Smoking fights Parkinson's?

[SmokeyJoe]

Long-term smoking linked to reduced risk of Parkinson's Disease...

http://www.aolnews.com/health/articl...ons%2F19395098

[NCRadioMan]

That can't be true, Joe. Everybody knows smoking is evil and provides nothing positive.

[shilala]

Cool article, Joe. There's a reason for that, but they really didn't touch on it.
The nicotine is the good part. The rest, not so much.
Nicotine can synthetically open channels that allow control of stuff. That in itself would delay onset of Parkinson's.
Parkinson's and a lot of other neural disorders and acquired. They result (supposedly, and it makes sense) from missense mutations caused by environmental factors, such as poisoning. Poisoning is a relative term. It can be anything, like poisoning from taking too many tylenol for 20 years.
That said, you could also develop Parkinson's from the ammonia in cigarettes, or other associated toxins. The nicotine connection makes sense as to why there's a lower instance. Remove all the other crap, and cigarettes would probably make a big difference.
I'd love to see a study done on cigar smokers and snuff chewers. It'd be interesting.

[Whee]

I call BS.

Apparenlty only cigarettes have the benefit.

Dad was a pipe smoker for at least 35 years. 2 or 3 bowls a day.

Parkinson's diagnosed in 1997. Passed in 2005.

Nice to hear baccy getting a positive spin, though.

[M1903A1]

Originally Posted by illinoishoosier

I call BS.

Apparenlty only cigarettes have the benefit.

Dad was a pipe smoker for at least 35 years. 2 or 3 bowls a day.

Parkinson's diagnosed in 1997. Passed in 2005.

Nice to hear baccy getting a positive spin, though.

I'm inclined to agree. My former shop head at the museum was a cigar smoker, probably since the 50s (5 or 10 a day), and it's been determined that he's had Parkinson's setting in for the last six years.

[Razorhog]

So maybe people should take up smoking so they won't get Parkinson's!
They won't get it because they'll be dead from lung cancer or emphysema or some other horrible disease.

[mosesbotbol]

Funny. My doctor recommends Pall Mall.

[SmokeyJoe]

It does say that there was only a 41% improvement... then later in the article it mentions a possible link to pesticides as a cause.

Just thought the article was interesting... even if incomplete.

Still... lighting up another cigar.

Originally Posted by illinoishoosier

I call BS.

Apparenlty only cigarettes have the benefit.

Dad was a pipe smoker for at least 35 years. 2 or 3 bowls a day.

Parkinson's diagnosed in 1997. Passed in 2005.

Nice to hear baccy getting a positive spin, though.

Originally Posted by M1903A1

I'm inclined to agree. My former shop head at the museum was a cigar smoker, probably since the 50s (5 or 10 a day), and it's been determined that he's had Parkinson's setting in for the last six years.

I call BS as well...I finally kicked the cigarette habit back in May of last year...after 20 years...

I've been on and off several different series of drugs for ""tremors"".