Quitting smoking can quickly reduce health risks
Source: ABC 7, May 06, 2008
The Harvard School of Public Health has released a new study showing how quickly women can decrease their risk of various health problems by giving up smoking.
The study compared mortality rates among current smokers, those who quit and non-smokers over the course of twenty years. After studying this sample of approximately 100,000 women, researchers found that women who quit smoking significantly reduced their risk of developing lung cancer and cardiovascular disease in a relatively short amount of time. Within the first five years of quitting, ex-smokers saw their risk of dying from lung cancer and heart disease drop by 21% and 50%, respectively.
"There's such a great decline in risk for some diseases, that women who are contemplating whether or not to quit really see a benefit quickly with smoking cessation," said Stacy Kenfield from the Harvard School of Public Health.
Approximately 45 million people smoke in the U.S. and smoking is the number one preventable cause of death in the country. The relatively immediate benefits found in this study may provide further motivation for smokers – especially those who have smoked for years - to trade in their cigarettes for a longer, healthier life.
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