Smokers need to seriously take the warning, no matter how passé it already sounds. Aside from lung disease, diabetes, and cancer, smokers are also likely to develop schizophrenia, a recent study confirms.
The group of researchers at King's College London found that smokers are more at risk of developing psychotic disorder at an even younger age.
Published in the Lancet Psychiatry, the researchers looked into 61 separate studies which involved 14,555 smokers and 273,162 non-smokers, which concluded that the nicotine in cigarette smokes negatively affects the brain.
Furthermore, it was found that 57 percent of those diagnosed with psychosis were already smoking even at the onset of their psychotic encounter. Heavy smokers are also more likely to develop schizophrenia compared to non-smokers and they develop it a year earlier than the usual.
"While it's always hard to determine the direction of causality, our findings indicate that smoking should be taken seriously as a possible risk factor for developing psychosis," James MacCabe, an expert in psychosis and the lead researcher, mentioned.
But it is not only nicotine that is to be blamed. MacCabe also mentioned that heavy smoking, partnered with, diet, lifestyle and other factors, could trigger schizophrenia.
The researchers also highlighted that biological factors also play a role in the development of psychosis. These include excessive dopamine in the body which, as Sir Robin Murray, professor of psychiatric research at King's College, pointed out "is the best biological explanation we have for psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia."
"It is possible that nicotine exposure, by increasing the release of dopamine, causes psychosis to develop," Murray continued. Drugs, such as amphetamines, cocaine and cannabis, hastened the buildup of dopamine in the body.
Schizophrenia is a debilitating psychiatric disorder that manifests in early adulthood. It disrupts a person's clear thinking and perception, manifesting psychotic experiences.
