New Study:
Smoking and Brain Health
Guest Author: Jessica Wade
Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the UK. Many people know it can damage the lungs and heart, but new research suggests it may also be bad for the brain, potentially affecting how people think, remember, and function.
New research from Thakur et et al (2026) at the University of Chicago sheds light on how smoking may harm the brain in ways we did not fully understand before. The study aimed to determine whether the lungs can directly communicate with the brain and whether nicotine, the addictive substance in tobacco, can disrupt critical processes in brain cells. To explore this, scientists looked at how nicotine affects different cells throughout the body.
The findings point to a potential lung-to-brain messaging system that may help to explain the link. The researchers found that special cells in the lungs, specifically pulmonary neuroendocrine cells (PNEC’s), react strongly when exposed to nicotine.
These cells release particles which travel through the body carrying messages. When they reach the brain, they disrupt how neurons (brain cells) control iron, an important mineral that the brain needs to function properly. This causes several problems in the brain, including a build-up of iron, stress and damage inside cells. These changes have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases like dementia (Oliver et al., 2025) and Parkinson’s, although the exact pathways are still being investigated.
It is important to note that this research was carried out in laboratory models, so further studies are needed to confirm how this process operates in the human body. While it does not prove that smoking directly causes neurodegenerative diseases on its own, it does reveal a strong potential mechanism that may help explain why the risk of such diseases is higher among people who smoke.
This is also consistent with broader evidence on nicotine’s effects on the brain, including a recent review showing that nicotine exposure can harm brain development during key development periods (especially pregnancy and adolescence), potentially affecting memory, learning, and executive function (Castro, Lotfipour & Leslie, 2023).
Translation into action
Cessation Support: This research reinforces the urgency of timely stop smoking support. Given these emerging risks, public health practice should step up efforts to encourage individuals to stop smoking, particularly among older adults. If nicotine use, including from vaping, does contribute to cognitive decline, this could place additional pressure on social care systems in the future. Preventing or delaying cognitive decline through helping more people quit smoking could help reduce this burden.
Communications: Public health campaigns should adapt to reflect growing evidence on nicotine’s potential impact on brain health. Highlighting that smoking is not just bad for your heart and lungs, but also your brain (particularly memory, learning and independence) could make these risks feel more personal and relevant, and encourage more people to quit. The findings also raise important questions about learning and development in young people, among whom vaping is becoming more common. Campaigns should therefore target both younger audiences (and parents) and older adults.
Vaping and Harm Reduction: These findings suggest we should take a careful but balanced approach to vaping as part of efforts to reduce smoking. Because vaping products also contain nicotine, there’s a possibility they could have similar effects on the brain, although we still need more research to be sure. While vaping can help some people quit smoking, it isn’t risk-free. For some groups, especially older adults, other options like licensed stop-smoking medications, may be a better choice.
Future Research: We still need more research to fully understand how nicotine affects the brain over time. Longer-term studies are needed to look at how both smoking and vaping impact the brain across different stages of life. It’s also important to explore whether the effects vary depending on things like how much nicotine people use, and how long they’ve been using it. More evidence will help build a clearer picture of the risks, and support better public health advice and policy in the future.