Posted on 11/30/2016 9:34:10 PM PST by nickcarraway
Older people who smoke may think there's no reason to give up the habit. After all, hasn't the damage to their bodies already been done?
But it turns out there's a benefit to quitting even later in life. Research published Wednesday in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine finds that older adults who quit smoking in their 60s had a lower chance of dying in the years that followed than contemporaries who kept smoking.
"It's never too late," says Sarah Nash, an epidemiologist and one of the study's authors.
The results are based on data from more than 160,000 participants older than 70 who were part of the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Participants completed questionnaires about their smoking history in 2004 or 2005 and were tracked until the end of 2011 to see who had died.
The study found that it's definitely best to avoid smoking entirely. During the follow-up period, 12 percent of participants who never smoked died, compared to 33 percent of current smokers. And the earlier people quit the better, but there was still a benefit even for late quitters. Of those who quit in their 30s, 16 percent died. In their 40s: 20 percent. In their 50s: 24 percent. And in their 60s: 28 percent.
Still, people who quit in their 60s had a 23 percent lower risk of death during the study than current smokers, says Nash, who conducted the research while she was a fellow at the National Cancer Institute.
One limitation of the study is that the "current smoker" category included anyone who was smoking when they completed the questionnaire, which means it likely included people who went on to quit during the follow-up period. But if that happened to a significant degree, the true mortality gap between people who smoke and those who quit would only be larger.
The researchers also looked at deaths from smoking-related diseases, including lung cancer, heart disease and respiratory infections, and saw similar trends.
The research also reinforces the well-known point that it's important to try to prevent people from picking up the habit in the first place. Most smokers start during their teenage years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And among current smokers, the earlier the study participants started, the higher their likelihood of dying during the follow-up period. Of those who started when they were younger than 15, 38 percent died, compared to 23 percent of those who started when they were 30 or older.
To Quit Smoking, It's Best To Go Cold Turkey SHOTS - HEALTH NEWS To Quit Smoking, It's Best To Go Cold Turkey Until now there have been hints from other research, but no solid proof, that people in their 60s and 70s could benefit from quitting.
"Based on less substantial data, we've been telling the public that it's never too late to quit, because it will benefit health and prolong life," says Norman Edelman, a physician and senior scientific adviser to the American Lung Association who wasn't involved with the study. Now, he says, he'll have more concrete evidence to offer to patients, especially to older smokers who assume that the damage from years of tobacco use can't be reversed.
Edelman says he gives the same smoking cessation advice to older smokers as to younger ones: Use a program (the ALA has its own, as does the American Cancer Society) in conjunction with pharmaceutical help, such as nicotine replacement products or prescription medications (such as Chantix or Zyban). Your odds of success are greater if you use both, he says.
He says older smokers should be sure to speak with their physicians about potential side effects of tobacco cessation medications.
Grandma, Grandpa on mom’s side, Grandma on dad’s side. That’s not paternal?
you calling me mildly overweight? :)
And now there's this extremely STUPID push to legalize pot ( not to mention legalizing other illegal substances ) but my smoking is the "horror"? Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh !
I dont want to IMAGINE what I would replace food with :)
I’ve been smoking for decades, and my lung feels great!
yes :)
I’m not too good at this, but I think “paternal” means on your Dad’s side of the family tree.
I know so many people that have had successful businesses for the last 10 years providing these products.
Then, other people saw they were making money, and you can’t fart without seeing a vape shop in your local strip malls.
That’s all done.
So many people have been smacked upside the head by this it’s sad.
But....those of us that started at the beginning knew this was coming.
Luckily enough for the founder of Blu, he got bought out by a UK Big Tobacco company.
Most of us aren’t that lucky....we might be able to recoup what was spent selling the remainders to others willing to take the risk and sell the product.
I’m done though. Not going to work my butt off to give California that kind of money. It’s akin to slavery.
Big Tobacco wins.
I’m 48. Terrible shape but i’ll probably hit 70. No kids. Wife. Nephews/nieces :)
If I got to eat 3 meals a day of whatever I liked from 18 to 70, (already 30 years there) how could I complain!! :)
My aunt joan is 80ish and dying of cancer. She says she got to smoke a hell of a lot of cigs and enjoyed every one, so screw it.
It’s still a free country unless Bloomberg does a coup :)
I have no opinion as to what the proper age is.ps, check the pm for what I promised earlier.
Give me time to set it up
>So, because the units you buy are more efficient...in terms of tobacco delivery.....you will see an increase in e-cig price by about 60% come January.
People will just start buying from China. There’s zero border controls for Chinese stuff.
“I’ve quit before with Chantix and have some the doc gave me recently but can’t seem to get in the right frame of mind to do it.”
Have you ever tried e-cigs? Lots of folks have weaned themselves off tobacco by using them.
California........sigh...
Big Tobacco or Big Government? If everybody quit smoking tomorrow government would be falling all over themselves to demonize someone else so they could rob them. It’s like the legalizing pot. As long as the government gets their cut all the politicians are happy.
Yep....and I know quite a few suppliers that still use heavens gifts for their stocks.
The days of the next day or 1-2 day delivery from suppliers in the US are going fast though.
Also, ordering these product from China may seem simple, and most times will get to you without an issue....
I’ve had multiple shipments of e-cig gear/supplies confiscated by US Customs....and lost multiple 10’s of thousands of dollars in product that never showed itself at my door.
Smokers don’t like maybe. Maybe your stuff will be in your mailbox when you need it. That doesn’t cut it for addicts.
I have immense pride and satisfaction from the service I provided my customers. I’ve lost quite a few family members to tobacco use over the years.
Every once in a while. I’d get an email from some random 60 year old lady.
Telling me she’s been trying to quit for 30 years and when she got my product, she was done smoking.
That, in and of itself, made my business worth running.
I have no regrets.
Hate? Yeah, I got a lot of hate. ;)
I would never say that.
Big Government vice Big Tobacco?
At this point, what difference does it make?
/s
“Just TRY to make me quit....”
Smoking for 49 years, here, and I’m still fit as a fiddle.
A doctor once told me that a small percentage of smokers don’t build up tar on the lungs. He said it was a medical mystery.
He shared that with me because he was puzzled at my chest x-rays, which should have shown a significant build-up at that time. He honestly believed I was lying about being a smoker.
“Grandma, Grandpa on mom’s side, Grandma on dad’s side. That’s not paternal?”
No.
In the original post, you indicated your dad had three parents.
Sounds like Steyer has helped create the perfect environment for criminal bootlegging of tobacco products in California.
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