It’s never too late to quit; even if you’ve been smoking all your life, you can still reap major benefits from quitting the habit. A new study based on a review of 17 previous studies from all over the world, discovered that smokers over the age of 60 could reduce their risk of premature death by 28 percent if they quit.
The study, conducted by three researchers from the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg found that current smokers had the highest mortality rates in all studies: smokers over the age of 60 were 83% more likely to die, compared with people who never smoked. However, former smokers (those who quit) over the age of 60 were 34% more likely to die than people who never smoked. That’s a 28% decline between current smokers and former smokers!
The risks were further calculated by age in an accompanying editorial: quitting reduced premature death risk by 21% for people in their 60s, by 27% for people in their 70s, and by 24% for those in their 80s. Researchers also note that the longer it’s been since you quit, the lower your risk for premature death.
The authors add:
“Many older smokers misbelieve that they are too old to quit or too old to benefit from quitting. Because of reverse causality and from seeing deaths of old friends who had quit recently, some misbelieve that quitting could be harmful. A simple, direct, strong and evidence-based warning is needed.”
It’s never too late! For more reasons to quit and helpful tips , click here!
