Tobacco and Alcohol Use and Associated Cognitive Decline in the Older Adult
Population
 
   Lead Investigator:    Naomi Holt
   Institution      :    University of Wisconsin
   E-Mail           :    naomi.holt2@va.gov
   Proposal ID      :    865


   Publications:


1  Nystrom N, Cook J, Norton DL, Zuelsdorff M, Wyman MF, Flowers Benton S, Carlsson CM, Johnson SC, Asthana Sm Gleason CE
   Tobacco Exposure Cessation Is Associated with Incident Dementia and Nursing Homes
   Abstract  AAIC 2018,7:P1347-1348,2018,

   PUBLISHED





   Proposal Description:
   Evidence suggests that tobacco and alcohol use may be under-treated in those      with cognitive decline. This is important because both smoking and heavy          drinking leads to premature morbidity and mortality (Mokdad, Marks,  Stroup,      2004). Moreover, research suggests that decline in global cognitive scores is     faster in heavy alcohol drinkers who smoke relative to moderate alcohol           drinkers who do not smoke (Hagger-Johnson et al., 2013).                          Research on tobacco cessation in the older adult population is sparse, but        initial studies have shown that tobacco cessation is effective for mortality      reduction in the elderly population (Gellert, Schottker,  Brenner, 2012).         Although tobacco cessation clearly reduces risk for mortality, the relationship   between cognitive functioning and tobacco use is less clear. Some studies show    that tobacco use does not change the risk of Alzheimer???s disease, whereas       other studies show the opposite (Cataldo, Prochaska,  Glantz, 2010). More         recent research on alcohol consumption has suggested it has a protective effect   at lower doses on the risk of Alzheimer???s disease in nonsmokers (Harwood et     al., 2010), but this can vary depending on gender, the presence or absence of     the APOE ??4 allele, and other health variables (Garcia, Ramon-Bou,  Porta,       2010). Surveys of primary care physicians indicate that although the majority     of primary care physicians inquire about smoking status of older adults, only     about half offer patients smoking cessation support (Huddlestone, Walker,         Hussian-Mills,  Ratschen, 2015). There is a need for research examining           changes in tobacco and alcohol use in the older adult population and its effect   on cognition and emotional health.                                                This research aims to examine the prevalence of alcohol and tobacco use in        those with and without a cogniti