Smoke This: Parkinson’s is rarer among tobacco users
By Brian Vastag
Call it a flimsy silver lining to a noxious blue cloud: Long-term smokers have half the risk of Parkinson’s disease that nonsmokers do, according to a new report.
In 12,000 people studied, those who smoked the most—the equivalent of at least a pack a day for 60 years—had the lowest risk. And after smokers stubbed out their last butts, the protective effect faded.
Cigarette, cigar, and pipe smoking appear to offer similar anti-Parkinson’s benefits, according to the report in the July Archives of Neurology.