Age-related brain atrophy enhanced by smoking: A quantitative study with computed tomography.

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Abstract
We examined the chronic effect of smoking on brain atrophy quantitatively with computed tomography (CT). Study was performed on 159 smokers and 194 non-smokers from 40 to 69 years old with neither neurological nor focal abnormality in brain CT. Brain atrophy index (BAI) which was a quantitative marker of brain atrophy reported previously, was calculated from each pixel of brain CT. There was a significant age dependent increase of BAI in both non-smokers and smokers. Smokers showed a significant increase in BAI (atrophic) compared to non-smokers in three age groups, 50-54, 55-59 (p < 0.01, both) and 65-69 (p < 0.05). In the male, the mean BAI became high when the smoking index increased (p < 0.01). The systolic blood pressure and serum triglycerides of smokers were significantly higher than the non-smokers (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01). It was suggested that age-related brain atophy was increased by chronic smoking through advanced atherosclerosis.