06/23/2026
SMOKING AND PD
I would like to address a decades old observation
about smoking and Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Some of
you may be aware that there is an observation about
the relationship of PD and smoking that seems to
contradict the notion that smoking is not a habit we
want to promote for any reason but the internet and
social media being what it is you may come across the
observation that links smoking with a lower risk of PD.
A nationwide review of 410,000 adults showed
that current smokers had the lowest incidence of PD.
Those who quit -whether recently or long ago- had
a roughly 60% higher risk. The severe health risks
of smoking cannot be overlooked. It remains the
leading cause of preventable death and contributes
to severe lung disease as well as heart disease.
The link between smoking and lower PD risk is an
association and should not be interpreted as evidence
that smoking prevents the disease. The study found the
association between smoking and PD risk was clearly off
set by the lower death risk associated with non-smokers
or in those that had discontinued the smoking habit.
My take on this, and I will need to look into
it further, is not that smoking provides some type
of protection against PD but it may be the use of
ni****ne. Ni****ne has been touted to help with
improved performance and cognition. It has been
used along with other supplements in patients with
traumatic brain injury and stroke. Don’t start smoking !!
