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Smoking cigarettes may have serious effects on the brain. 

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have unveiled the sobering reality of smoking's toll on brain health, highlighting the dire consequences of cigarette use on cognitive function and aging.

Published in Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science, the study presented the profound impact of smoking on brain volume and its role in accelerating the aging process.

Senior author Laura J. Bierut, M.D., Alumni Endowed Professor of Psychiatry, noted the importance of delving into the intricacies of smoking's effects on the brain to better understand how tobacco use harms pulmonary and cardiovascular health.

"Up until recently, scientists have overlooked the effects of smoking on the brain, in part because we were focused on all the terrible effects of smoking on the lungs and the heart," Bierut said.

"But as we've started looking at the brain more closely, it's become apparent that smoking is also really bad for your brain."

The study, meticulously crafted by Bierut and first author Yoonhoo Chang, a graduate student, delves into the complex interplay between genetics, smoking behavior, and brain volume.

Using data from the UK Biobank, encompassing over 40,000 participants, the researchers found a compelling association between smoking history, genetic predisposition and diminished brain volume.

Notably, the study demonstrated the dose-dependent nature of smoking's impact on brain health, with people consuming more packs per day exhibiting significantly smaller brain volumes.

Moreover, the findings underscored the irreversible nature of brain shrinkage associated with smoking, dispelling hopes of restoration even after cessation.

"You can't undo the damage that has already been done, but you can avoid causing further damage," Chang explained in light of the findings.

"Smoking is a modifiable risk factor. There's one thing you can change to stop aging your brain and putting yourself at increased risk of dementia, and that's to quit smoking."

Overall, the study's findings reiterate the need for comprehensive tobacco control measures and smoking cessation programs to curb the public health crisis posed by smoking-related cognitive impairments.