Study: Smoking Costs 10 Years of Life
A 50-year study finds that cigarettes reduce a smoker's life by
an average of 10 years. However, the research also concludes that
quitting at any age reduced the risk of dying from smoking-related
diseases, the BBC reported June 22.
The study by Cancer Research UK began in 1951 and involved 34,439
doctors who were born between 1900 and 1930. The participants were
asked about their smoking behavior at the start of the study, and
were contacted periodically by researchers to follow up.
The researchers found that men who smoked were twice as likely
to die before age 70 than non-smokers. In addition, non-smokers
lived an average of 10 years longer than those who smoked for most
of their lives.
But the research also showed that participants who stopped smoking
before age 30 lived just as long as those who never smoked. Those
who quit at age 40, 50, and 60 also added years to their lives.
"Fifty years ago, the findings of this unique study had a
major impact on our understanding of the links between smoking and
disease," said Professor Colin Blakemore, chief executive of
the Medical Research Council. "These new findings complete
the picture on smoking-related deaths."
The study's findings are published in the British Medical Journal. |
