New study shows dramatic health benefits of quitting smoking


People who quit smoking see big gains in life expectancy after just a few years, according to a new study from University of Toronto researchers at Unity Health Toronto.

The study, published in NEJM evidence, shows that smokers who quit before the age of 40 can expect to live almost as long as those who never smoked. People who quit smoking at any age come close to surviving as long as never smokers 10 years after quitting, and about half of that gain occurs within just three years.

“Quitting smoking is ridiculously effective at reducing the risk of death, and people can reap those rewards faster,” said Prabhat Jha, MD, professor and executive director of the T.K. Dalla Lana School of Public Health and Temerity Faculty of Medicine. ” Global Health Research Center at Unity Health Toronto.

The observational study involved 1.5 million adults from four countries (US, UK, Canada and Norway) who were followed for 15 years. Smokers between the ages of 40 and 79 had about three times the risk of dying compared to people who never smoked, meaning they lost an average of 12 to 13 years of life.

Former smokers had a 1.3-fold (or 30 percent higher) risk of death compared with never-smokers. Quitting smoking at any age was associated with longer survival, and even those who quit smoking for less than three years had their life expectancy increased by up to six years.

Many people think it's too late to quit smoking, especially in middle age. But these results contradict that line of thought. It's never too late, the effects are fast and you can reduce your risk of major diseases, which means a longer and better quality of life.”


Prabhat Jha is Professor at TK Dalla Lana School of Public Health and Temerty Faculty of Medicine

The researchers found that quitting smoking specifically reduced the risk of dying from vascular disease and cancer. The risk of death from respiratory disease was also reduced in former smokers, but to a lesser extent likely due to residual lung damage.

There are currently about 60 million smokers in the four countries included in the study, and more than a billion people worldwide. Global rates of smoking have declined by more than 25 percent since 1990, but tobacco is still a leading cause of preventable death.

Jha said the findings should add urgency to governments' efforts to support people who want to quit smoking. “Helping smokers quit is one of the most effective ways to significantly improve health. And we know how to do this by increasing cigarette taxes and improving support for smoking cessation.”

Jha said Canada is long overdue for an increase in the federal excise tax on cigarettes, and many other countries could reduce smoking rates by increasing the tax. Cessation support may include patient resources such as clinical guidelines and helplines, but can also include a whole-health-system approach.

“When smokers interact with the health care system in any way, physicians and health professionals can encourage them to quit by explaining how well quitting smoking works,” Jha said. “This can be done with concern, and without judgment or stigma, recognizing that cigarettes have been engineered to be highly addictive.”

Source:

Journal Reference:

Cho, er, and others. (2024) Smoking cessation and short-term and long-term mortality. NEJM Evidence. doi.org/10.1056/EVIDoa2300272.

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