Smoking Study Patients Rarely Return

I thought this was funny:

June 9, 2008 -- Smoking in midlife results in poor memory and makes it harder to think and learn, according to research published in the June 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

What's more, developing cognitive problems in your 30s, 40s, and 50s may speed the onset of dementia. Smoking damages blood vessels, including those in the brain. Scientists recently concluded that smoking is a risk factor for dementia.

However, the link between smoking and cognitive problems has been hard to determine because few study patients return for follow-up visits or they die of smoking-related diseases before the research is completed.

- WebMD