6 ms·

This reminds me of what I read about Nicotine and how it was thought to prevent Alzheimer's, but I believe it was just the fact those smoking tobacco had a lowe

This reminds me of what I read about Nicotine and how it was thought to prevent Alzheimer's, but I believe it was just the fact those smoking tobacco had a lower chance to live to the age to be diagnosed or develop it.

ralusek 5y ago
Motorcycles prevent old age.
- smokeyfish 5y ago
  Old age prevents older age.
  - ralusek 5y ago
    Birth is the leading cause of death.
bigodbiel 5y ago
I think you are confusing with Parkinsons, and there is a co-relation with dopamine receptors, and it's proven. Also, this being a Crohn's post, smoking also has benefits in curtailing Inflammatory Bowel Disease, but not Crohn's edit: more specifically smoking decreases the incidence of ulceraive colitis (an IBS)
- FearlessNebula 5y ago
  UC is not an IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), it is an IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) of which I believe crohns is as well.
DoreenMichele 5y ago
Many years ago on a discussion list for a really deadly condition, someone talked about a child in the family dying really young and no one knew why and everyone was so heartbroken and felt so guilty. And I guess later someone else was diagnosed with this very deadly condition and eventually someone suggested to the mother of the child "Maybe the child also had this deadly genetic disorder and they were just not diagnosed. Maybe you didn't do anything wrong." And the mother was finally able to make her peace with the mysterious death of this child, who had been maybe five years old. I think the person who told the story was a lot older than me. Children dying young tends to be a thing in less developed countries and people don't necessarily know why.
- 8ytecoder 5y ago
  My family tree from a mere two generations ago is filled with kids who died under the age of 5 - some are mundane but most are undiagnosed. They just know the symptoms that were fatal not the cause. 1960s and earlier. That’s not at all that long ago.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
heresie-dabord 5y ago
Survivorship bias https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias
epgui 5y ago
Fun fact: strangely enough, there are two conditions for which smoking is known to be a protective factor. Parkinson's disease, and Ulcerative Colitis (UC). Interestingly, though Crohn's Disease (CD) and UC are strikingly similar forms of IBD, nicotine has the opposite effect on both. Nicotine will increase inflammation in CD and reduce it in UC, through the a7 receptor and up/down-regulation of Treg cells: https://www.jimmunol.org/content/187/5/2677 https://www.jimmunol.org/content/187/5/2677
- jsmith99 5y ago
  For colitis, it doesn't seem to simply be the nicotine as studies using nicotine patches saw little or no effect. This suggests the smoke itself may have some effect. There is a summary at https://www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/about-crohns-and-colitis/publications/smoking-and-ibd https://www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/about-crohns-and-colitis....
- colechristensen 5y ago
  Smoking also makes you less likely to contract covid but more likely to have serious outcomes from it if you do. Something about the immune reaction to the smoke being beneficial to avoid infection and the long term lung damage making it worse when infected.
  - edmundsauto 5y ago
    Is that true when adjusted for close human connection? My understanding of smoker culture is they are less likely to be in close quarters with other people, unless those others are also smoking. And then they tend to be outside.
  - Retric 5y ago
    My suspicion is it’s a byproduct of coating the lungs with tar. You sacrifice lung function for a slightly more robust physical barrier. The obvious test for immune system response would be if chewing tobacco users would see similar resistance to infection. Hopefully this will eventually clear things up: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04896918 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04896918
robbiep 5y ago
I haven’t seen nicotine as being protective for alzheimers, but it is protective for Parkinson’s and Ulcerative colitis. In fact during medical school I saw a young patient who was trying to get healthy to help deal with her autoimmune issues, and had stopped smoking, inadvertently likely triggering a massive flare of UC
- racecar789 5y ago
  I can personally attest this is true. Nicotine does help with ulcerative colitis. I buy Swedish snus which is far less toxic that American tobacco.
  - colordrops 5y ago
    Why not just vape?
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
    - racecar789 5y ago
      Vaping is certainly an option.
blamestross 5y ago
That's relatively easy to correct for. This is an animal study, which doesn't have that bias: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160920160635.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160920160635.h... Basically, this is why I vape. Early onset dementia represents much higher existential risk than vaping does.
zuj 5y ago
I am going to add this to my list of examples for survivorship bias. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias
roody15 5y ago
I wonder too if it has to do with the eating. People who eat less and intermittently fast have lower rates of Alzheimer’s. The thought is when you fast your body recycles excess proteins that build up on your brain, reducing brain plaque buildup over time. Nicotine is a known appetite suppressant.

ralusek 5y ago

Motorcycles prevent old age.

smokeyfish 5y ago
Old age prevents older age.
- ralusek 5y ago
  Birth is the leading cause of death.

bigodbiel 5y ago

I think you are confusing with Parkinsons, and there is a co-relation with dopamine receptors, and it's proven. Also, this being a Crohn's post, smoking also has benefits in curtailing Inflammatory Bowel Disease, but not Crohn's edit: more specifically smoking decreases the incidence of ulceraive colitis (an IBS)

FearlessNebula 5y ago
UC is not an IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), it is an IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) of which I believe crohns is as well.

DoreenMichele 5y ago

Many years ago on a discussion list for a really deadly condition, someone talked about a child in the family dying really young and no one knew why and everyone was so heartbroken and felt so guilty. And I guess later someone else was diagnosed with this very deadly condition and eventually someone suggested to the mother of the child "Maybe the child also had this deadly genetic disorder and they were just not diagnosed. Maybe you didn't do anything wrong." And the mother was finally able to make her peace with the mysterious death of this child, who had been maybe five years old. I think the person who told the story was a lot older than me. Children dying young tends to be a thing in less developed countries and people don't necessarily know why.

8ytecoder 5y ago
My family tree from a mere two generations ago is filled with kids who died under the age of 5 - some are mundane but most are undiagnosed. They just know the symptoms that were fatal not the cause. 1960s and earlier. That’s not at all that long ago.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]

heresie-dabord 5y ago

Survivorship bias https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias

epgui 5y ago

Fun fact: strangely enough, there are two conditions for which smoking is known to be a protective factor. Parkinson's disease, and Ulcerative Colitis (UC). Interestingly, though Crohn's Disease (CD) and UC are strikingly similar forms of IBD, nicotine has the opposite effect on both. Nicotine will increase inflammation in CD and reduce it in UC, through the a7 receptor and up/down-regulation of Treg cells: https://www.jimmunol.org/content/187/5/2677 https://www.jimmunol.org/content/187/5/2677

jsmith99 5y ago
For colitis, it doesn't seem to simply be the nicotine as studies using nicotine patches saw little or no effect. This suggests the smoke itself may have some effect. There is a summary at https://www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/about-crohns-and-colitis/publications/smoking-and-ibd https://www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/about-crohns-and-colitis....
colechristensen 5y ago
Smoking also makes you less likely to contract covid but more likely to have serious outcomes from it if you do. Something about the immune reaction to the smoke being beneficial to avoid infection and the long term lung damage making it worse when infected.
- edmundsauto 5y ago
  Is that true when adjusted for close human connection? My understanding of smoker culture is they are less likely to be in close quarters with other people, unless those others are also smoking. And then they tend to be outside.
- Retric 5y ago
  My suspicion is it’s a byproduct of coating the lungs with tar. You sacrifice lung function for a slightly more robust physical barrier. The obvious test for immune system response would be if chewing tobacco users would see similar resistance to infection. Hopefully this will eventually clear things up: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04896918 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04896918

robbiep 5y ago

I haven’t seen nicotine as being protective for alzheimers, but it is protective for Parkinson’s and Ulcerative colitis. In fact during medical school I saw a young patient who was trying to get healthy to help deal with her autoimmune issues, and had stopped smoking, inadvertently likely triggering a massive flare of UC

racecar789 5y ago
I can personally attest this is true. Nicotine does help with ulcerative colitis. I buy Swedish snus which is far less toxic that American tobacco.
- colordrops 5y ago
  Why not just vape?
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - racecar789 5y ago
    Vaping is certainly an option.

blamestross 5y ago

That's relatively easy to correct for. This is an animal study, which doesn't have that bias: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160920160635.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160920160635.h... Basically, this is why I vape. Early onset dementia represents much higher existential risk than vaping does.

zuj 5y ago

I am going to add this to my list of examples for survivorship bias. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias

roody15 5y ago

I wonder too if it has to do with the eating. People who eat less and intermittently fast have lower rates of Alzheimer’s. The thought is when you fast your body recycles excess proteins that build up on your brain, reducing brain plaque buildup over time. Nicotine is a known appetite suppressant.