Women Who Stop Smoking Will See Their Risk of Death
Begin to Drop Rapidly
Communicating risks to smokers, helping them quit
should be integral part of public health
May 6, 2008 - An extensive review of the health
histories of thousands of women shows that when they stop smoking their
risk of death from any disease begins to decline. Within five years they
will significantly reduce their risk of dying from coronary heart
disease and will reduce their risk of death from smoking-related cancers
by 20 percent. The study reported in May 7 issue of the Journal of
the American Medical Association is good encouragement for older women
who may hesitate to stop, because they think it is too late.
Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause
of death in the United States. Globally, approximately 5 million
premature deaths were attributable to smoking in 2000. The World Health
Organization projects by 2030 that tobacco-attributable deaths will
annually account for 3 million deaths in industrialized countries and 7
million in developing countries, the authors write.
Stacey A. Kenfield, Sc.D., of the Harvard School of
Public Health, Boston, and colleagues assessed the relationship between
cigarette smoking and smoking cessation on total and cause-specific
mortality in women by analyzing data from the Nurses Health Study, an
observational study of 104,519 female participants, with follow-up from
1980 to 2004.
A total of 12,483 deaths occurred in this group:
● 4,485 (35.9 percent) among never smokers,
● 3,602 (28.9 percent) among current smokers, and
● 4,396 (35.2 percent) among past smokers.
The researchers found a significant 13 percent
reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality within the first 5 years of
quitting smoking compared with continuing to smoke, and the excess risk
decreased to the level of a never smoker 20 years after quitting, with
some causes taking more or less time.
Significant trends were observed with increasing
years since quitting for all major cause-specific outcomes. A more rapid
decline in risk after quitting smoking compared with continuing to smoke
was observed in the first 5 years for vascular diseases compared with
other causes, according to the report.
Much of the reduction in the excess risk for these
causes of death were realized within the first 5 years for coronary
heart disease and cerebrovascular disease.
"Sixty-one percent of the full potential benefit of
quitting in regard to coronary heart disease mortality and 42 percent of
the full potential benefit of quitting in regard to cerebrovascular
mortality was realized within the first 5 years of quitting smoking,
when comparing hazard ratios for recent quitters of less than 5 years
with long-term quitters of 20 years or greater.
"For death due to respiratory disease, an 18
percent reduction in risk of death was observed 5 to 10 years after
quitting smoking, with the risk reaching that of a never smokers risk
after 20 years.
For lung cancer mortality, a significant 21 percent
reduction in risk was observed within the first 5 years compared with
continuing smokers, but the excess risk did not disappear for 30 years.
Past smokers with 20 to less than 30 years of
cessation had an 87 percent reduction in risk of lung cancer mortality
compared with current smokers. When including the other smoking-related
cancers, the excess risk approached a never smokers risk more than 20
years after quitting smoking.
Significant trends were observed for earlier age at
initiation of smoking for total mortality, respiratory disease
mortality, and all smoking-related cancer mortality.
The data also suggested that smoking is associated
with an increased risk of colorectal cancer mortality but not ovarian
cancer mortality. The researchers also found that approximately 64
percent of deaths among current smokers and 28 percent of deaths among
former smokers were attributable to cigarette smoking.
Early age at initiation is associated with an
increased mortality risk so implementing and maintaining school tobacco
prevention programs, in addition to enforcing youth access laws, are key
preventive strategies. Effectively communicating risks to smokers and
helping them quit successfully should be an integral part of public
health programs, the authors conclude.
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May 6, 2008 - An extensive review of the health
histories of thousands of women shows that when they stop smoking their
risk of death from any disease begins to decline. Within five years they
will significantly reduce their risk of dying from coronary heart
disease and will reduce their risk of death from smoking-related cancers
by 20 percent. The study reported in May 7 issue of the Journal of
the American Medical Association is good encouragement for older women
who may hesitate to stop, because they think it is too late.