Thank YOU for smoking!
Posted on 10/17/2006 1:09:34 PM PDT by trumandogz
TUESDAY, Oct. 17 (HealthDay News) -- A new study finds that at least 1 in every 4 smokers will develop progressive and incurable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a much higher risk than previously believed.
COPD is a respiratory disease that results in blocked air flow to the lungs and grows progressively worse.
For this study, published online in the journal Thorax, researchers at Hvidovre Hospital analyzed data on 8,000 men and women, ages 30 to 60. All were monitored for 25 years as part of the Copenhagen City Heart Study.
At the start of the study, all the participants' lungs were healthy and working normally. However, over the course of the 25 years, the lungs of almost all the male non-smokers continued to function normally, compared to 60 percent of men who continued to smoke.
Among women, 90 percent of non-smokers still had healthy lungs at the end of 25 years, compared to 70 percent of smokers.
Overall, 25 percent of the participants developed moderate or severe COPD over the 25 years. Persistent smokers were six times more likely to develop COPD than non-smokers.
During the 25 years, there were 2,900 deaths in the study group. Of those deaths, 109 were directly attributable to COPD, and nearly all those deaths were in people who were active smokers at the start of the study. Only two non-smokers died of COPD.
The study also found a sharp decline in the risk of COPD among people who stopped smoking soon after the start of the study. Over the 25 years, none of these ex-smokers developed severe COPD.
Isn't it interesting that of all the smokers I've ever known, only one (my dad), ever got any type of lung disease? The folks I know must just be extra lucky or something.
I gotta admit, a lot of the talk about disease is what prompted me to quit smoking.
But mostly it was the cost, the social exclusion, and the stench it created.
There's no guarantee that any one smoker will get any one disease due to their smoking, but it's true that smoking puts you at a higher risk for all sorts of nastiness. Nastiness I'd rather avoid while keeping more dosh in my pocket. :-)
I'm willing to bet that's not true!
You may be right, but they all drank water!
I didn't make any jokes. What did you think was humorous? We are all going to die. I had a healthy neighbor get hit by a bus. I went for a smoke break. I've been on a respiratory floor (I have a ANOTHER nurse girlfriend, what can I say, I like nurses)
I smoke, but I am not some freak alarmist. I want to enjoy my time, not suffer eating bland food mixed with sawdust. I like beer & cigars.
Oh horrors, i drive fast, too.
Screw it, I like living life, and if I go a little early, tough crap, I'm having fun. I don't plan on having anythin left at the end, I want to use up every single bit of life in me.
If you crossed the street 20-60 times a day for 25 years your risk of dying from being hit by a car would go way up.
I'm so sorry to hear about that. I've known far too many people in your situation. Just wait for the addicts on FR to attack you, however.
Yeah, I'm tired of paying the medical costs for those morons who blow out their knees from running.
They can attack away. I was addicted and decided I wanted to live a bit and finally beat it. Beat the tobacco but lost all my chances of leading a normal life
Yep. Even though it appears nonsensical, that is the objective conclusion to reading the data presented - former smokers have less risk than those who never smoked. Oh, the irony.
Well, if you read most of the messages in this thread, tobacco can't be blamed for this person's health problems.
According to this thinking ,there is no such thing as "smoker's disabilities."
Because the 75% have heart attacks first
LOL.... thanks, I knew it wasn't Thorax, but I just couldn't recall the name.
Some weep-o-crat study again. biased. Not too smart weep-o-crats!!!
You said: If you crossed the street 20-60 times a day for 25 years your risk of dying from being hit by a car would go way up.
***
I am no statistician, so I don't know if the odds go up for each time you cross the street. Theoretically the risk is the same each time, I think. But then again, I am just a lawyer, and former high school foreign language teacher. My son is good at math, though...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.