A new study was published that found people exposed to second-hand smoke have a 44 percent increased risk of developing dementia, HealthDay.com reports. Though this may not be news, this study was the largest review to date that shows a link between the smoke and the risk of dementia, according to the researchers.
"There is an association between cognitive function, which is often but not necessarily a precursor of dementia, and exposure to passive smoking," lead researcher Iain Lang told the news provider.
"For people at the highest levels of exposure, the risk is probably higher."
Lang and his research team collected information on more than 4,800 nonsmokers who were over 50 years old and measured for levels of cotinine, which is found in a person's saliva for about 25 hours after being exposed to smoke.
People with the highest level of cotinine had a 44 percent increased risk of cognitive impairment when compared to people with lower cotinine levels, though even low levels of the product still brought on a risk of dementia, according to researchers.
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