MARCH 3-4, 2012 NICOTINE PATCH HELPS AGAINST BRAIN IMPAIRMENT

"The possibilites are numerous once we decide to act and not react."

- George Bernard Shaw

This is one of many quotes from author/playwright Mr Shaw. Born in 1856, he did most of his work in the early 1900's. A play which picks fun at the medical profession is The Doctor's Dilemna (1906) which every physician should read. It is so poignant and relative to today's world of medicine. Let us not forget Pygmalion (1912) which was later turned into the play and movie, My Fair Lady. Professor Higgins is most likely Mr Shaw.

Did you know nicotine is from a plant? Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants (Solanaceae). It constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of the dry weight of tobacco with biosynthesis taking place in the roots and accumulation occurring in the leaves. The Solanaceae Family has been highly cultivated over the years - it includes potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, sweet peppers, chili peppers (but not black pepper), tobacco and petunias. Some plants have great medicinal value, some are quite poisonous.

In low concentrations (an average cigarette yields about 1 mg of absorbed nicotine), the substance acts as a stimulant in mammals and is the main factor responsible for the dependence-forming properties of tobacco smoking. According to the American Heart Association, nicotine addiction has historically been one of the hardest addictions to break. The pharmacological and behavioral characteristics that determine tobacco addiction are similar to those that determine addiction to heroin and cocaine. Nicotine content in cigarettes has slowly increased over the years. One study found an average increase of 1.6% per year between the years of 1998 and 2005. This was found for all major market categories of cigarettes.

So we know that nicotine is bad. However a recent study indicated that the nicotine patch does have a benefit. A study revealed Nicotine Patch Helps Against Cognitive Impairment.
A nicotine patch worn for six months can improve attention, memory and mental processing in people with mild cognitive impairment, a clinical trial has found. Mild cognitive impairment, or M.C.I., involves a decline in mental acuity that is noticeable but not severe enough to be diagnosed as dementia. It is often a precursor to more severe disease.

Researchers randomly assigned 67 otherwise healthy men and women with M.C.I. to wear a nicotine patch or a placebo patch for six months. The volunteers, nonsmokers whose average age was 76, took periodic tests of mental ability, mood and behavior. Those with the nicotine patch showed improvements in reaction times, attention and long-term memory, and more modest improvements in short-term memory. For subjects on the placebo, scores declined on those tests.

Dr. Paul A. Newhouse of Vanderbilt University, lead author, said there is good evidence that nerve cells that regulate attention have nicotine receptors. Still, the authors acknowledge that the sample was small, and there is no information on long-term progression. Dr. Newhouse warned that no one should start using a nicotine patch in the hope that it will improve memory.

So should everyone start smoking? Absolutely NOT. Should everyone use a nicotine patch? Absolutely, NOT SURE.

Until tomorrow...