Health: Quitting Smoking Can Prolong Your Life

In health headlines, experts say quitting smoking later is better than never and the new issues of secondhand smokers.

Quitting smoking can prolong your life, even in old age.

Researchers reviewed data from more than a dozen studies from seven countries published between 1987 and 2011.

People in the studies were followed for anytime between three and 50 years.

Compared to non-smokers sixty and older, smokers had an 83%  increased risk of death from all causes during the study period.

Former smokers had a thirty-four percent increased risk–which is still higher risk but not as high as current smokers.

The team also found survival rates seem to rise along with the amount of time since a person quit smoking even at an older age.

Findings appear in the “Archives of Internal Medicine.”

In addition, secondhand smoking is linked to more health problems.

You may already know the potential health-risks of secondhand smoking.

Now a study in china shows people regularly exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to die from different causes.

Researchers compared adults with smoke-free environments and those exposed to secondhand smoke. They found that over 17 years the secondhand smokers had a higher risk of dying from:

- Heart disease

- Lung cancer

- A stroke

- The lung disease emphysema

 

Researches cannot confirm secondhand smoke is the culprit.

For more information, consult with your healthcare provider.