Many people smoke, thinking some tough question: Smoking supposedly helps to focus, it helps to stir up the brain, to spur thinking, and so on, While no one is arguing that nicotine is not the best way affects the cardiovascular system. However, it would be strange to think that heart problems do not affect the condition of the brain.

Scientists from king's College, London University (UK) conducted a study of almost 9 thousand people over 50 years old. The aim of this work was to find out whether cardiovascular risk with the weakening of the brain functions. With age, the brain is worse, and there's no escaping it, but people in the state of both slow down and speed up this process. Mental capacity was checked by the tests (for example, subjects had to memorize as many words as possible or to call as many animals for a limited time). The study was long, and such tests were also carried out through 4 and 8 years after it began. Their results were compared with the state of heart and vessels and way of life.

In the end, according to researchers in the journal of Age and Ageing, they managed to establish a clear relationship between the probability of heart attack and weakening of cognitive functions of the brain. And all together it is depended on the area: the more a person smoked, the worse were the results of the tests. That is, concluded the researchers, Smoking worsens the higher functions of the brain: memory, thinking, and so on, "Bridge" here, obviously, are the heart and blood vessels: the worse the brain is supplied with blood, the worse it works.

Of course, at the heart influenced by other factors - such as obesity. However, about overweight nobody ever said that it helps to focus. Interestingly, in the same study, the authors came to the conclusion that in itself overweight weaker effect on the brain than Smoking. In short, if you really want as long as possible to keep the memory and clarity of mind (especially if you are in a relatively old age) - first of all try as quickly as possible to quit Smoking. And at the same time begin to eat.

Based on the materials of king's College, University of London.