A large study suggests that cigarette smokers who quit before 35 have the same death rates as smokers who never smoked.
The research found that those who stopped smoking at later ages still had benefits, but their death rates were higher than those who quit before they were 35.
The rate of death from any cause was higher for people who quit between 35 and 44 years old. The mortality rate for people who quit between 45 and 54 years old was 47 percent higher than for people who never smoked.
The authors of the new report stated that current smoking was associated with at least twice the all-cause mortality rate of never smoking.
Smoking cessation was associated with reductions in mortality associated with continued smoking.
John P. Pierce is a professor of family medicine and public health at the University of California, San Diego.
According to the new research, the earlier a smoker quits, the better. It is now possible to be specific about when a smoker quits.
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The data from the US National Health Interview Survey and the National Death Index were used in the new study.
More than 550,000 adults who completed questionnaires between January 1997 and December of last year are included in the analysis.
People who smoked less than 100 cigarettes in their lifetimes were included in the group.
Over 67,000 study subjects died by the end of the year. Compared with never smokers, current smokers show a significantly higher all-cause death rate, as well as higher rates of death from cancer, heart disease and lung disease.
The mortality rate for non-Hispanic white smokers was three times higher than that of never smokers. The mortality rates for non-white smokers were twice that of never smokers.
The participants reported smoking less cigarettes per day, starting to smoke at an older age, and being less likely to smoke daily, compared with white subjects.
Reducing smoking intensity should be one of the goals of tobacco control programs according to Price.
The authors of the study said that quitting smoking was associated with substantially reversed risks for all groups.
Those who quit by 45 were 90 percent less likely to die than those who quit before 35.
The study found that the closer a smoker was to death, the more time had passed since they stopped smoking.
Price wrote that having an age 35 deadline could motivate young smokers to quit.
It is tempting for smokers to abandon a quit attempt if the goal is not clear. He wrote that the study provided needed data to set a goal of quitting smoking before 35 years old.
According to the study, quitting at older ages still reduces one's risk of death, but not as much.
There are some limits to the research. Some subjects may have stopped smoking after being surveyed because the information on their smoking habits was gathered at one point.
The authors warned that the true benefits of quitting may be underestimated.
The study shows that quitting smoking reduces the risk of early death.
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The original article was published by Live Science. The original article can be found here.
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