title: Cerebral blood flow and cessation of cigarette smoking in healthy volunteers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The mechanisms by which cessation of cigarette smoking may improve regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and the details of the possible relationship remain unclear. Xenon-133 inhalation was used to determine rCBF in six smokers at baseline (during smoking) and again 6 and 9 years after they had quit smoking (quitter group). A control group of eight nonsmokers (nonsmokers group) underwent similar serial determinations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regional CBF in quitters had decreased significantly after the 6 years, but improved significantly after 9 years, when abstinence had been maintained from 4 to 6 years. In the nonsmokers group rCBF did not change significantly over 9 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cessation of cigarette smoking improves cerebral circulation, but this effect requires several years.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Shimane Medical University, Izumo.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation