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E-Newsletter • October 2025 |
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Editor's E-Note
Maintaining brain health is crucial, especially in older adults. While researchers continue to study dementia and Alzheimer’s, the best treatment is usually prevention. This month’s exclusive dives into yet another harmful effect of cigarette smoke: cognitive decline in later life.
In addition to reading our e-newsletter, be sure to visit Today’s Geriatric Medicine’s website at www.TodaysGeriatricMedicine.com, where you’ll find news and information that’s relevant and reliable. We welcome your feedback at TGMeditor@gvpub.com. Follow Today’s Geriatric Medicine on Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter, too.
— Josh Hildebrand, editor |
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Stopping Smoking Later in Life Associated With Reduced Cognitive Decline
A groundbreaking study recently published in the Lancet Healthy Longevity has revealed compelling evidence that quitting smoking, even later in life, significantly slows cognitive decline. This research analyzed data from an extensive cohort of 9,436 individuals aged 40 and above, across 12 countries. By comparing cognitive trajectories between those who quit smoking and those who continued, the study provides fresh insights into the long-term benefits of smoking cessation on brain health.
The research team meticulously examined a range of cognitive test scores, focusing particularly on verbal fluency and memory, two domains vulnerable to age-related deterioration. Over a six-year period following smoking cessation, participants who quit showed a markedly slower decline in these cognitive faculties compared with their counterparts who kept smoking. Specifically, the decline in verbal fluency was reduced by approximately 50%, while memory decline slowed by about 20%. Such findings underscore a significant cognitive preservation linked to quitting smoking, even in middle and older ages.
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Understanding the mechanism underlying these observations is complex, yet pivotal. Smoking is known to inflict damage on cardiovascular health, deteriorating the blood vessels responsible for oxygen delivery to the brain. This vascular impairment can accelerate neurodegeneration. Beyond vascular effects, tobacco smoke induces chronic systemic inflammation and generates oxidative stress through the production of reactive free radicals, both of which directly compromise neuronal integrity and function. Consequently, smoking exerts a multifaceted assault on cognitive health.
Mikaela Bloomberg, lead author from University College London’s Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, emphasizes the public health significance of these findings. She notes that quitting smoking can help maintain cognitive function even when cessation occurs after age 50. Given that middle-aged and older smokers tend to have lower quit rates despite bearing a disproportionate burden of smoking-related harm, this new evidence could serve as a potent motivator to encourage smoking cessation in this demographic.
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Some Stress Contributes to Healthy Aging
Researchers at the University of Basel in Switzerland found that in a type of worm, a diet that induces mild stress defenses aids in healthy aging—which could be applied to older adults as well. Their research is published in Nature Communications.
Insomnia and Dementia Risk
It’s well known that insomnia increases the risk of developing certain disorders or ailments. A new study published in Neurology found that participants with chronic insomnia were at a 40% higher risk for dementia.
Circadian Rhythm Could Disrupt Alzheimer’s
Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine, investigating the link between circadian rhythm and Alzheimer’s disease, found that inhibiting an associated protein protects against neurodegenerative diseases. Their research is published in Nature Aging.
Resilience and Social Isolation
Social isolation and loneliness in older adults have been a problem since the pandemic in 2020. Researchers are studying different techniques, such as resilience frameworks, to better address this issue. |
Felix NeuroAI Wristband for Essential Tremor
The Felix NeuroAI Wristband is a transcutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation device used to treat adults with essential tremor. The device, which recently received FDA 510(k) clearance, uses AI software that incorporates patient movement and surface neural recordings to deliver tailored and dynamic electrical stimulation to the ulnar, median, and radial nerves, reducing tremor-related disability and improving quality of life. Learn more » |
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COVER STORY
The Late-Onset Allergy Puzzle
Food allergies aren’t just a childhood issue. They can emerge later in life and often go undiagnosed in older adults. Learn why recognizing and managing food allergies in aging populations is becoming increasingly vital for geriatric care teams.
FEATURE
Shingles’ Psychological Impact
Shingles isn’t just a painful rash—it’s a serious illness that can affect one in three adults, especially as they age. Learn how this often-overlooked condition can impact older adults’ physical and mental health—and what providers need to know.
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