Leonard Nimoy Reveals He Has Lung Disease, Warns Against Smoking

http://celebrity.yahoo.com ^ | february 5, 2014 | Raechal Leone Shewfelt

[lowbridge]

It's too late for Leonard Nimoy, but he wants his fans to know that they should quit smoking now.

The 82-year-old actor, who's played the iconic role of Spock in "Star Trek" TV shows and movies since 1966, has revealed that he has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from his days as a smoker.

"I quit smoking 30 yrs ago. Not soon enough. I have COPD. Grandpa says, quit now!! LLAP" he wrote on Twitter, referencing the traditional Vulcan salutation, live long and prosper.

COPD is a disease that makes it increasingly difficult to breathe, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Patients who have it often have the conditions of emphysema and chronic bronchitis, and experience tightening of the chest, shortness of breath, and other symptoms. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of COPD, which is now the third leading cause of death in the United States.

[Dr. Sivana]

I remember one of my favorite actors, Yul Bryner, doing a PSA where he looked into the camera and said "Just don't smoke."

And NO ONE smoked like Yul Brynner. Here he is in Westworld:"

[PowderMonkey]

Yul Brenner smoked five packs a day. So did another great actor Buster Keaton. Both were incredibly athletic despite their heavy smoking, but smoking eventually took its toll none the less. Keaton died at age 70, but he looked and sounded 100.

[GOP_Party_Animal]

Yul Brynner filmed that ad to be aired after his death so as to increase its effectiveness.

[Bon of Babble]

My aunt died of COPD in her 80s. Never smoked a day in her life, she did, however live with a smoker for 30 years until he quit — my uncle developed lung cancer after he’d quit 30 years previously.

My aunt also swept out my uncle’s wood shop for years — dr. said her lungs looked like they’d been damaged by sawdust or asbestos.

It IS a painful way to go, she could never quite catch her breath, coughed 24/7 and said she felt like she was drowning.

[Bon of Babble]

So sad! Sorry, I know it’s a terrible way to go. The story you told about your brother’s exposure to chemicals reminded me of one my mother told me: One of her friends died of emphysema/COPD. Never smoked in her life - however HER parents owned a dry cleaning business and she grew up OVER the building.

That’s why I take dry cleaning to a business that doesn’t use whatever horrible chemical most of them use, can’t stand the smell.

[Gay State Conservative]

My Dad stopped smoking too late as well.He was in his 60's and the disease had already begun.But we saw to it that he got first rate health care (one of the few advantages of living near Boston) and he did reasonably well for about 15 years and then things accelerated.His last few years weren't pretty.

I thank God that when I started smoking at 15 it made me dizzy....dizzy enough for me to say to myself "smoking makes me look cool but this dizziness is crazy.I'm gonna stop".And I did.

[Sacajaweau]

He’s 82...Old age killed him.

[dangerdoc]

Looking at a life table, if you hit 82, your life expectancy is about 90. If you hit 90, your life expectancy is about 94 and so on. This guy could live forever.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Bummer, Vulcans are supposed to live over 200, and even though he’s only half you’d think he’d last longer. ;)

[servo1969]

Um, he’s 82.

I hope I make it to 82. I doubt I will.

[Drew68]

IF you want to be technical the leading cause of death is birth. 82 is getting up there.

C'mon now! Don't derail a good thread hijacking!

Don't you know that we're supposed to find a way to tie in abortion to every subject discussed here at FR? I think it's a rule.

[thackney]

Actually, the leading cause of death is life. Never happens without it.

[NormsRevenge]

Ditto on 82, mate.

My Dad passed of similar stuff at 82..

2 packs of Camel straights for 20 plus years and getting his chest crushed in a farming accident didn’t help either.

He used to tell about the young doctors and the stuff they did when he had a deflated lung.. he always had bronchial problems, asthma.. he was running on fumes at the end tho. cardiopulmonary failure was the end result even tho his heart was strong.

[Cementjungle]

"I quit smoking 30 yrs ago..."

Doesn't offer much comfort to those considering quitting.

i wonder how much breathing Los Angeles air for 50+ years had to do with his breathing issues.

[kaehurowing]

I probably won’t be around in 30 years when all the dope-smokers saying smoking marijuana is good for you have all the same problems.

[Himyar]

My husband is in his 60’s, has COPD and keeps on smoking. I almost hate him for committing suicide slowly. He’s never watched anyone die from lung problems. I have and I don’t look forward to watching him die like that.

[OKSooner]

Well... okay. Thanks for making my point. :)

[Ditter]

He didn’t “just” get lung disease at 82. It just got so bad that it “killed him at 82”. He has probably been struggling to breathe for 10 or 15 years.

I saw it with the WW2 generation in mine and my husbands family. COPD is nothing to sneer at, it destroys their quality of life long before they die from it.

[FrdmLvr]

Leonard Nimoy? He’s still alive?

[GeronL]

I understand he spends his time taking nude photographs of old fat women