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· Health/Science
· Cessation
· Women
· Aging/Elderly
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Quitters reduce death risk within 5 years, study says
Jump to full article: Baltimore (MD) Sun, 2008-05-07
Author: Jonathan Bor * Sun reporter
Intro: People who have spent most of their lives smoking may derive health benefits within five years of quitting - drastically reducing their chance of dying from a heart attack, stroke or lung cancer, according to a study published today.
In just five years, quitters reduced their added risk of dying of a heart attack by 47 percent and of lung cancer by 21 percent. Over time, their risk declined to the level of nonsmokers.
The message: There is hope for even the most inveterate smokers.
"Many people think there's just nothing they can do," said Stacey A. Kenfield, an epidemiologist with the Harvard School of Public Health. "But even in the short term, we do see benefit for some diseases, and it's worth it even if you're 70 years old and you've been smoking all your life."
The analysis, published in today's Journal of the American Medical Association, is the most complete picture to date of the health effects of quitting, some experts said.
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