-1.17).
Shalat SL et al. Neurol 1987;37:1630-1633. 102 ever/never 1.53 (0.74-3.17).
NOT SHOWN ON GRAPH:
Appel SH. Alzheimer's disease. In: Brain Neurotransmitters and Receptors in Aging and Age-Related Disorders (Aging, Vol 17). SJ Enna et al, eds. New York: Raven Press 1981. pp 203-207. Observed that only 6/30 patients ever smoked.
Barclay L, Kheyfets S. Tobacco use in Alzheimer's disease. In: Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders. Alan R Liss 1989. pp 189-194. 39 ADs vs spouse controls: ever 64.1%/69.2%.
Hirayama T. Health effects of active and passive smoking. In: Smoking and Health 1987. Proc 6th World Conf of Smoking and Health, Tokyo, 9-12 Nov, 1987. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier Science Pub, pp. 75-86. Rate ratio 39 male 1.53, 13 female 1.72; 1-14 cigs 1.5, 15-19 2.1, 20+ 2.4. Number of non-smokers not given.
Joya CJ, Pardo CA, Londono JL. (abstr) Risk factors in clinically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease: a case-control study in Colombia (South America). Neurobiol Aging 1990;11:296. 43 ADs. "Tobacco use (>20 cigarettes/day)... tended to be more frequent among cases of AD than controls; however differences were not significant." No detail.
Katzman R, Aronson M et al. Development of dementing illnesses in an 80-year-old volunteer cohort. Ann Neurol 1989;25:317-324. 32 incident ADs/controls: 28.1%/51.1% ex, 0.0%/10.9% current. Prospective: "In this [75-85 yr old] study population, the incidence of dementia exceeded that of stroke and equalled that of presumed heart attacks."
Mayeux R, Ottman R et al. Genetic susceptibility and head injury as risk factors for Alzheimer's disease among community-dwelling elderly persons and their first-degree relatives. Ann Neurol 1993;33(5):494-501. 138 ADs; "smoking was more frequent in control subjects than in patients," no detail.
Courtesy of Carol Thompson 08/23/93
Smokers' Rights Action Group
P.O. Box 259575
Madison, WI 53725-9575
Phone: 608-249-4568
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